Rodeo Smash Burgers

I love BBQ sauce on a burger. And I love onion rings. And I love my burgers smash burger-style. So why not combine all three of my loves into one great, delicious dinner-sized burger! These rodeo smash burgers deliver on taste. And bonus! You don’t even need a side dish! All you need is in one bite!

Rodeo Smash Burgers

So Many BBQ Sauces

You can use any BBQ sauce you like. Go sweet one night. Maybe try a little spicy the next. If you’re using a gas grill to make your burgers, you might want a smoky BBQ sauce to give your burgers that ‘hot off the charcoal grill’ flavor. Whatever you use, you can’t go wrong with these rodeo smash burgers.

The equipment

Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.

The griddle

First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.

A burger press

Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.

A dome

Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.

Cleaning time!

Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.

Also try my taco smash burgers!

Rodeo Smash Burgers
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Rodeo Smash Burgers

Try different BBQ sauces for different tastes!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword smash burger
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 486kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Fire up your grill for medium-high heat. Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
  • Season the ground beef with the salt and pepper, mix and form into two 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
  • Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don’t mess with them.
  • Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
  • Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges. Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
  • Top patties with cheese and let cook another 30 seconds to melt the cheese.
  • Remove patties from grill and toast buns if desired.
  • Slather insides of buns with mayonnaise.
  • Add patties to bun bottoms. Top with onion rings and BBQ sauce.

Notes

After you make a few smash burgers the process becomes very easy and always delivers great results.

Nutrition

Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 639mg | Potassium: 386mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Smash Burger Royale

I’d be more than happy if every day was ‘smash burger day’. I love them. I love the thin patties. The crunchy edges. The seasoned patties. The great toppings. Everything about them makes me happy. Sometimes I keep them simple, sometimes I don’t. My smash burger royale isn’t complicated, but it sure is good. Actually, I’d call it great.

Smash Burger Royale

Classic Tastes

Once you’ve made a smash burger or two you’ll find them to be as easy to make as the non-smash ones. And like any other burgers, they’re open to all sorts of toppings. Sometimes I go crazy. Sometimes I go classic. This smash burger royale is more classic. And it’s definitely fantastic.

The equipment

Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.

The griddle

First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.

A burger press

Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.

A dome

Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.

Cleaning time!

Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.

Also try my taco smash burgers!

Smash Burger Royale
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Smash Burger Royale

Once you've made a smash burger or two you'll find them to be as easy to make as the non-smash ones.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword smash burgers
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 612kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

For the smash burgers

  • Fire up your grill for medium-high heat. Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
  • Add the oil and spread out a bit. Crack the eggs onto the oiled griddle.
  • Wait until the white is completely opaque then gently flip the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Cook another 30 seconds then remove to a plate.
  • Season the ground beef with the salt and pepper, mix and form into four 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
  • Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don’t mess with them.
  • Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
  • Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges. Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
  • Top patties with cheese and let cook another 30 seconds to melt the cheese.
  • Toast the buns. Remove, add the patties.
  • Add remaining ingredients to assemble the burgers.
  • Devour immediately.

Notes

After you make a few smash burgers the process becomes very easy and always delivers great results.

Nutrition

Calories: 612kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 289mg | Sodium: 1010mg | Potassium: 662mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1034IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 356mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Smoked Sous Vide Country-Style Ribs

I’m a big fan of country-style ribs. In fact, I grew up eating them regularly. My mom has a recipe she’d make where she’d cover the ribs in paprika, broil them for a bit of color, then finish them by baking them in sauerkraut and carrots. I could eat them all day long. That’s why I was so intrigued by the idea of smoked sous vide country-style ribs. The end result reminded me of just what it is: smoked, tender, juicy pork shoulder. Crazy tender and juicy. And just the right amount of smoke too. I serve these ribs on top of (you guessed it), kraut and carrots.

Smoked Sous Vide Country-Style Ribs

Smoked Perfection

I wasn’t shy with the BBQ seasoning on my smoked sous vide country-style ribs. First, they needed some color when they came out of sous vide. You know how that is if you sous vide meat. It isn’t exactly pretty. So I covered it in rub and put it on my smoker over apple wood. I was very happy with the end results.

