Smash Burgers
Sam Sifton
2591 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
2,591
20 minutes
The Comme Ça Burger
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 8 servings
- 2pounds ground beef chuck, 80 percent lean
- Kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½tablespoon ketchup
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Pinch of chili powder
- 1cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce
- 4light brioche buns (see recipe) or other large hamburger buns, split
- ¼pound thinly sliced medium-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 4thin onion slices
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
411 calories; 19 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 535 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Lightly shape meat into 4 4-by-1-inch patties, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
- Step 2
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a hot fire on a grill, or heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle each burger all over with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and season generously with black pepper. Sear burgers on grill or in skillet for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer burgers to a broiler pan and bake for 4 minutes for medium-rare. Remove pan from oven. Position an oven rack closest to broiler element, and heat broiler to high.
- Step 3
In a bowl, whisk mayonnaise with ketchup, cayenne and chili powder, and season with salt and black pepper. Add lettuce and stir to coat. Toast buns. Top burgers with Cheddar and broil until cheese melts, about 30 seconds. Set burgers on bottom buns and top with lettuce and onion slices. Cover with top bun and serve, whole or cut in half.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
LH
What fuss? This is straightforward and requires no fancy equipment. Plus, it was delish!
David Bonfiglio
All that fuss is only effective when you have professional restaurant equipment. Skip this.
Richie
Basic does not mean baseless; and there is beauty in restraint. This burger recipe calls for a clear focus and lets the ingredients, together and alone, shine. Further, it is easy to remember and replicate with consistent results, and riff on-off/remix if you’re in search for the exotic or something more. But the best burgers require little explanation, and that and other theories, perhaps may take +10 experiments.
Donna Harrison
Meh! In my experience, the best burgers combine more than one cut of meat - beef chuck, sirloin, short ribs or beef chuck & pork shoulder. I could go on...I don't know why it would take 11 tries to get something this banal!
kate watts
Followed the recipe exactly. Used Wagyu. Excellent.
Girardian
Probe to ensure the temperature is to your liking. I found this to be on the cool/rare side on the inside of the burger, despite meticulously following the recipe and heating the cast-iron skillet for 15 minutes. The burger does get a nice crust, even though it is only cooked for two minutes each side.
Sammy Z
Very good flavor. Caramelized the onions. Followed cook times according to the recipe, but should have followed my instinct. Very very rare. But very good.
deborah marcus
Delicious. I also added some spicy pickle juice - YUM.
Richie
Basic does not mean baseless; and there is beauty in restraint. This burger recipe calls for a clear focus and lets the ingredients, together and alone, shine. Further, it is easy to remember and replicate with consistent results, and riff on-off/remix if you’re in search for the exotic or something more. But the best burgers require little explanation, and that and other theories, perhaps may take +10 experiments.
Mark
11 tries for this? Maybe in 2009. But we are in a burger golden age and this now looks a bit silly.
Nina
If you are a perfectionist chef with a delicate palate you want to make sure that every nuance and texture is right. For average home-cook palates this may sound ridiculous, but you need a burger recipe that comes out perfect to eat, matches the restaurant experience in your restaurant, looks great, is teachable to your staff, and is repeatable so that it sells or may even become a keeper. Fast food chains pay entire food-scientist teams to get it right with those humble burgers.
Franco
We love this recipe and we've been making it since published on July 1, 2009 (just getting around to comments). Definitely use 80% lean, about 1/3 pound per person for good portions and follow cooking directions for a really juicy burger. The pretzle buns are a good variation and the "fancy sauce" can be spiced to taste...this is a treat every time
Ashley Jennings
This was great!!!! Sending recipe to friends!
David Bonfiglio
All that fuss is only effective when you have professional restaurant equipment. Skip this.
LH
What fuss? This is straightforward and requires no fancy equipment. Plus, it was delish!
Aleks Hunter
Not at all. The only equipment you need is a stovetop and cast-iron or steel pan to sear, and a working oven. It's the way most meat is cooked in restaurant kitchens. Sear the meat, then finish in the oven to desired doneness. It takes a little longer, but it is time well spent.
Donna Harrison
Meh! In my experience, the best burgers combine more than one cut of meat - beef chuck, sirloin, short ribs or beef chuck & pork shoulder. I could go on...I don't know why it would take 11 tries to get something this banal!
Jim
Agree. This is pretty basic
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