American · main

Crispy Smash Burgers with Melted American Cheese

Name: Crispy Smash Burgers with Melted American Cheese
Prep time: 16 min
Total time: 16 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: boneless beef chuck — 680 g; salt — 5 g; freshly ground black pepper — 3 g; oil — 14 g; american cheese — 224 g; whole wheat hamburger buns — 400 g; unsalted butter — 27 g; yellow onion — 55 g; mayonnaise — 73 g; ketchup — 30 g; yellow mustard — 15 g; dill pickle juice — 5 g; dill pickle — 1600 g

Crispy Smash Burgers with Melted American Cheese reads richness 5.2, umami 5.1 and salinity 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 16 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.0 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.8 / 10
Sour & Bright — 4.1 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.5 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.8 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.2 · Umami 5.1 · Salinity 4.2 · Sourness 4.0 · Allium 3.7 · Sweetness 3.5 · Marine & Briny 2.8 · Earthy 2.3 · Nutty 2.0 · Funk & Ferment 1.7 · Warm Spice 1.2 · Bitterness 1.2 · Fruity 0.8 · Herbaceous 0.8 · Heat 0.5 · Citrus 0.5

What's in it (13)

boneless beef chuck — 680 g
salt — 5 g
freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
oil — 14 g
american cheese — 224 g
whole wheat hamburger buns — 400 g
unsalted butter — 27 g
yellow onion — 55 g
mayonnaise — 73 g
ketchup — 30 g
yellow mustard — 15 g
dill pickle juice — 5 g
dill pickle — 1600 g

Time & effort: about 16 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 118.7 kcal, 7.2 g protein, 7.1 g fat, 8.3 g carbs

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

How it's cooked (9 steps)

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and pickle juice until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to build the burgers.
Divide the ground beef into 8 loosely packed 3-ounce balls, handling it as little as possible; do not compact them tightly or season yet.
Brush the cut sides of the buns with the melted butter, then toast cut-side down in a large dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat until deeply golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the buns to a plate.
Wipe out the skillet, add the oil, and heat over high heat until the oil is just shimmering and beginning to smoke, about 2 minutes.
Working in batches of 2, place beef balls on the hot skillet spaced well apart, then immediately press each one flat with a sturdy spatula to about 1/4 inch thick and hold for 5 seconds. Season the exposed tops with half the salt and pepper.
Sear undisturbed until the edges are deeply browned and lacy, about 2 minutes. Flip each patty, season the second side with the remaining salt and pepper, and immediately top with a slice of American cheese.
Cook until the cheese is fully melted and the patties reach 160°F, about 1 minute more. Transfer the patties to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
Wipe the skillet if needed and repeat the smashing, searing, and cheese-melting process with the remaining beef balls, keeping the oil hot between batches.
Build each burger on a toasted bun bottom: spread with the sauce, layer sliced onion over the sauce, then stack two cheese-topped patties and add pickle chips. Spread more sauce on the bun tops and close the burgers; serve immediately.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Classic Smash Cheeseburgers — American
Salmon Teriyaki Bowl — Japanese
Salmon Teriyaki — Japanese
Sheet-Pan Teriyaki Salmon and Vegetables — Japanese
Ground Beef and Feta Stuffed Peppers — Middle Eastern

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

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

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