I use my Anova immersion circulator for this and any other time I need to sous-vide. It’s easy to use which is a good thing for me!

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!
Smoked Sous Vide Country-Style Ribs
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5 from 1 vote

Smoked Sous Vide Country-Style Ribs

I wasn't shy with the BBQ seasoning on my smoked sous vide country-style ribs.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword ribs, smoked, sous vide
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 23 hours
Servings 4
Calories 553kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the ribs in a vacuum bags and seal.
  • Sous vide at 140 F for 22 hours.
  • Fire up your smoker for 275 F. Use any wood you like. I used apple for a lighter smoke.
  • Smoke for 1 hour.
  • Serve as desired.

Notes

Use bone-in ribs for the best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 553kcal | Protein: 57g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 216mg | Sodium: 184mg | Potassium: 930mg | Vitamin A: 23IU | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Five Alarm Smash Burgers

If you’re going to take the time to fire up a grill for burgers, there’s no point in making boring ones. These Five Alarm smash burgers pack a lot of flavor in each and every bite. Along with a bit of heat. And they’re messy. Messy is good. Always. Things drip out when you take a bite. They’re supposed to. But don’t waste those yummy juices. Take that last bite of the bun and use it to scoop them up for that last parting delicious bite.

Five Alarm Smash Burgers

A Little Heat. A Lot Of Flavor.

Once you’ve made a smash burger or two you’ll find them to be as easy to make as the non-smash ones. Before long you’ll be a master at it, making great burgers like these Five Alarm smash burgers. These are actually a take on a similar burger that used to be available at Red Robin. They should put them back on the menu. They’re great burgers, smashed or not.

The equipment

Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.

The griddle

First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.

A burger press

Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.

A dome

Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.

Cleaning time!

Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.

Also try my taco smash burgers!

Five Alarm Smash Burgers
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Five Alarm Smash Burgers

These Five Alarm smash burgers pack a lot of flavor in each and every bite.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword smash burger, spicy
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 3765kcal

Ingredients

For the chipotle mayonnaise

For the burgers

Instructions

For the chipotle mayonnaise

  • Combine all ingredients.
  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the burgers

  • Fire up your grill for medium-high heat. Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
  • Season the ground beef with the seasoning, mix and form into four 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
  • Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don’t mess with them.
  • Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
  • Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges. Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
  • Top patties with cheese and let cook another 30 seconds to melt the cheese.
  • Toast the buns. Remove.
  • Add the patties to the bottom buns. Top with tomato, jalapeno, salsa and lettuce.
  • Slather top buns with the mayonnaise mixture and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 3765kcal | Carbohydrates: 222g | Protein: 164g | Fat: 256g | Saturated Fat: 84g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 70g | Monounsaturated Fat: 76g | Trans Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 519mg | Sodium: 45042mg | Potassium: 7214mg | Fiber: 73g | Sugar: 77g | Vitamin A: 46606IU | Vitamin C: 286mg | Calcium: 2222mg | Iron: 64mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Cedar Planked Spicy Nacho Cheese Doritos

It’s great to be in control. It seems sometimes a rare thing in our lives. Well, when you make some cedar planked spicy nacho cheese Doritos you’re in control. You decide how much of that cedar aroma you want. And how much flavor the cedar is going to bring. You even get to decide how roasted crunchy the chips end up. You’ll love the results of your efforts, believe me. Control never tasted or felt so good!

Cedar Planked Spicy Nacho Cheese Doritos

Best Easiest Snack Ever

There’s nothing complicated going on here. You do have to be careful you don’t go crazy nuts and leave the chips on the grill too long. The process for making cedar planked spicy nacho cheese Doritos is simple. These are great snacks for your next grill party. You can make a lot of them, and quick. Do like I do and make some cool ranch Doritos too. And some regular nacho cheese for sure!

Doritos Rock. So Do Other Chips.

I bet you’re thinking… Can I do this with other chips, too? Why sure! You can place any chip onto planks and grill them. But, watch out! Thinner chips, such as potato chips, will cook a lot faster! You might want to do a ‘test run’ with a few chips first to get a feel for the amount of time you want to grill them.

