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Diner-Style Burgers
Updated Aug. 2, 2024
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- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- ½teaspoon neutral oil, like canola, or a pat of unsalted butter
- 2pounds ground chuck, at least 20 percent fat
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 8slices cheese (optional)
- 8soft hamburger buns, lightly toasted
- Lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes and condiments, as desired
Preparation
- Step 1
Add oil or butter to a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet and place over medium heat. Gently divide ground beef into 8 small piles of around 4 ounces each, and even more gently gather them together into orbs that are about 2 inches in height. Do not form patties.
- Step 2
Increase heat under skillet to high. Put half the orbs into the skillet with plenty of distance between them and, using a stiff metal spatula, press down on each one to form a burger that is around 4 inches in diameter and about ½ inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Cook without moving until patties have achieved a deep, burnished crust, a little less than 2 minutes. Use the spatula to scrape free and carefully turn burgers over. If using cheese, lay slices on meat.
- Step 4
Continue to cook until meat is cooked through, approximately a minute or so longer. Remove burgers from skillet, place on buns and top as desired. Repeat process with remaining burgers. Serving two hamburgers on a single bun is not an outrageous option.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I love this burger but a way to achieve the same result without any splatter from oil or butter is the Mark Bittman steak technique where you heat the cast iron pan on high for 3 minutes or so until very hot, even smoking, add some salt to the bottom of the pan, lower the heat to med high and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side. No splatter and a crisp, perfectly done burger. Add cheese as Sam suggests if you like.
One issue.
If you like cheeseburgers, and I do, the cheese won't melt sufficiently unless you overcook the meat, which is no good. So I put a cover over the pan as soon as I flip and put the cheese on.
I have that problem too- esp living in an apt- I have no outdoor option. just read an article about cooking steak and they said oil the meat only, instead of pouring it in the pan and there will be less smoke because a lot of the smoke is from the excess oil in the pan... i haven't tried it yet but seems to make sense and I'm willing to see if it helps!
To keep the burger from sticking to your spatula when you smash, place a small piece of parchment paper on the burger before pressing down.
I am a vegetarian mother to a ravenous carnivore teenager. This tutorial was invaluable to me. My son rated it 11 out of 10. The first time I made it was for his birthday so his dad (my ex) was there and tried to tell me how to do it. I said "back off, Sam Sifton taught me how to do this" (it was a very friendly exchange )
Why didn't you size the burger to the bun?
A revelation. Who knew that a flat, crispy on the edges burger could have so much more flavor than the half pound behemoths currently in vogue? Having been frightened out of my wits by the smoke alarm a week ago I took the cast iron skillet outside and heated it up on the grill for 20 minutes while I was making cole slaw. Worked like a charm. Plus closing the lid on the grill melts the cheese really quickly. A winner, Sam, thank you!
You can add one slice of ground bacon (freeze and cut into tiny pieces) to each patty for some smoke flavor and to get the fat ratio closer to a real diner burger. I actually like smashing these very thin on parchment paper and seasoning each side then. I do 1 minute and about 40 seconds. Flip, add cheese, and then 1 more minute. I cook it in butter and spoon the fat onto the cheese to help melt the cheese. This is also really good with two pattys per burger.
This is a fabulous recipe! I cooked a burger your way the week you published it and have tried to eat one a week ever since (anemia). My whole life, I'd eat a burger only if someone else cooked it. Now I can make my own great burger and feel as if I'm dining out. I know it's simple, but I wasn't able to figure it out on my own. This is probably my most favorite recipe of all time, and I've been reading your food section for 40 years.
This is my favorite kind of burger, that crispy outside with a rare inside is the BEST!
This is our go-to burger, but we can't cook these indoors because the smoke alarm goes crazy. I used to put the cast iron griddle on the grill but I found an easier way: I take my pancake griddle out to the porch or garage, depending on weather, and heat it to the max for 10 minutes and then follow the directions here.
We get a crusty burger with a nice rare center, oozing juice. Crusty/juicy - that's for us.
