Let’s make the famous, life-changing Smash Burger! Famous for crispy, caramelized patties with maximum flavor, melty cheese and the BEST zesty burger sauce. This short rib burger version has even MORE flavor, and no grill is required – they are made using a cast iron! Jump to Recipe
What is a smash burger? What’s the difference between a smash burger and a regular burger?
Smash burgers are exactly what they sound like! A burger which is smashed. But there’s a lot more to it than that. By smashing the burgers, it allows for maximum crust while cooking due to increased contact points of the meat with the cast iron skillet. It also yields a lot more flavor than your standard thick burger on the grill. While the origin is up for debate, smash burgers were made famous from popular restaurant chains like Shake Shack, In-n-Out and Steak n’ Shake. Some claim the smash burger originally came from Dairy Cheer in Kentucky when the chef used a can of beans to smash the burgers. What a great discovery. Now, you can make them at home with that same restaurant quality with this recipe!
When I say, these burgers are life-changing, you might think I’m being dramatic. But I’m most definitely not. They are by far the best burgers I’ve ever had. The fact that they’re so fast and easy to make is just the icing on the cake (or burger sauce on the smash burger? I digress...).
Short Rib Burgers:
We use short ribs for this recipe and grind them up ourselves. I’ve found that short ribs have the best bold, beefy, simply indulgent flavor for burgers. And smash burgers capitalize on bringing out that flavor. Short ribs tend to overall have some of the best flavor out of any other cut of beef. It comes from the chuck portion. What we’ve used here are English style. A good marbling of the short rib is ideal as fat = flavor.
It might seem intimidating to make your own ground beef, but it’s actually really easy. We have a meat grinder attachment for our Kitchenaid, but a standard food processor works just as well. Both are linked below. It’s also common to mix short rib with beef brisket or chuck roast or use one over the other. Short Ribs can generally be found at most grocery stores, but these other options work well too. Make sure to buy boneless.
Why make my own ground beef? Can I use store-bought instead?
Making your own ground beef allows you to pick exactly what cut you want. Since cast iron smash burgers rely so much on the flavor of the burger as opposed to masking it with tons of toppings, you want quality meat. With making your own short rib burgers you not only get to choose what you’re using, but there’s a much better texture. The looser texture of homemade ground beef yields a better caramelization while cooking and overall better flavor. That all being said, you can absolutely use store bought ground beef, and it will work perfectly fine. The patties will be a little stickier since it’s more ground down, but this recipe works just the same. You can even sub some plant-based meat alternatives for a vegan or vegetarian version of this recipe.
Cast Iron Burgers:
Do I have to use a cast-iron skillet for smash burgers? Short answer no, but you should.
Long answer? Here’s why. Cast iron skillets distribute heat evenly ensuring perfectly cooked burgers every time. Everyone says burgers are best on the grill, and I agreed until I had these short rib smash burgers on the cast iron. This method locks in more juice and flavor with a perfect sear. Great news for anyone out there who doesn’t have a grill! Cast irons are a lot less expensive and take up a lot less space. (Link below for the one I used here.) But if you’d still prefer to use a grill, that’s okay too. And my method for smashing the burgers (detailed below) will ensure you’re not losing all those precious juices to your grill. Don’t forget to season your cast iron with oil if its new or you see any rust spots.
No cast iron or grill? In a pinch you can use a regular skillet but avoid nonstick.
Instructions for Short Rib Burger Patties:
As mentioned above, you can use either a food grinder or food processor to make your ground beef. Start by cutting short rib (or brisket or chuck roast) into approximately 1” by 1” portions. Place on a plate, tray or baking sheet in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. The goal is for them to be firm but with a little give when pushed. The slightly cold temperature of the meat allows for a perfect grind. Do NOT leave in the freezer for too long though or else they’ll become hard to grind up.
If using a meat grinder:
Place a larger bowl under the meat grinder. Add the portions of beef to the grinder one at a time. Run at medium speed and continue to add as each piece turns into ground beef.
If using a food processor:
Place portions of beef into the processor. Process on high speed for about 20 seconds. You want ground beef texture, without over-processing.
Combine and Form Short Rib Smash Burger:
Once finished, combine short rib ground beef into approximately three-ounce balls. You’ll have about six in total. You’ll notice right away that it feels looser and less sticky than typical ground beef. Roll the balls together lightly. Loose texture = no chewy burgers.
Now for the smashing! This is unique to many other recipes you’ll find for cast iron smash burgers which instruct you to smash while cooking. The reason for this is the Maillard Reaction which refers to the process of browning while cooking over high heat with pressure. It gives you a delicious caramelized flavor. But do you know what I’ve discovered? You can get the SAME flavor minus the smoke-filled kitchen that comes along with smashing while cooking. I achieve this by the quality of the meat used (short rib) and grinding the meat up myself. We do still smash a little while cooking, but most is done ahead of time. I’ve made them both ways, and this is the winner. If you’d prefer to smash in the cast-iron go right ahead, but I promise you won’t be missing out on anything aside from opening all your windows and cranking your oven vent!
I use parchment paper and a flat spatula or pan to do the smashing. This ahead-of-time smash burger method also allows for more control and even cooking while yielding the same crispy, well-caramelized burger. After forming and smashing your patties, place them in the refrigerator on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper until ready to cook. Prepare your sauce and sides next!
The Best Burger Sauce:
To make the best-ever burger sauce you want your ingredients to blend harmoniously for savory, sweet, tangy, smoky, creamy deliciousness. These cast iron short rib smash burgers don’t need a lot of toppings due to the quality of flavor in the burger itself, however a good burger sauce is a non-negotiable in my opinion. It takes the entire dish up a notch. And you probably already have all the ingredients at home. For this burger sauce you will need mayo, onion, garlic, ketchup, mustard, sriracha, bread and butter pickles, salt and pepper. To make it you’ll simply combine ingredients in a large bowl using an immersion blender (linked below). A magic bullet or food processor also work well.
