Mastering the Flat-Top: Best Burger Techniques

I make smashburgers on steel frequently. They are bad ass and when you attempt it by doing this, you'll never ever return. I invented the Baking Steel back in 2012 for pizza however truthfully, smashburgers may be the important things I prepare on steel more than anything else nowadays. The work is getting your burger bar together: sliced pickles, onions, cheese, special sauce.

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

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I've made smash hamburgers on this thing that people still talk about. Smashburgers in your home are off the charts. Here's how I do it. More surface area equates to more taste. Smashing the beef thin optimizes contact with the hot steel, setting off the Maillard response, the chemical procedure that produces that deep, mouthwatering, browned flavor we all yearn for.

Your very first hamburger and your fourth get the very same incredible edge-to-edge crust without the temperature dropping. I 'd understand my household has remained in the steel company for over 50 years at our shop in Hanover, MA. I comprehend this product, and I constructed these griddles specifically to fix the heat retention problem that cast iron can't.

Flavorful Dinner Ideas for Grilling in 2026

Let it preheat for 10-15 minutes until it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the very same concept behind our pizza steels pack the steel with heat, and it does the work for you.

Season the smashed patties generously with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Prepare for 60-90 seconds.

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

Achieving Restaurant-Quality Fries in Your Kitchen

Cheese melting completely on the Mini Frying pan Cast iron is the standard option for smashburgers, and it works. I utilized cast iron for several years. After checking both side-by-side for over a years, I switched to steel. And look, I'm not simply a guy with a viewpoint. My household has actually run given that the 1960s.

I comprehend how it shops and transfers heat in a manner many people never ever believe about. That knowledge is exactly what led me to invent the Baking Steel in 2012, and it's why I designed the Skinny Griddle specifically for stovetop cooking like this. Here's the distinction: That indicates it recovers temperature much faster between burgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Steel does not drop. You get the exact same screaming-hot crust on your first burger and your 4th. It heats up quicker and distributes heat more equally. No locations, no cold areas. Just consistent, edge-to-edge browning. No flavoring, no babying. Simply cook, scrape, wipe tidy. I've evaluated cast iron, stainless steel, and every griddle on the market.

Wish to take your smashburger video game outside? Place your Baking Steel Original directly 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 very same unbelievable crust with the added advantage of outside cooking which subtle smoky taste from the grill.

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Pals lose their minds when they see it. They walk up anticipating regular grilled burgers and instead they see me smashing patties on a piece of American-made steel on the grill. It's an entire thing. Perfect smash hamburgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outside grill I created each of these for a particular usage case.

It fits on a single burner and is perfect for families or hamburger night with friends. Exact same heat retention, smaller sized footprint. Use it in the oven for pizza, or take it outdoors and place it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.