A terrific alternative to the HUGE burgers frequently served at my abode. While men like the biggies, they were dumbfounded with the deliciousness of the skinny ones.
The burger got a really nice crust on it. Important to use a really hot pan as it takes too long to get the crust otherwise, and it just gets overcooked instead.
My cooking weight is a scrubbed brick that is flat on one side, wrapped in foil and kept clean.
I've made good burgers at home, but this is a great burger. My dear wife put Grandma's cast iron skillet on the grill, kosher salt, lots of black pepper, extra sharp cheddar. and let 'er rip—no condiments required. If you plan to make this burger with any frequency (which I do), invest in a wood-handled cast iron burger press, like they use in the diner. You'll get a flatter, smashier burger with more crispy edges. Also great for cooking bacon.
Really wonderful. Make sure and salt and pepper AFTER you smash it. I used oil and the largest cast iron pan we had. I cut it in half, used a pound for 4 burgers. I think I needed the pan hotter. It was smoking but once I put the burgers on it cooled down and I was on medium so I'd turn it up next time. That said, I think the problem was that my meat was still cold.
Best burger we’ve had in years. Especially with the grilled onions I made beforehand. I only had 85-15% beef and it was still great. Will only make burgers like this in the future. Stick with 2 minutes per side.
I always read a lot of the notes others have added, and based off of some of those I’ve altered the method and found that this is what works great for me: My smoke detectors are insanely touchy, so I turn on the stove vent before putting my small cast iron skillet on the back burner to begin heating. After heating I sprinkle salt and pepper into the skillet, then add my pre-smashed burger to the pan and proceed. I smash between layers of was paper or parchment. This works great!
We also adore this recipe. I use 2 oz. portions of extra lean ground burger, and nobody can ever tell. I don’t oil the pan either, but do use a well seasoned cast iron skillet. To avoid sticking to the spatula while smashing, I place it in the hot pan just long enough to begin to brown and release. Then I flip it over, smash it flat and cook for 2 minutes each side. To melt the cheese, I place the slice onas soon I start the second 2 minute timer. Perfection!!
Smash burgers need to be cooked with onions placed on top just before you flip so that they sauté in the meat juices and cheese slices on both patties. Watch the movie, “The Menu” if you want to see the genuine article!
6 and 7 ounce patties. Cast iron skillet on 7. 2 mins first side and 1 min on second. T!
I learnt a technique to "smash" the burgers without compromising your hands/oil splutter burns... Flatten the meatball down a little in the pan, lay a square of baking parchment on top then a small saucepan lid - then use a rolling-pin to safely 'smash' the burger. Result was excellent crispy edges.
Thanks to @Susanne- I followed the tip to salt a cast iron skillet and it was perfect! This is my go-to burger recipe.
Incredible burger
Followed the advice in the comments to salt the cast iron pan and put the oil on the meat so there wasn’t so much smoke. Delicious!
People aren't kidding when they said it was a lot of smoke, especially if you do it in batches.
Just a little tip: I use my potato masher (sprayed with Pam) rather than a spatula. Works great!
Great recipe but a few suggestions: 1. Make 2-2.5 oz balls instead of 4 oz. but put 2 per bun. These cook even faster 2. You need more than a spatula to really flatten them. Worth buying a meat press 3. Definitely need small piece of parchment paper but you can re-use for all the burgers. 4. After flipping put raw onions and cheese on top of 1/2 the patties and then cover with a second patty. Time this well. 5. Toast buns, add condiments and plate before cooking the meat, then transfer
Sam, Sam, you wonderful man! I have cooked these three times and even the picky kids ate them. I did, however, use bacon fat to cook them (too lazy to clean out the cast iron skillet after bacon for breakfast). They came out most awesome! I discovered leaving them as close to the edge of the skillet as I can gives you the nice crust, but still leaves them medium/medium rare (depending on which part of the skillet they are in) and still melted the cheese. Definitely going in the dinner rotation!
in the video, while cooking, a paper or small sheet of something is placed over the burger when it is smashed a second time. what is that sheet made of?
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