Also try some cedar planked nacho cheese Doritos. Same great idea, but not spicy!

Cedar Planked Spicy Nacho Cheese Doritos
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Cedar Planked Spicy Nacho Cheese Doritos

Nice and crispy, with a hint of cedar smoke.
Course Snack
Cuisine Main
Keyword cedar plank, tortilla chips
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 147kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Soak plank (or planks if you need more than one) in water for at least 1 hour.
  • Fire up your grill to medium-high heat, around 400 F.
  • Place the plank over indirect heat. Add the chips. Close the lid.
  • Let the chips grill for 2-5 minutes. Check them at least once. If they start to turn dark brown or char on the edges, remove them.
  • Let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Note: If you prefer a stronger cedar flavor and aroma, place your soaked plank over direct heat for a few minutes first. Get a nice char on the plank. Then move it to indirect heat and add the chips.

Nutrition

Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Pizza Smash Burgers

It’s gonna be messy. Juices are gonna run down your forearm. Pizza sauce too. Cheese is gonna drip onto your lap. All your favorite pizza flavors on a convenient grilled burger. No boring burger here. Pizza smash burgers are a wonderful way to change up your burger routine. The big thin patties are perfect for loading up the toppings so go big and enjoy!

Pizza Smash Burgers

You can go ‘loaded’ or ‘lightly loaded’ with these pizza smash burgers. I tried them both ways and both were great. More pepperoni. More pepperoncini. More cheese. Or not.

You can also add your other favorite pizza toppings, such as mushrooms or olives. Go crazy with it!

The equipment

Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.

The griddle

First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.

A burger press

Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.

A dome

Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.

Cleaning time!

Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.

Also try my taco smash burgers!

Pizza Smash Burgers
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Pizza Smash Burgers

All your favorite pizza flavors… on a burger!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword pizza, smash burgers
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 500kcal

Ingredients

For the smash burgers

Instructions

For the smash burgers

  • Fire up your grill for high heat. Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
  • Season the ground beef with the salt and pepper, mix and form into four 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
  • Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don't mess with them.
  • Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
  • Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges. Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
  • Top patties with pepperoni, cheese, sauce and pepperoncini.
  • Toast the buns. Remove, add the patties.
  • Devour immediately.

Notes

Serve with plenty of napkins!

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 1811mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 233IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Taco Smash Burgers

It’s gonna be messy. Juices are gonna run down your forearm. Cheese sauce is gonna drip in your lap. Taco sauce is gonna get on your face. That’s how taco smash burgers are supposed to be. Messy. And fantastic. Thin, hot burger patties with the right crust around the edges make for the perfect canvas for great taco flavors.

Taco Smash Burgers

I was going to add variations to these taco smash burgers. But I decided not too. You don’t need variations. I don’t need variations. Just make them like the recipe says and get to devouring them. Don’t over-think them. They’re great. Just enjoy them and look forward to the next time you make them!

The equipment

Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.

The griddle

First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.

A burger press

Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.

A dome

Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.

Cleaning time!

Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.

Also try my bacon guacamole smash burgers!

Taco Smash Burgers
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Taco Smash Burgers

Messy goodness with great taco-inspired flavors.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword smash burgers, spicy
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 479kcal

Ingredients

For the smash burgers

Instructions

For the smash burgers

  • Fire up your grill for high heat. Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
  • Season the ground beef with the taco seasoning, mix and form into four 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
  • Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don't mess with them.
  • Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
  • Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges. Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
  • Add the nacho cheese sauce. If desired, cover in a dome to help the cheese melt and get it warmed completely.
  • Toast the buns. Remove, add the patties and serve with taco sauce, tomato slices and lettuce.
  • Devour immediately.

Notes

The more napkins you use, the better the smash burger.

Nutrition

Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 586mg | Potassium: 512mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 758IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Cedar Planked Cool Ranch Doritos

Yep. Cedar planked cool Ranch Doritos. “Now what in the world is he up to now?” It’s ok if that’s what you’re thinking. My wife certainly thought the same thing. Then she tried them. Then she she knew. They’re fantastic! She doesn’t doubt me any more! Well, at least not when it comes to grilled tortilla chips!

