meatloaf burgers Archives - Life's A Tomato

Smash burgers are by far my favorite things to grill outdoors. They always come out juicy and packed with flavor. And they get that great crusty edge, reminding me of the diner burgers of my childhood. These meatloaf smash burgers put all of the flavors of a delicious meatloaf in a convenient hand-held package that hits the spot. Add traditional glaze and simple toppings (just onion and lettuce!) and you’ve got a real winner of a burger! And it’s made smash burger-style which means I still get that crusty edge that I love so much!

So Good. And Messy.

I can’t say enough how great these meatloaf smash burgers were. And they checked one of my required boxes for burgers: messy. The messier, the better. If it isn’t messy it doesn’t have enough ‘stuff’ on it. These burgers have stuff and then some. If you aren’t picking stuff up off your plate and stuffing it back into your burger it’s not messy enough. And the glaze? Oh so good! Easy, yeah. It has a little sweetness and a bit of a vinegar tang to it. It’s crazy good on a burger!

The patties on these burgers are larger than I usually use for smash burgers. They were close to 6 ounces a pieces. That’s not a bad thing. You can adjust the recipe if you’d prefer smaller, 4 ounce patties, instead and end up with 6 servings instead of 4.

Making these burgers isn’t difficult. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time. Just a hot griddle and a grill press. Any griddle will do, whether it’s on a grill, cooktop, stove or even a standalone outdoor flattop. Just get those patties nice and thin and use quality fresh toppings. And a great sauce.

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Also try my Swamp Sauce smash burgers and my Chophouse smash burgers.

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5 from 1 vote

Meatloaf Smash Burgers

Flavor-packed juicy smash burgers!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword smash burger

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 2193kcal

Equipment

2 Grill Press You might need 2 to fully cover the burgers while they cook
Mixing Bowl
Griddle Tools

Ingredients

For the Glaze

½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

For the Burgers

1 ½ pounds meatloaf mix
1 large egg
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh thyme minced. Or use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 hamburger buns toasted if desired
4 slices onion
½ cup iceberg lettuce shredded

Instructions

For the Glaze

Whisk the ketchup, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl.

For the Burgers

Fire up your grill for direct medium-high heat cooking. You can also use an outdoor or indoor griddle or a large skillet on a stove.
Place the meatloaf into large bowl.
Using your hands, break it into large pieces.
Add the egg, Worcestershire sauce. thyme and pepper.
Combine the ingredients into the meatloaf mix.
Divide the meat into 4 equally-sized portions and shape into balls. Don't pack the meat, just loosely form into balls.
Place the meat balls onto the grill.
Smash down with a spatula or grill press to form thin patties.
Season well with salt.
Grill the burgers for 2-3 minutes per side. Keep the burger press on top of the burgers as they cook.
Slather one side of the patties with the glaze.
Flip and grill another minute.
Slather top side of the patties with more glaze.
Flip and grill another minute or until they reach your desired doneness.
Transfer cooked patties to bun bottoms. If you have more glaze, divide it between the patties.
Top with onion and iceberg and bun tops and serve.