Understanding Flat-Top vs Outdoor Grilling Methods

I make smashburgers on steel often. They are bad ass and when you try it in this manner, you'll never return. I invented the Baking Steel back in 2012 for pizza however honestly, smashburgers may be the important things I cook on steel more than anything else nowadays. The work is getting your hamburger bar together: sliced pickles, onions, cheese, special sauce.

Get your griddle or steel ripping hot. We're preparing these for 30-60 seconds per side, and you desire it shouting hot for that Maillard response, the sear that makes smashburgers famous.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I have actually made smash hamburgers on this thing that people still discuss. Smashburgers at home are off the charts. Here's how I do it. More area equals more flavor. Smashing the beef thin maximizes contact with the hot steel, setting off the Maillard response, the chemical procedure that develops that deep, mouthwatering, browned taste we all yearn for.

Your very first hamburger and your 4th get the very same amazing edge-to-edge crust without the temperature level dropping. I 'd know my family has actually remained in the steel organization for over 50 years at our shop in Hanover, MA. I comprehend this material, and I developed these frying pans particularly to fix the heat retention issue that cast iron can't.

Essential Tips for Perfect Summer BBQ Sides

Let it preheat for 10-15 minutes till it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the very same principle behind our pizza steels fill the steel with heat, and it does the work for you. Gently divide the hamburger into 4 x 4 oz (115g) balls. Do not strain the meat; just form it into a loose ball.

Immediately smash them really thin (about 1/4 inch) with a stiff spatula or press. To avoid sticking, you can place a small piece of parchment paper in between the meat and the spatula. Season the smashed patties kindly with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Cook for 60-90 seconds. You'll see the edges turn a deep, crispy brown.

Prepare for another 30-45 seconds to melt the cheese. Quickly toast your buns on a cooler part of the griddle for 15-20 seconds.

Secret Ingredients for Award-Winning 2026 Burgers

Cheese melting perfectly on the Mini Griddle Cast iron is the conventional choice for smashburgers, and it works. After checking both side-by-side for over a decade, I switched to steel.

I understand how it shops and transfers heat in such a way many people never consider. That knowledge is precisely what led me to develop the Baking Steel in 2012, and it's why I developed the Skinny Griddle particularly for stovetop cooking like this. Here's the distinction: That means it recuperates temperature level faster between hamburgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

You get the very same screaming-hot crust on your first burger and your fourth. Simply cook, scrape, wipe tidy. I have actually tested cast iron, stainless steel, and every frying pan on the market.

Preheat the grill and steel for 15-20 minutes on high heat, then smash your hamburgers right on the steel. You get the exact same incredible crust with the added advantage of outside cooking and that subtle smoky flavor from the grill.

How to Cook a High-Quality Flat-Top Burger

They stroll up anticipating regular grilled hamburgers and instead they see me smashing patties on a piece of American-made steel on the grill. Perfect smash burgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outdoor grill I developed each of these for a particular use case.

It fits on a single burner and is perfect for households or hamburger night with good friends. is compact and best for 1-2 hamburgers. It's terrific for small kitchen areas, houses, or solo cooking. Exact same heat retention, smaller footprint. is the one that began it all. Utilize it in the oven for pizza, or take it outdoors and place it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.