Once you have soaked your board you’re only minutes away from enjoying these delicious chips. They take truly almost no time at all. You can easily feed a small crowd with just a few planks and a few bags of chips.

Cedar Planked Cool Ranch Doritos

Not Just For Show

Cedar planked cool Ranch Doritos look cool. I think they did. It’s not every day that I see a load of chips going onto the grill. Well, not until I did them at least. Now I see it all of the time. They’re the perfect snack. Or side. The cedar aroma and flavor is not overpowering. It’s subtle. You still get the classic chip flavor. But it’s more pronounced. Stronger. Better. And the chips are crunchier.

These little bites of deliciousness are fantastic hot off the grill.

Also try my cedar planked nacho cheese Doritos.

Cedar Planked Ranch Doritos
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Cedar Planked Cool Ranch Doritos

Nice and crispy, with a hint of cedar smoke.
Course Snack
Cuisine Main
Keyword cedar plank, tortilla chips
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 147kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Soak plank (or planks if you need more than one) in water for at least 1 hour.
  • Fire up your grill to medium-high heat, around 400 F.
  • Place the plank over indirect heat. Add the chips. Close the lid.
  • Let the chips grill for 2-5 minutes. Check them at least once. If they start to turn dark brown or char on the edges, remove them.
  • Let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Note: If you prefer a stronger cedar flavor and aroma, place your soaked plank over direct heat for a few minutes first. Get a nice char on the plank. Then move it to indirect heat and add the chips.

Nutrition

Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Double R Bar Smash Burgers

I was lucky as a kid because for a while we lived near a Roy Roger’s Restaurant. My favorite burger as a tyke was the Double R Bar burger. It wasn’t anything fancy, pretty much your standard burger, but it was topped with seared ham. Ham. And no ketchup or anything like that for me. BBQ sauce. For some reason my kid taste buds screamed for that combination. Many years later I make them at home, with a slight twist. Beyond the Double R Bar smash burger. I might put a bit more on them than just BBQ sauce, but they’re still mighty darned good.

Double R Bar Smash Burgers

There’s Nothing Wrong With Simple

This isn’t some kinda fru-fru fancy, thick, topped-with-stuff-you-can’t-pronounce burger. It’s a good ole backyard burger. Double R Bar smash burgers just have that slight twist that makes you think “hey, even if it’s simple, it’s special”.

The equipment

Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.

The griddle

First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.

A burger press

Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.

A dome

Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.

Cleaning time!

Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.

Also try my Ultimate Smash Burgers with Secret Spicy Sauce.

Double R Bar Smash Burgers
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Double R Bar Smash Burgers

A fun take on the Roy Rogers hamburger chain's popular burger.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword smash burgers
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 576kcal

Ingredients

For the smash burgers

For the burger topping

Instructions

For the smash burgers

  • Fire up your grill for high heat.
  • Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
  • Season the ground beef with salt and pepper and form into four 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
  • Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don't mess with them.
  • Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
  • Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges.
  • Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
  • Add the cheese slices. If desired, cover in a dome to help the cheese melt.
  • Meanwhile, place the ham onto the griddle and let brown, cooking for about 2 minutes.
  • Flip and cook another minute to get a little color on the other side. Remove.
  • Toast the buns.
  • Slather one side of each bun with your desired condiments.
  • Remove the patties from the grill and place on top of the bun bottoms.
  • Add the ham, followed by the onion, tomato, lettuce and pickles, as desired.

Notes

Serve with plenty of napkins.

Nutrition

Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 976mg | Potassium: 648mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 694IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 317mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Bacon Guacamole Smash Burgers

Very few things go together as great as guacamole, bacon, cheese, onion and a burger. These bacon guacamole smash burgers are a real winner in our house. I love the coolness from the guacamole on a hot-off-the-grill patty. Smoky bacon is always a great addition. Ooey, gooey cheese is a must. A little onion adds a great crunchiness. Every bite is fantastic.

