Smashburger Recipe with Special Sauce (Dijonaise)

Name: Smashburger Recipe with Special Sauce (Dijonaise)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic; ¼ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground); 1/8 teaspoon paprika; ½ cup mayo; 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles; 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice; 1 teaspoon hot sauce; 1 teaspoon dijon; ¾ pound 80% lean/20% fat ground beef; 2 brioche buns or gluten-free bread; 2 tablespoons mayo; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; Spice blend; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 4 slices cheddar cheese; 1 ripe tomato (sliced and lightly salted); ¼ head iceberg (thinly shredded); Pickles (slices)

posted by Teri Turner on Jul 9, 2026 11 comments »

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This smashburger recipe is the only burger recipe you need. Your beef is rolled and smashed into thin patties, then stacked with cheddar cheese and served on a toasted brioche bun with a dijonaise special sauce. This is the smashburger recipe you make once and then make every weekend for the rest of the summer.

smashburger on a brioche bun on a cutting board

Table of Contents

A Note from Teri on This Smashburger Recipe

When you think of a traditional burger, you don’t smash it because it’s so juicy and you want to keep that inside. With a smashburger, we are going the complete opposite. You want to smash it as thin as possible to get it perfectly crispy and lacy. It makes the final product unbelievably delicious and feels like something you’d get at a restaurant.

This recipe is totally doable, but be ready for things to move quickly. Before you put any burgers in the pan, make sure you have everything ready to go, including your spice blend, worcestershire, cheese, and buns. Once you get the meat in the pan, you want to be ready to work.

I recommend starting with one burger so you can know exactly how the process works. You can figure out exactly what needs to be done so you’re a practically an expert for the next one. Once you make it, you’re going to feel like a rockstar. It’s incredible on a toasted bun, but you can also serve it on some gluten free bread for a patty melt.

For the perfect side to serve with your smash burger, check out this Substack with my corn avocado salad recipe.

a smashburger cut in half on a wooden cutting board

Teri’s Tips for a Great Smashburger Recipe

A smashburger is completely different from a thick, classic burger. The entire point is the crust. This is also why the fat ratio matters so much. Eighty-twenty ground beef is the best choice here. It’s not the moment for a lean ground beef. The fat renders as the patty cooks to give you the most incredible flavor while the texture gets lacy and crispy in the pan.

Do not salt ground beef ahead of time. When we think of seasoning protein, we often think of salting ahead of time. That’s simply not the case when it comes to ground beef. We want to salt at the last second to keep the meet from getting really tough.

Additionally, while a lot of time we want our meat to temper before cooking, smashburgers are the opposite! Once you form the balls by very gently and loosely rolling them, place them in the freezer for ten minutes. Getting the meat cold helps make sure the fat renders at the right speed so you get the best flavor.

Ingredients and Variations

Salt – this is the foundation of your spice blend, but be sure not to apply it too early to the patty
Granulated garlic – adds all the flavor of garlic without needing to add freshly minced
Freshly ground black pepper – use freshly ground so you get the most flavor from your pepper
Paprika – this adds a depth of flavor and a little bit of smokiness
Mayo – the base of the sauce and what makes it creamy. Use a good full-fat mayo. This is not the moment for light.
Finely chopped dill pickles – adds a briny crunch throughout the sauce. Finely chop them so you get it in every bite
Dill pickle juice – gives the sauce bright, vinegary flavor in addition to the pickles
Hot sauce – adds a gentle heat that gives the sauce a punch without making it spicy
Dijon mustard – this adds a fun mustard flavor and a slight tang that goes perfectly with the burger
80/20 ground beef – the non-negotiable fat ratio for a proper smashburger. The twenty percent fat is what gives you the crispy edges and juicy interior
Brioche buns or gluten-free bread – brioche is the classic choice that tastes delicious with the smashburger. Toast them mayo-side down in the cast iron for a golden surface.
Mayo – spread on the cut side of each bun half before toasting. It gives a golden brown color to your bun
Unsalted butter – for cooking the patties. Butter creates that incredible crust and adds to the flavor of your burgers
Worcestershire sauce – add a dash to each patty right after the flip. It makes the burger taste more complex.
Cheddar cheese – Cheddar is the classic smashburger choice for its flavor and melt
Ripe tomato, sliced and lightly salted – salting the tomato before it goes on the burger draws out a little moisture and intensifies the flavor
Iceberg lettuce, thinly shredded – shredded gets some iceberg in every bite without worrying about a large leaf falling of the burger
Pickle slices – for topping. Their brine and crunch are the perfect finish for your smashburger

