Want the perfect smashed burger that tastes better than any burger joint? This perfect Griddle Burger recipe transforms ground beef into juicy burgers that will put all other burger recipes to shame!

Burgers on a platter with fries.

When summertime hits, we start whipping out our delicious grilling recipes! There’s something about chowing down on a juicy rack of ribs and corn on the cob that screams summer, and we’re here for it. Today, we’re bringing one of our favorite griddle recipes to the table – Griddle Smash Burgers. This juicy smash burger recipe takes ordinary ground meat and turns it into a flavorful creation that you and your guests will love. And this recipe is so easy anyone can do it, whether you’re a grill master or a beginner. 

What Is a Griddle Burger?

A Griddle Burger is just like it sounds, a burger made on the griddle. However, these aren’t your typical burgers. They’re pressed down with a griddle spatula to create that crunchy golden brown crust. Plus, cooking on a flat top griddle provides an even cooking surface, so every square inch of your homemade smash burgers is infused with mouthwatering flavors. Once you make your burgers this way, you’ll never want to go back!

Ingredients for these burgers.

Ingredients

For the griddle burgers

  • Ground beef – We used 1lb of ground beef. If you need help finding the best hamburger meat to make your patties, check out our Where to Buy Meat Online guide. Heads up – Porter Road now has a Smashburger burger meat blend that’s pretty awesome. For a good Smashburger, we love a high-fat burger blend of 70/30 or more.
  • Kosher Salt 
  • Cheese – American cheese, cheddar cheese, or your favorite burger cheese.
  • Onion
  • Burger Buns – Buttered and toasted. Use whatever kind of hamburger buns you like!

Burger Toppings

  • Lettuce
  • Tomato 
  • Pickles 
  • Ketchup & Mustard

How to Make a Burger on the Griddle

Prepare the Beef

Divide the beef into equal-sized portions and gently roll them into round balls. This will ensure that your burgers cook evenly and have a great texture.

Preheat the Griddle

Preheat your griddle to around 400-450 degrees F for that perfect searing action. This will give your burgers that mouthwatering edge-to-edge crust.

Form the Patties

When the griddle is ready, place the ground beef on it and use a burger press or a large metal spatula to press the burger balls down and form the smashed beef patties. 

Grill the Onions

Don’t forget the onions! Add some sliced onions to the griddle to get them nicely grilled and caramelized.

Flip and Cook

After 2 to 3 minutes, gently lift and flip the burgers to ensure they cook evenly all the way through. While they cook, go ahead and toast those buns on the griddle surface too.

Cheese Please

For the final minute of cooking, add slices of cheese on top of the burgers and cover them with a basting dome. This creates steam that helps melt the cheese to perfection.

Time to Assemble

Using a spatula, carefully remove the toasted buns, burgers, and grilled onions from the griddle. Now comes the fun part – build your dream burger! Pile the lettuce on the bottom bun, and add the grilled burgers, caramelized onions, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and mustard or whatever your favorite smash burger toppings are. 

Dig In

Your scrumptious griddle hamburger patties are ready! Serve them up immediately, and enjoy them while they’re still hot and juicy!

Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips

  • Don’t have a griddle grill? You can use a flat cast iron griddle or even a large cast iron skillet to cook smash burgers too.
  • This recipe works on the Cuisinart 360 griddle, Traeger Flatrock, Blackstone griddle, Campchef, or any propane or electric griddle. Remember, when cooking with a griddle, you need to clean it just like you would season cast iron.
  • You can smoke on your flat top grill. Add woodchips to the griddle surface and allow them to start smoking. Then, using a domed basting cover or a foil pan, trap the smoke with your griddled burgers as they cook to give a subtle smoky flavor. The steam lets the cheese melts while absorbing all the flavor and making the best crust on the patties.
  • Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the patties reaches at least 160 degrees F.
Griddle griddle burgers all assembled with various burger toppings like pickles, tomatoes, onions, ketchup and mustard.

What to Serve With a Griddle Burger Patty

What better way to enjoy a delicious burger than with a side of beef tallow fries! Or, if you’re having a backyard cookout, serve up some baked beans on the smoker or smoked potato salad alongside your beef patty!

