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Classic Smash Cheeseburgers

Name: Classic Smash Cheeseburgers
Prep time: 12 min
Total time: 12 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: boneless beef chuck — 680 g; salt — 5 g; freshly ground black pepper — 3 g; american cheese — 224 g; whole wheat hamburger buns — 400 g; unsalted butter — 27 g; oil — 14 g; yellow onion — 110 g; iceberg lettuce — 100 g; tomato — 120 g; dill pickle — 800 g; mayonnaise — 54 g; ketchup — 30 g; yellow mustard — 15 g

Classic Smash Cheeseburgers reads umami 5.3, richness 5.2 and salinity 4.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 12 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.1 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.2 / 10
Sour & Bright — 4.1 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.0 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.7 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.3 · Richness 5.2 · Salinity 4.1 · Allium 3.8 · Sourness 3.8 · Sweetness 3.5 · Marine & Briny 2.7 · Fruity 2.4 · Earthy 1.9 · Nutty 1.8 · Funk & Ferment 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.2 · Bitterness 1.2 · Herbaceous 1.1 · Citrus 1.0 · Floral 1.0 · Heat 0.5

What's in it (14)

boneless beef chuck — 680 g
salt — 5 g
freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
american cheese — 224 g
whole wheat hamburger buns — 400 g
unsalted butter — 27 g
oil — 14 g
yellow onion — 110 g
iceberg lettuce — 100 g
tomato — 120 g
dill pickle — 800 g
mayonnaise — 54 g
ketchup — 30 g
yellow mustard — 15 g

Time & effort: about 12 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 140.9 kcal, 8.7 g protein, 8.4 g fat, 9.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard until smooth; set the burger sauce aside.
Spread the softened butter over the cut sides of the buns. Toast cut-side down in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat until deep golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate.
Divide the ground beef into 8 equal portions (about 3 ounces each) and shape each into a loose, rough ball, handling it as little as possible.
Season all sides of the beef balls generously with the kosher salt and pepper right before cooking.
Heat the oil in the same skillet or griddle over high heat until just smoking. Working in a batch of 4, set the beef balls in the pan spaced well apart and immediately smash each flat to about 1/4 inch thick with a stiff spatula, pressing hard for 5-10 seconds.
Cook the patties undisturbed until a deeply browned, lacy crust forms and the edges look crisp, 2-3 minutes. Flip each patty, immediately top with a slice of cheese, and cook until the cheese is fully melted and the patties reach 160 F internally, 1-2 minutes more.
Wipe out any burnt bits from the pan and repeat searing and smashing with the remaining beef to cook the second batch of 4 patties the same way.
While the second batch cooks, layer lettuce, tomato, and onion on the bottom half of each toasted bun.
Stack two cheese-topped patties on each bun, top with the pickle chips and a spoonful of the burger sauce, then close with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Crispy Smash Burgers with Melted American Cheese — American
Ground Beef and Feta Stuffed Peppers — Middle Eastern
Empanada Gallega — Spanish
Quenelles de Brochet, Sauce Nantua — French · Lyon
Tepsi Baytinijan (Aubergine and Meatball Tray Bake) — Iraqi

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.