Backyard Smashburgers with Crispy Lacy Edges

We have hot dogs on the site but somehow never a proper burger. Time to fix that, and we are going straight to the smashburger. The whole point is the crust. When you smash a loose ball of beef onto a screaming hot surface, the edges go lacy and crisp while the center stays juicy. That browned crust is flavor you simply cannot get from a thick pub patty.

How to Make Smashburgers on the Grill

The two things that make or break a smashburger are heat and contact. You want a hot, flat surface and full contact with the beef. This is where GrillGrates earn their keep on a kettle or gas grill: the flat reversible side acts like a griddle and holds serious heat, so you get a deep sear with no flare ups. A cast iron pan or flat top works too. Our Lodge cast iron griddle rides right across the Hasty Bake and holds heat like a champ, which is exactly what thin patties need. A sturdy spatula will get you there, but a dedicated burger press gives you a flatter, more even smash with far less effort, and that means more lacy crust from edge to edge.

Do not overthink the beef. Eighty twenty is the sweet spot. The fat is what bastes the crust as it renders, and a leaner blend cooks up dry and tight. Buy it fresh, keep it cold, and handle it as little as possible. A loose ball smashes flatter and crisps harder than a tight one, every single time.

Hawk’s Tip: Lay a square of parchment between your spatula and the beef before you smash. The patty spreads thinner, grips the steel, and the spatula peels away clean with every bit of that lacy crust left on the meat instead of stuck to your tool.

Here is the full build. Photos for each step are coming, but the method below is everything you need to put crispy edged doubles on the table tonight.

A few more things from the pit. Double patties beat one thick patty every time, because more crust means more flavor in every bite. And resist the urge to press again after that first smash. Once the crust sets, pressing only squeezes out the juice you worked so hard to keep.

Crispy edges, melty cheese, juicy center. This is the backyard burger to build a cookout around. If you want to take the same smash technique somewhere new, run it through our Okie Onion Burgers next and griddle a pile of sweet onions right into the crust.