There was a block of Velveeta cheese sitting in my fridge. Most of it was gone. But not all. What was I going to do with the last 3 inches of Velveeta? Put it on crackers, maybe? That’s not a bad idea. But BBQ Velveeta smash burgers are a much, much better idea. Velveeta’s job in life is to melt and get gooey good and a smash burger is a darned good place to do that. These aren’t complicated burgers. But the combination of BBQ sauce and Velveeta works for me. These make for an easy, quick and delicious meal!
Need More?
You can put whatever you want on these burgers. Me, I like them simple. But anything that works for you will work on these burgers. Bacon. Lettuce. Tomato. Mayonnaise. Yeah, mayonnaise (in my opinion, an often-overlooked great addition to any burger). Go for it!
It’s Really Easy
These BBQ Velveeta smash burgers are pretty easy to make. And they’re fun. And mighty tasty. We aren’t doing anything fancy here. We make some burgers, top them with Velveeta, get that melty, and slap them on some buns slathered with BBQ sauce. Oh, and add a few red onions for a little crunch.
If you want more toppings, go for it. They’re your burgers. Sometimes I keep them simple, like these so I get the simple (but great) tastes of beef, cheese and BBQ sauce.
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.
- Dual-Sided Plate: The Lodge Pro-Grid Reversible…
- Time-Tested Even Heat Distribution: This durable…
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, especially if you have a bunch of them cooking at once.
- Food-Grade Cast Iron Burger Press : Our barbeque…
- Grooved Bottom Design&Non-Stick Surfaces : Our…
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 overcook the burger and that’s where a dome comes in handy.
- 2 Pack of 6″ diameter domes
- Concentrates heat to cook evenly
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.
- TOUGH CLEANING POWER: Very tough, non-rusting…
- LONG-LASTING: High quality bonding resin system…
Also try my bacon cheddar ranch smash burgers! Looking for sliders instead? Try my beef bouillon slider smash burgers instead!
BBQ Velveeta Smash Burgers
Ingredients
- 4 hamburger buns
- 1 pound ground beef divided into 4 ounce balls
- kosher salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 4 slices Velveeta just slice it off the block
- 4 tablespoons your favorite BBQ sauce more or less, to taste, divided
- ½ red onion thinly sliced, divided
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.
- Toast buns as desired. You can do this on the grill or however you desire.
- Add the balls of ground beef to the griddle. Let them cook untouched for 2 minutes then flatten out with a spatula or burger press.
- Season the tops liberally with salt and pepper and cook another minute.
- Flip the patties and season again.
- Let the patties cook until you start to notice a little char along the edges.
- Top patties with the Velveeta and let cook another 30 seconds to melt the cheese. For maximum Velveeta meltiness, cover with the dome to speed the process.
- Divide BBQ sauce between the cut sides of the buns. Don't be shy!
- Remove the patties and place on bun bottoms.
- Add red onions.
- Devour immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
- Here’s your 5-piece set for griddle success…
- Get creative with the right tools to make your own…