Smash Burger Patty Melts

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.

Smash Burger Patty Melts

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
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5 from 1 vote

Smash Burger Patty Melts

Flavor-packed patty melts that never disappoint!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword burgers
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 787kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 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

This recipe is best made using a griddle on a gas or charcoal grill. You can also use a griddle grill. If you don’t have a griddle you can use a large cast iron skillet, but you’ll have to cook the burgers in batches.

Nutrition

Calories: 787kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 621mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 742IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 369mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Pub Sauce Smash Burgers

Oh man did these Pub Sauce smash burgers ever hit the spot. Juicy patties. Crisp fresh toppings. All with a wonderful sauce that is a combination of just about every good burger sauce you can think of. It’s reminiscent of a creamy steak sauce but it’s not too thick. It’s got a hint of sweetness. A bit saltiness. A little Asian-inspired flavor. And my favorite, garlic. Every bite is an unami-festival. These burgers are proof that even the simplest sauce can make a ‘plain’ burger something special. Sure, there are a few ingredients, but nothing fancy and nothing complicated.

Pub Sauce Smash Burgers

Making Pub Sauce smash burgers isn’t difficult. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment or a lot of time. Just a hot griddle and a burger 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.

Pub Sauce Smash Burgers
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5 from 1 vote

Pub Sauce Smash Burgers

Get those patties nice and thin and use quality fresh toppings.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword smash burgers
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 831kcal

Ingredients

For the sauce

For the burgers

  • 1 pound ground beef formed into four 4-ounce patties
  • kosher salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 4 slices cheddar cheese or American cheese
  • 4 pieces iceberg lettuce torn or chopped
  • 4 slices tomato
  • 4 slices onion
  • 6 slices dill pickle

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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.
  • Season the burger patties with salt and pepper on both sides. Don’t be shy with the seasoning.
  • Place the patties on grill. Smash down with a spatula or grill press.
  • Grill the burgers for 2-3 minutes per side.
  • Top the patties with cheese and grill until they’ve reached your desired doneness and the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill.
  • Toast the buns as desired.
  • Make the burgers by first spreading some of the sauce on the bun bottoms.
  • Add a burger patty.
  • Add onion, lettuce, tomato and pickle slices.
  • Slather the top bun with more of the sauce and serve.

Notes

Patties 4-5 ounces in weight work best.

Nutrition

Calories: 831kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 3111mg | Potassium: 868mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1171IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 358mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Cowboy Big Mac Smash Burgers

Now THIS is a burger! This isn’t some dainty, fit-in-the-palm-of-your-hand two-bite burger. This is an elbows-out, juice-running-down-your-forearms, do-the-burger-hunch burger. Two all beef patties. Very special sauce. Lettuce. Cheese. Onions. Pickle. Sesame seed buns. These Cowboy Big Mac Smash Burgers (based on a recipe from Kent Rollins) are the kind of burger I find in my dreams.

Cowboy Big Mac Smash Burgers

Nine times out of ten, when I make burgers, I make Smash Burgers. I love the crispy edges, the thin patties, the fresh toppings… Cowboy Big Mac Smash Burgers aren’t messing around. Now, that being said, if you want to make these as single burgers you can and they’re just as delicious! Trust me! Sometimes I just can’t handle those monster-sized patties. So I do single patties instead, and I’ll even use 4.5 ounce patties instead of 8. I used to use 4 ounces, but I’ve found that 4.5 ounces ‘smash’ out to a size that covers the burger buns perfectly.

Also try my classic smash burgers.

Cowboy Big Mac Smash Burgers
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5 from 1 vote

Cowboy Big Mac Smash Burgers

You can use smaller patties if you wish.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword burger sauce, burgers
Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 2008kcal

Ingredients

For the burgers

  • 2 pounds ground beef formed into four 8-ounce patties
  • kosher salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 sesame seed buns
  • 4 slices cheddar cheese or American cheese
  • 1 cup iceberg lettuce chopped fine
  • 6 dill pickle slices

For the special sauce

Instructions

For the special sauce

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, pickle relish, mustard, adobo sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika.
  • Fold in the onion. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before you're ready to make the burgers.

For the burgers

  • Fire up your grill for direct medium-high heat cooking.
  • Season the burger patties with salt and pepper on both sides. Don't be shy with the seasoning.
  • Place the patties on grill. Smash down with a spatula or grill press.
  • Grill the burgers for 2-3 minutes per side.
  • Top the patties with cheese and grill until they've reached your desired doneness and the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill.
  • Take 2 of the bun tops and cut off the tops. These will be the two middle buns for the Big Macs. Discard the bun bottoms or use them for something else (like making bread crumbs, feeding the birds, etc).
  • Toast the buns and two bun slices on the grill as desired.
  • Make the burgers by first spreading some of the sauce on the bun bottoms.
  • Add some of the lettuce and a burger patty. Top with the sliced bun.
  • Slather the top of the sliced bun with more of the sauce. Add lettuce, the remaining patties, pickles and top bun.

Nutrition

Calories: 2008kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 97g | Fat: 150g | Saturated Fat: 49g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 30g | Monounsaturated Fat: 54g | Trans Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 380mg | Sodium: 3268mg | Potassium: 1579mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1301IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 501mg | Iron: 13mg

Nutritional values are approximate.