Something happened when I had these chicken pizza burgers. It’s not like they were the first chicken burgers I’ve ever made. But these were different. I started to re-think my usual beef smash burgers. Maybe it’s time to make more chicken burgers, I thought. If they’re all going to be this fantastic, I need to look at chicken burgers a bit differently. They’re going from a “I guess I should make them” to a “I want to make them”!
Hold The Pizza
Honestly, you could skip the ‘pizza’ part of these chicken pizza burgers. The patties are great on buns with a little mayonnaise or spicy mustard. Maybe a slice of pepper jack cheese. Oh sure, don’t get me wrong, they’re crazy good with pizza sauce and pepperoni. But they’re also great without all that.
I also think the chicken mixture would be great as meatballs. Just cook them up, place them on sub rolls, top with pizza sauce and some cheese, and devour!
Place chicken, garlic, parsley, red pepper flake, salt and pepper into a medium mixing bowl.
Gently combine the ingredients and form into 4 equally-sized patties. If the mixture is too wet and does not make patties easily, add bread crumbs a little at a time and mix.
If you have the time, place the patties onto wax paper, cover and refrigerate overnight. This helps the flavors blend better and the patties to firm up, especially if you've added bread crumbs.
If you are cooking in a skillet, heat oil in a large skillet and add the burgers. Cook 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown.
If you are cooking on a griddle, add some oil to hot griddle over medium heat. Cook the patties 5-6 minutes, flipping once, until golden brown.
Right before you remove the patties top them with the cheese, pepperoni and sauce and let heat for another minute.
I’ve made a lot of smash burgers on my grill. I should say, beef smash burgers. That’s my go-to thing. Easy, fast, and delicious. Sometimes I ‘stray’ a bit and make chicken or turkey smash burgers. This time, I ‘strayed’ a lot and made Beyond Meat smash burgers. Nothing ‘meat’ going on here. This was my first time making non-meat burgers. I have to say, I was quite pleasantly surprised. The flavors are quite close to those of beef patties. Ditto the texture. I even got some classic smash burger char along the edges. Topped with my favorite diner-style toppings, these were good burgers!
A Little Different
The process for making Beyond Meat smash burgers is mostly the same as I use when making beef smash burgers. The major differences are that first, you don’t defrost the patties. You cook them from frozen. That means you can’t really season them up front. The seasoning would just bounce off. You have to get them on the hot griddle for a few minutes to soften them up. Then you can season them. The second big difference is the smashing. I tend to smash the heck out of my beef patties to get them super thin. You can’t do that as much with these or they’ll crack or break. You can smash them, but do it slowly and gently. And last, you don’t have to worry about the patties ‘swelling’ in the center like beef does. They’ll stay flat the entire time. That’s rather nice, I have to say!
Classic Tastes
Once you’ve made a Beyond Meat smash burger or two you’ll find them to be as easy to make as the non-smash ones. And just like making the beef version. And like any other burgers, they’re open to all sorts of toppings. Sometimes I go crazy. Sometimes I go classic. This Beyond Meat smash burger is more classic. And it’s definitely good!
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.
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 don’t have to keep these Beyond Meat burgers smashed down to prevent them from rising in the middle like beef does. The patties stay flat throughout the cooking process.
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.
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.
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.
Squirt a bit more oil onto the griddle.
Add the frozen patties. Let them cook un-touched for 2 minutes then season the tops liberally with salt and pepper.
Flip the patties and season again.
Take your press and GENTLY flatten out the patties. Don't use a lot of pressure. Try to get them thin, but don't break them
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.
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.
Mouth wide open. Leaning over the plate. Plenty of napkins. That’s how you eat these all-American cowboy smash burgers. We aren’t messing around here. We’re loading up on the toppings and flavor. The heck with the sides, the star of the show is sitting on a bun and it’s screaming out your name, so get to it!