Bacon Guacamole Smash Burgers

Good Guacamole Makes For A Great Burger

I don’t skimp on the guacamole when I make bacon guacamole smash burgers. Sometimes I’ll use a spicier guac for a little kick. But normal, good-ole mild guacamole is fine too. If you’re looking for heat, you can also add a good pepper jack cheese. Jalapeno jack is a real winner, too.

Delicious Hot Juiciness

I like to serve this burgers as soon as they come off the grill. I love the cool guacamole on the hot patty. Oh, I already said that. Well, I’d apologize for repeating myself but I was remembering just how great every bite was as I was writing this.

The equipment

Here’s the equipment I use. You can get by using two cast iron skillets. Use a larger skillet for cooking the burgers, and a smaller one to smash the burgers and keep them flat. Since I’m a cooking gadget collector, I prefer to use a few more tools.

The griddle

First, a griddle. You can buy griddles that sit on top of your grill grates or ones that replace them. Just about every grill I have has a griddle on it. I use them for a lot of things, not just smash burgers. You want one that can be placed over the hottest part of your grill so it gets screaming hot.

A burger press

Next, you need a burger press. You can use a heavy cast iron skillet, like I mentioned. Or get a burger press. For easy cleanup I wrap mine in foil first. When I’m done, just peel off the foil and toss. Super easy. Get a press that’s at least big enough to cover two burgers. You only smash one at a time, but if you want to keep them flat, you want to rest the press on top so bigger (and heavier) is better. Plus I’ve found that a bigger, heavier press tends to stay on the burgers whereas a smaller, lighter one is hard to keep centered on the burgers, specially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.

A dome

Next up, a dome. While not 100% required, it does speed the time it takes to melt the cheese and it does it in a nice even fashion. In my opinion you don’t really need one if you’re using a super melty cheese, such as American, but for thicker slices like say a deli pepper jack, you want the cheese to melt before you over-cook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.

Cleaning time!

Lastly, you need something to clean your griddle. I like to clean mine when I’m done cooking, but you can do it at the start instead. I use one of these pad holders with a griddle cleaning pad. Then I add a bit of water to my griddle then use the pad (connected to the holder) to scrub off any big chunks and get up some of the grease. I don’t go crazy with it, I always heat the heck out of my griddle before cooking, but I get the worst. The long arm on the pad holder makes it perfect for scrubbing a hot griddle, too.

Also try my fantastic taco smash burgers.

Bacon Guacamole Smash Burgers
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Bacon Guacamole Smash Burgers

Cool guacamole on a hot burger. You can't beat it.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon, guacamole, smash burgers
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 711kcal

Ingredients

For the smash burgers

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • kosher salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 4 slices cheddar cheese
  • 8 slices bacon cooked
  • ½ cup guacamole divided
  • 4 slices red onion optional
  • 8 slices tomato optional

Instructions

For the secret spicy sauce

  • In small bowl, stir together the salad dressing, hot sauce and jalapenos.
  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the smash burgers

  • Fire up your grill for high heat. Place a griddle or a large cast iron pan over the highest heat.
  • Season the ground beef and form into four 4 ounce balls (not patties!).
  • Place the balls of beef on the griddle and let cook for one minute. Just let them cook, don't mess with them.
  • Take your press and flatten out the patties. I like to use the point of the press and work my way around the ball first, doing a little section at a time and then finally I press down on the entire patty to flatten it out. You can also just flatten out the ball all at once. At this point I also like to season the patties some more.
  • Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges. Flip, season again if desired, and continue cooking another minute or so until the other side is charred. The burgers are thin so they will cook very quickly so watch out.
  • Add the cheese slices. If desired, cover in a dome to help the cheese melt.
  • Toast the buns. Remove, add the patties and serve topped with two pieces of the bacon and 2 tablespoons each of the guacamole. Add the onion and tomato if using.
  • Devour immediately.

Notes

Scoop up any guacamole that drips off your burger onto your plate with tortilla chips!

Nutrition

Calories: 711kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 693mg | Potassium: 610mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 233IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 208mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.