When I make it gluten free on Canyon bread, I like to skip the mayo and toast the bread.

How to Make This Smashburger Recipe

stirring smash burger sauce in a glass bowl

Step One: Prep Burger Buns and Sauce

Turn oven to 175F degrees or lowest temperature available. In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic, pepper, and paprika. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pickles, hot sauce, dijon, and pickle juice. Set aside.

Divide the ground beef into 4 even parts (about 3 oz each) and loosely roll into balls. Make sure not to overpack or overhandle the meat, which will lead to tough burgers. Put the meat balls on a plate and place into the freezer for 10 minutes.

After the meat has been in the freezer for 5 minutes, heat a cast-iron skillet over a medium flame. If your skillet is heating too much, lower heat to medium-high.

Spread mayo on the cut side of both bun halves. Toast the bun halves cut-side down in the cast-iron pan for 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes or until browned and crispy. Once the buns are all toasted, set them on a sheet tray and place in the oven to keep warm.

two smashburger patties cooking on a griddle pan

Step Two: Cook Burgers and Assemble

Take the meat out of the freezer. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and raise the heat to high. Add two balls of meat to the pan. Place a small square of parchment paper over each ball and use a spatula or a burger press to smash the balls down with consistent, firm pressure into thin patties about ¼-inch thick. Be sure to press around in a circular motion to ensure the patties are evenly flattened.

When the patties are flat, remove the parchment and sprinkle half the spice blend over the two patties. Cook for about 1 ½ minutes. Flip the patties and sprinkle each with a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Top each patty with one slice of cheese, cover the pan and cook until seared and crispy, about 45 seconds minutes and the cheese is melty. With a spatula, stack one patty on top of the other one, remove to a sheet tray and transfer to the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the other two balls of meat.

Spread the special sauce on the bottom buns. Top the sauce with some shredded lettuce and tomatoes and pickles. Add a burger stack to each bottom bun and top with the top bun.

To make it gluten free, use gluten-free bread (my favorite is Canyon) to make a patty melt. Skip the mayo and toast the bread, then assemble just as you would the burger on the bun.

smashburger patty melt cut in half and held in someone's hands

Recipe FAQs

What is the best ground beef for a smashburger recipe?

80/20 ground beef is the only choice for a smashburger. The fat renders as the patty cooks, creating juicy burger with a crispy outside. Leaner beef will give you a dry, dense patty.

Why do you put the meat in the freezer first?

Ten minutes in the freezer firms the surface of the meat balls just enough to hold their shape when you smash them. It also helps the whole patty cook more evenly once it hits the hot pan.

What makes this a smashburger rather than a regular burger?

Pressing the loose ball of beef into a very thin, wide patty on the hot pan makes it a smashburger. Smashing dramatically increases the surface area of the meat and it creates that crust on the exterior. A regular burger patty is thicker and doesn’t have the same crust.

Can I make smashburgers without a cast-iron pan?

Cast iron is preferred because it holds heat better than any other pan, but you can do these on other cast iron surfaces, such as a griddle pan or a blackstone. Stainless steel can also work if you don’t have cast iron available.

Can I double this smashburger recipe to feed more people?

Absolutely! The key with a larger batch is to work in the same two-ball batches in the pan rather than adding more at once. Overcrowding the pan drops the temperature and you’ll lose the sear.

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If you make this Smashburger, be sure to review it below and let me know what you think! If you’re looking for more inspiration, subscribe to my Substack, and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!