It’s Really Easy
The ingredient list for these all-American cowboy smash burgers may seem longer than your average burgers but they aren’t that complicated. One thing I like to do is bake up a big batch of bacon and freeze it. That makes things like these burgers so much easier to make. You can use pre-cooked bacon too. The rest is pretty easy. And fun. And mighty tasty.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You browse the bacon section of your local grocery store and you’re not going to find much variety. You got your smoked bacon. You got your even-more-smoked bacon. Maybe some maple bacon. That’s pretty much it. How about something tastier? With a little spicy kick? This homemade Cajun spice bacon is not only easy but fantastic. A little time and a smoker is all that are required. Once you make bacon a time or two you’ll find it to be fun and the results just can’t be beaten!
A Flip A Day
Once you have the pork belly seasoned to make homemade Cajun spice bacon, all you have to do is take 5 seconds a day to flip it over. You want all the good stuff that was on the bottom to get back on the top, so it can soak in good. Real good. For seven days, minimum. Go a few extra days if you can. We’re curing the bacon and flavoring it here. Don’t rush it!
A Slice Above
Slicing bacon can be a daunting task the first time or two. I don’t have a big huge meat slicer. I wish I did, it’d make this task much easier. Instead, I use a really, really, REALLY sharp knife. That’s key. Do not use a dull knife. If your belly is kind of ‘wiggly’, don’t try and slice it or you’ll end up with slices that are inconsistent in thickness. Stick it in the freezer for a bit to set up then slice it.
You’re going to end up with a few oddball pieces after you’re done slicing. Odd shapes. Trimmings. Ends. Save them. Put them in a baggie or container and freeze them. They’re fantastic for flavoring sautéed vegetables, baked beans, or even fried up as bits for your salads.
I prefer to bake my bacon versus frying it. I think it gives me more consistent cooking and more control over how crunchy (or not crunchy) that I get it!
Combine the curing salt, Cajun seasoning and garlic.
Rub half of the mix onto both sides of the belly.
Place in plastic bag on a pan in the refrigerator for 7 days. Flip the pork belly at least once a day..
After 7 days, remove pork belly from bag or pan and rinse off cure under cold water.
Sprinkle the remaining seasoning mix over the belly and rub into both sides.
To smoke, fire up your smoker for smoking at 165 F. Use a fruit wood or hickory.
Add the belly to the smoker and smoke for 4-6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 155 F. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.
Slice lengthwise. If the belly is too soft to slice you can freeze it for 30 minutes to get it to set a little first.
To cook, fry in a pan or (my preferred method) bake in the oven at 400 F on an aluminum foil-lined pan for 30 minutes or until as crispy as you like it, flipping once.
Leftover bacon (cooked or raw) can be frozen for later use.
Notes
For best flavor, use vacuum-sealed bags for storage.
It’s rare that our local grocery store has pork belly on sale. Heck, it’s rare that they even carry it. So when I was walking by the meat case the other day and eyed a 7 or so pound skin-off pork belly, I snagged it up instantly. Bacon. I had bacon on my mind. And nothing beats homemade maple bacon, either. I love the process, and I love the end result. The entire thing from start to finish makes me happy. And boy, is the bacon ever good!
It’s Easy
Making homemade maple bacon is actually quite easy. It only takes a few ingredients. That and a smoker and you’re set. Now, you’re not going to be saving money over store-bought bacon, so don’t go into this thinking you’re going to be rich when you’re done. But you will have better-tasting bacon. And a lot of joy and satisfaction from making it yourself. So don’t go into it ‘cheap’. Use a good maple syrup. And grab a good pork belly.
Time For Time
You cannot rush the curing process when making your bacon. That’s when the flavor gets infused into the pork belly. When you make it to the smoker you’re just adding that wonderful smoke flavor and (barely) cooking the pork. Most of the flavor comes from the time spent upfront, so don’t rush it. You’ll be more than rewarded.
I don’t have a big meat slicer, so I cut my bacon into slices using a knife. A very, very sharp knife. A dull knife will result in uneven pieces that won’t cook evenly. I highly recommend (always) having a sharp knife, especially for times like this.
Combine the curing salt, maple syrup, brown sugar and pepper.
Rub the mix onto both sides of the belly.
Place in plastic bag on a pan in the refrigerator for 7 days. Flip the pork belly at least once a day..
After 7 days, remove pork belly from bag or pan and rinse off cure under cold water.
