Understanding Flat-Top vs Outdoor Grilling Methods

I make smashburgers on steel often. The work is getting your hamburger bar together: sliced pickles, onions, cheese, special sauce.

Get your frying pan or steel ripping hot. We're cooking these for 30-60 seconds per side, and you want it shrieking hot for that Maillard reaction, the sear that makes smashburgers famous.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I've made smash burgers on this thing that people still discuss. Smashburgers in the house are off the charts. Here's how I do it. More area equates to more taste. Smashing the beef thin maximizes contact with the hot steel, triggering the Maillard response, the chemical procedure that develops that deep, tasty, browned flavor we all long for.

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

Secret Ingredients for Award-Winning 2026 Burgers

Let it pre-heat for 10-15 minutes until it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the same concept behind our pizza steels load the steel with heat, and it does the work for you. Gently divide the ground beef into 4 x 4 oz (115g) balls. Do not overwork the meat; just form it into a loose ball.

Immediately smash them very thin (about 1/4 inch) with a stiff spatula or press. To prevent sticking, you can position a little piece of parchment paper 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.

Cook for another 30-45 seconds to melt the cheese. Briefly toast your buns on a cooler part of the frying pan for 15-20 seconds.

The Ultimate Guide to Flat-Top Grilling Excellence

Cheese melting perfectly on the Mini Griddle Cast iron is the traditional choice for smashburgers, and it works. I utilized cast iron for many years. However after checking both side-by-side for over a decade, I changed to steel. And look, I'm not simply a guy with an opinion. My family has actually run since the 1960s.

I understand how it stores and transfers heat in a manner the majority of people never ever consider. That knowledge is precisely what led me to develop the Baking Steel in 2012, and it's why I created the Skinny Frying pan specifically for stovetop cooking like this. Here's the difference: That implies it recovers temperature faster between burgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

You get the very same screaming-hot crust on your very first hamburger and your fourth. Simply cook, scrape, wipe tidy. I've evaluated cast iron, stainless steel, and every frying pan on the market.

Desire to take your smashburger video game outside? Put your Baking Steel Original straight on your outdoor grill grates. Preheat the grill and steel for 15-20 minutes on high heat, then smash your hamburgers right on the steel. You get the same incredible crust with the included advantage of outside cooking and that subtle smoky flavor from the grill.

Perfecting the Flat-Top: Professional Burger Techniques

They stroll up anticipating routine grilled hamburgers and rather they see me smashing patties on a slab 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 specific use case.

It fits on a single burner and is perfect for families or burger night with friends. is compact and perfect for 1-2 hamburgers. It's excellent for small kitchen areas, houses, or solo cooking. Same heat retention, smaller sized footprint. is the one that began all of it. Utilize it in the oven for pizza, or take it outdoors and place it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.