Leftovers & Reheating

  • Store any leftover burgers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 
  • When you’re ready to devour your burgers again, heat up a skillet with a little oil and slap your patties in the skillet. Let them sizzle until heated. Toss in a bun and toast. Add your favorite toppings and dig in.
  • You can also heat your burgers in the microwave, but they won’t get that same sizzle as in the skillet. But if you’re short on time, the microwave is the best option.
Hands holding a burger.

Recipe FAQs

WHAT ARE SOME OPTIONS FOR HAMBURGER BUNS?

Brioche buns, sesame seed buns, and pretzel buns would be delicious with these homemade burger patties! We skip the buns and opt for lettuce wraps or even a cheeseburger salad to keep it low carb.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY GRIDDLE IS READY TO COOK THE PATTIES?

Throw a few drops of water onto your hot griddle. They should bead immediately and dance across the surface, and sizzle. That’s a good test to know that your grill surface is hot enough to sear these burgers

CAN I USE A SMASH BURGER PRESS INSTEAD OF A SPATULA?

Absolutely! Many Blackstone griddles come with a nifty burger press that looks sort of like an iron that smashes the meat down, creating super thin burgers. Or you can pick up a bacon press in the grilling section of your local hardware store.

MORE BURGER RECIPES

Say goodbye to traditional grills with this Griddle Burger recipe! Whether cooking a big batch of burgers for a lot of people or making one for yourself without the hassle of a grill, these perfect smash burgers will be a huge hit. Let the summertime grilling begin! Also, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment below to help out the next reader!

Griddle Burger

5 from 17 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Burgers and fries on a griddle grill being cooked.
Indulge in the ultimate burger experience with our griddle burger recipe. From the perfectly seared beef patties to the melty cheese and flavorful toppings, every bite is a burst of pure burger bliss. Fire up the griddle and prepare to elevate your burger game to new heights.

Ingredients  

For the griddle burgers

  • 1 lbs ground beef
  • 1 tbs salt
  • 4 slices American cheese cheddar cheese or your favorite burger cheese.
  • 1 Onion white sliced into rounds
  • 4 Buns

Assembly

  • Lettuce
  • Tomato
  • Pickles
  • Ketchup mustard

Instructions 

Prep the burgers & griddle

  • Divide the beef into even sized portions and gently roll them into round balls.
  • Preheat your griddle for searing, around 400-450 degrees F.

Grill the burgers

  • When ready to grill, place the ground beef on the griddle and using a burger press or a large flat spatula, press the meat down to form the patties. This allows for the griddle to create and edge to edge crust.
  • Add the sliced onions to the grill.
  • After 2 to 3 minutes, gently lift and flip the burgers, to cook evenly through.
  • Meanwhile, toast the buns on the griddle surface.
  • For the last minute of cooking, add slices of cheese to the burgers and cover them with a basting dome to create steam to help melt the cheese.
  • Using a spatula, carefully remove the buns, burgers, and grilled onions from the griddle surface.

Build your burger

  • Build your burgers with your desired toppings by piling the lettuce over the buns. Then adding the griddle-grilled burgers, onions, tomato, pickles, ketchup and mustard.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Don’t have a griddle grill? You can use a flat cast iron griddle or even a large cast iron skillet to cook smash burgers too.
  • This recipe works on the Cuisinart 360 griddle, Traeger Flatrock, Blackstone griddle, Campchef, or any propane or electric griddle. Remember, when cooking with a griddle, you need to clean it just like you would season cast iron.
  • You can smoke on your flat top grill. Add woodchips to the griddle surface and allow them to start smoking. Then, using a domed basting cover or a foil pan, trap the smoke with your griddled burgers as they cook to give a subtle smoky flavor. The steam lets the cheese melts while absorbing all the flavor and making the best crust on the patties.
  • Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the patties reaches at least 160 degrees F, according to the USDA.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 2465mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 13mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Kita Roberts

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Well, Hey, Y’all.

Kita is a multi-talented individual, boasting numerous accomplishments such as being an award-winning recipe developer, world-traveled professional photographer, and journalist. As the lead creative force behind Girl Carnivore®, she is widely recognized as an authority on all things meat.

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