To smoke, fire up your smoker for smoking at 165 F. Use a fruit wood or hickory.
Add the belly to the smoker and smoke for 4-6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 155 F. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.
Slice lengthwise. If the belly is too soft to slice you can freeze it for 30 minutes to get it to set a little first.
To cook, fry in a pan or (my preferred method) bake in the oven at 400 F on an aluminum foil-lined pan for 30 minutes or until as crispy as you like it, flipping once.
Leftover bacon (cooked or raw) can be frozen for later use.
Notes
For best flavor, use vacuum-sealed bags for storage.
If you’re looking for beefy, flavorful patties look no further. These beef bouillon slider smash burgers bring it. This is how you can turn your rather standard, everyday burgers into something new and different. Topped with a fresh mix of lettuce, tomato, onion and a sauce with a little kick, these little bites disappear in no time.
On Top. Or On Bottom.
I like to put my lettuce mix for these beef bouillon slider smash burgers on the bottom bun. Not on top of the patty. Hear me out as to why. I’ve found that toppings, and especially saucy ones like the one here, stay on the buns better when they are underneath. They don’t squeeze out when you take a bite. It’s slippery up on top. You’ve got cheese. That’s slippery. Add a wet sauce and you have a recipe for ‘topping squeeze’ and that’s not a good thing. Try it and see what you think.
You can make these as ‘full sized’ burgers instead. Just form the flavored beef into 4 ounce patties instead of 2 ounces.
I had the smoker going, making a big batch of homemade bacon. And there was a little bit of room left on my grates. Unused smoker space. I can’t have that. So I made some smoked roasted garlic and herb cream cheese! Easy as can be. Delicious. And it’s the perfect treat, too. Just grab some crackers and in no time you’ll be enjoying this savory, garlicky, nicely herbaceous creamy cheese too!
A Little Smoke Goes A Long Way
Cream cheese loves smoke. If this is your first time making smoked roasted garlic and herb cream cheese I suggest that you go light on the smoke. Very light. Use a small chunk of wood. See how it goes. Make note of how much smoke you use so that you (might) adjust it the next time. Because there will be a next time, believe me. This stuff is magical. And it can take on so many different flavors, too. Savory. Sweet. Spicy. You can do anything!
Easy On. Easy Off.
I’ve found that a foil-wrapped cedar plank is the perfect way to get cream cheese onto and off the smoker. The cheese gets a little melted, making it slide off easily when it’s done. Does the plank add a bit more flavor? Maybe, but probably not. We’re not smoking at a high enough temperature to get the plank smoldering. We don’t want a high temperature. Too high and we’re making a cream sauce!
As an aside, this cheese makes for the perfect ‘cook’s treat’. A little something for me to nibble on while I’m cooking something else, like bacon!
Fire up your smoker for 225 F. Use whatever wood you prefer, but I recommend a lighter wood (such as apple) since the cheese will easily absorb the smoke.
Unwrap the cream cheese but leave it on the foil.
Place into the freezer for 10 minutes to harden slightly.
Use a knife to cut diagonal slits across the top of the cheese. Cut about 1/4" deep.
Sprinkle the cheese liberally with the seasoning. Press it down gently to get into the slits you just cut.
Place the cheese (on the foil) onto your smoker and smoke 1 1/2-2 hours depending on how smoky you want your cheese. The cheese should soften slightly but not melt.
Remove and serve with crackers.
Notes
I place my cream cheese on a foil-wrapped cedar plank. I found that it makes it easier to get the cheese on/off the smoker. As the cheese softens it slides off the foil easily onto my serving platter.Leftover cheese can be served cold or warmed in an air fryer, oven or microwave.
Oh boy. You’re right, I didn’t need something else to come along that is so good that I can’t stop eating it. I have a long list of things I make that fit that description. But, add another. This smoked Everything Bagel cream cheese is really hard to stop eating. It’s the perfect appetizer. Easy. Creamy. Flavorful.