It gives McDonald’s Big Mac sauce vibes but way better. The best part aside from its zesty, luscious taste? You can use it for so much more than just burgers! Dip your fries, chicken fingers or onion rings into it. Or use it to top a Reuben, Cuban or crab cake. None of this sauce will go to waste if you don’t use it all on the smash burgers. Trust me. Place smash burger sauce in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Short Rib Smash Burger Toppings:
While you don’t need a lot of toppings, I do recommend making this smash burger, a cheeseburger. And I use American cheese on them. Don’t come for me. It melts the best out of any other cheese and compliments the short rib smash burger beautifully without taking away from the flavor. You can use Kraft singles or the higher quality deli version. I’ll leave that up to you. Other recommended toppings are fresh tomatoes, a little onion or shallot, pickles, and some lettuce and/or arugula. I always serve my burgers with a dill pickle spear. In terms of buns, I recommend brioche for this smash burger.
Short Rib Smash Burger Cooking and Assembly Instructions:
The patties are ready, the sauce is finished, the toppings are prepared, it’s time to cook the smash burgers! The cooking is actually the fastest part of this recipe which is why we do everything else first.
The Buns:
Heat the cast iron skillet over high heat. Butter the brioche burger buns and toast on the cast iron skillet until golden brown or desired crispness. Set aside.
The Smash Burgers:
Add canola, avocado or grapeseed oil to the cast iron and heat. (You basically just want a high smoke point oil.) Meanwhile, season burger patties with salt and pepper on one side. Place salt and pepper side down into the cast iron, and then season the other side. Press down on the burger with your spatula. Here’s where you get some of that smash while cooking, but without all the smoke! Cook for about 1 ½ minutes, then flip, add cheese, and cook another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and build your smash burger!
Assemble:
Start with the toasted-to-perfection bun, followed by the short rib smash burger, whatever toppings you prefer and drizzle on that dreamy burger sauce. I like to make these double cheeseburgers, because they’re thin and easy to eat. But mostly because two smash burgers are better than one. Enjoy!
Serve these smash burgers with:
Storage Instructions:
If you managed to have leftovers (which I know is difficult with this recipe), then they store and heat up great. Store sauce in an airtight container which will last for about a week. Give it a stir before using. Store burgers in an airtight container as well with a small piece of parchment paper between each to keep them from sticking to one another (especially if you added cheese). Use any skillet or grill to quickly heat back up, or of course the microwave.
If you enjoyed this Smash Burger, I also recommend:
Big Juicy Cheeseburger Topped with Onion Rings
Cast Iron Short Rib Smash Burger with Best Burger Sauce
Equipment
- Food Grinder or Food Processor
- Parchment Paper
- Immersion Blender or Magic Bullet/Food Processor
- Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless short ribs
- ½ cup mayo
- 1 small shallot chopped
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- ½ cup bread and butter pickles chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- heirloom tomato sliced for topping, optional
- onion sliced for topping, optional
- lettuce sliced for topping, optional
- arugula for topping, optional
- dill pickle rounds for topping, optional
- brioche buns
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon canola oil or avocado or grapeseed
- salt and pepper
- 6 slices American cheese
Instructions
- Cut short ribs into approx 1" by 1" portions.
- Place on plate or tray in freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Place a large bowl under food grinder. Place each portion into food grinder one at a time and process into ground beef at medium seed.
- OR if using food processor: add beef portions to food processor and process on high for 20 seconds. Depending on size of food processor you might want to do half at a time. Remove to a bowl.
- Form loose approx 3 oz balls from the ground beef. Don't pack too tightly.
- Place each ball on a piece of parchment paper. Fold over to cover or use separate piece of paper on top.
- Using a flat pan or spatula press the ball down to form flat patties (pictures and notes in post). *This method keeps your kitchen from becoming extra smokey while cooking but yields same great burger taste.*
- Place patties on parchment paper lined baking sheet in the refrigerator.
- To make burger sauce, in a bowl add mayo, shallot, garlic, ketchup, sriracha, mustard, bread and butter pickles, salt and pepper. Blend using an immersion blender until smooth. (See note if you don't have an immersion blender.) Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Prepare toppings of choice.
- Heat cast iron skillet over high heat.
- Butter the buns and set them butter side down on the cast iron until golden brown. Remove to a plate.
- Heat oil in cast iron. Meanwhile season one side of burger patties with salt and pepper.
- Place the burger patties S&P side down in the cast iron skillet. You will probably have to work in batches. Season the other side with S&P while cooking. Press down on burger with spatula. Cook for 1 ½ minutes.
- Flip burgers, add sliced American cheese and cook for 30 seconds on the other side.
- Build your burger. Place burger on toasted bun. Recommend making these double cheeseburgers but a single is fine as well. Add toppings then drizzle with burger sauce.
Casey
Absolutely delicious!!! Love this method way more.
Jessica
best burgers ever
Brad
By far one of the best if not the best burger I’ve ever had! 🤌🙌🔥
Paul
I love this recipe and will use it.
I've been using short ribs to make burgers for some years, ever since I first saw them for sale at my favorite butcher shop (they buy their meat on the hoof, as do all good butchers) at £6.00 per Kg, 2.2lbs.
I cut the meat from the bone and put the bone in the hot skillet with the fat trimmings and just enough oil to stop it sticking and cook untill it gives up all the marrow fat and cook my burgers in that.
Your web site is now in my favorites.
Thank you....
Laura Lee
So smart to make them that way! They have so much more flavor in my opinion. Thank you and hope you liked the recipe. 🙂