Anita and I had lunch at a burger pub the other day. Anita ordered their patty melt. It looked (and was) delicious. She said it was the best patty melt she’d ever had. “A challenge!” I thought. Time get make something even better. At home. And I did. These smash burger patty melts are now the best patty melts she’s ever had. They’re tastier. Juicer. And less messy. And made with our favorite, smash burgers instead of overly-thick patties.
To make smash burger patty melts, you’ll need some sort of griddle or grill pan or even cast iron skillet for your grill. I use a big ole cast iron griddle. Yes, I have one for most of my grills because they’re great for more than just burgers. I find myself using them all of the time. They don’t take up the entire grill surface so I can still cook on the grates too if I need.
I don’t go crazy nuts obsessing about it, but I like to keep my griddle pretty clean. Specially if I’m toasting bread. No one wants yesterdays chicken on today’s Texas toast. I use these scrubby pads attached to a long handle holder that prevents me from burning myself.
Last, I gotta get my patties thin and spread out. I use a burger press. I wrap the bottom in foil for easy clean up. This press makes for fantastic smash burgers with the right thickness so I get that little crunch around the edges. Perfect!
Also try my not-so-plain plain ole smash burgers!
Smash Burger Patty Melts
Equipment
- grill pads for getting that griddle good and clean!
- grill griddle or large cast iron pan
- burger press or small cast iron pan
Ingredients
For the sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
- 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce I recommend a smoky sauce.
- 1 tablespoon Ketchup
- 1 jalapeno grated, You can substitute finely minced pickled jalapeno.
For the burgers
- mayonnaise
- 8 pieces Texas Toast
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into squares, divided
- 1 large sweet onion sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 20 ounces ground beef I prefer 5 ounce patties for this. You don't have to be super accurate with the weight.
- your favorite burger seasoning to taste. Salt and pepper works great too
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese
Instructions
For the sauce
- Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the burgers
- Fire up your grill with a griddle or grill pan over direct medium-high heat.
- Clean your griddle well. I use a brush and water, it works better than a scraper. Just be careful adding water to a hot griddle. DO NOT have any body parts nears the griddle when you add the water as it will instantly create a cloud of very hot steam. Then scrub, scrub, scrub. Repeat as necessary. You want the griddle clean to toast the bread.
- Lightly spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread. Working in batches if necessary, lay the bread mayo-side down on the hot griddle and toast for 2-3 minutes or until lightly brown and crunchy.
- Flip and lightly brown the non-mayo sides too. Remove to a plate for the final assembly step.
- Once the griddle is hot add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted add the onion and cook for 20 minutes or longer, until they are golden brown and caramelized. Stir and flip often with a spatula or tongs. If they start to burn reduce the heat. If they get too dry add a bit more butter.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and cook for 1 more minute. Remove to a bowl and cover with foil or a plate to keep warm.
- Form burger into 4 5-ounce patties. Don't pack them tightly, just get them lightly shaped.
- Season beef on both sides. Don't be shy with it.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the griddle. Add the burgers. Let them cook for 3 minutes then smash out as thinly as possible using a burger press.
- Continue cooking burgers until you see a bit of a crunchy edge. Flip.
- Cook burgers another 3 minutes. Add 1 slice of Swiss and 1 slice of pepper jack to each patty.
- Divide the onion between the patties. Grill another minute or two to melt the cheese.
- Divide sauce between the non-mayonnaise sides of the bread. Use a little or a lot, it's up to you.
- Add the cooked patties and top bread slices and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