Cook’s Treats
One of the greatest things about being a cook is ‘cook’s treats’. Those are the things I make that I get to try first. Usually when no one is looking. Like when I’m out at the smoker by myself. I can take a bite, let the flavors sink in, and smile and be happy with the results. This smoked Everything Bagel cream cheese is the perfect Cook’s Treat. That’s why I put more than one on the smoker. Some for me, some for everyone else. Seems fair enough!
A Blank Canvas
I used Everything Bagel seasoning, but you can smoke cream cheese using just about anything to season it. You can even go with the sweet route, with a combination of sugar and cinnamon. It’s also a great way to use up some of your favorite seasonings in your pantry. Grab that BBQ rub. That rotisserie chicken flavoring. Whatever you like on other foods will be great on smoked cheese. Be adventurous!
Fire up your smoker for 225 F. Use whatever wood you prefer, but I recommend a lighter wood (such as apple) since the cheese will easily absorb the smoke.
Unwrap the cream cheese but leave it on the foil.
Place into the freezer for 10 minutes to harden slightly.
Use a knife to cut diagonal slits across the top of the cheese. Cut about 1/4" deep.
Sprinkle the cheese liberally with the seasoning. Press it down gently to get into the slits you just cut.
Place the cheese (on the foil) onto your smoker and smoke 1 1/2-2 hours depending on how smoky you want your cheese. The cheese should soften slightly but not melt.
Remove and serve with crackers.
Notes
I place my cream cheese on a foil-wrapped cedar plank. I found that it makes it easier to get the cheese on/off the smoker. As the cheese softens it slides off the foil easily onto my serving platter.Leftover cheese can be served cold or warmed in an air fryer, oven or microwave.
The messier it is, the better the burger. I’ve always lived by that motto. I was happy when I made these smash burgers with sweet chili special sauce. They were messy. The kind of messy where the sauce runs down the back of your arm when you pick them up for that big bite. The sauce is the star here and it shines big. It’s what that other ‘special’ burger sauce wishes it were: fantastic!
Heat, Too!
The sweet chili special sauce on these smash burgers has a nice little ‘kick’ to it. Not enough that you’ll be screaming ‘it burns! it burns!’ but it’s there and it adds a lot of flavor to the sauce. If you’re afraid of the heat, leave it out and you’ll still get to enjoy a great burger sauce. Or add more and wake up your burgers even more!
The sauce does get better the longer it ‘rests’ in the fridge. So, if you have the time, make it the day before you’re going to use it. Just give it a good stir before using it on your burgers.
Combine all of the sauce ingredients except for the lettuce in a small bowl.
Add in 1/4 cup of the shredded lettuce and stir to coat.
Reserve until ready to use.
For the burgers
Preheat a griddle on your grill on high for 10 minutes.
Form the beef into 4 4-ounce balls.
Place the balls onto the griddle and let cook for 30 seconds then flatten them out until then using a spatula or grill press. Season well with the salt and pepper.
After 3 minutes flip the patties and season. Continue cooking until almost done to your preference.
Add the cheese and cook another minute until melted and the burgers are done.
While the burgers are cooking toast the buns.
Remove burgers from the griddle and place onto the bun bottoms. Top with the lettuce, plenty of the sauce mixture, and onion slices.
I made a big batch of my homemade pastrami the other day. Sure that meant plenty of Reuben sandwiches. And pastrami and mustard sandwiches. And a pastrami smash burger. This is a meat-lovers extravaganza. There’s no shortage of flavor that’s for sure. Sharp and tangy kraut. Smoky pastrami. And delicious, juicy meat patties. All topped with Swiss cheese and plenty of dressing. Grab the napkins, you’re in for a messy tasty treat!
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 a pastrami burger. I like to pile the pastrami and kraut high. And I’ll take plenty of dressing, too. These aren’t supposed to be dainty burgers. The messier, the better.
You don’t have to make your own pastrami to enjoy this burger. Just picked some up at your local deli and enjoy!
This signature blend seasoning is a staple in red…
All natural
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
While the patties continue cooking add the pastrami and kraut to the griddle to heat.
Toast the buns. Remove and slather with dressing.
Add patties to bottom buns. Top with pastrami and kraut and serve.
Notes
If you can find them, rye burger buns make these some of the best hamburgers you can have. They’re hard to find and regular buns work just fine!
