Flavorful Dinner Inspiration for Summer 2026

I make smashburgers on steel typically. They are bad ass and as soon as you try it in this manner, you'll never go back. I developed the Baking Steel back in 2012 for pizza but honestly, smashburgers may be the thing I cook on steel more than anything else these days. The work is getting your burger bar together: sliced pickles, onions, cheese, special sauce.

Get your frying pan or steel ripping hot. You have to work fast. We're preparing these for 30-60 seconds per side, and you desire it screaming hot for that Maillard response, the sear that makes smashburgers famous. I love to smash for buddies. Many of the time, they've currently had our Baking Steel pizza, and I like to blend the menu.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I have actually made smash hamburgers on this thing that individuals still talk about. Smashing the beef thin optimizes contact with the hot steel, activating the Maillard reaction, the chemical procedure that produces that deep, savory, browned taste we all long for.

Your first hamburger and your 4th get the exact same extraordinary edge-to-edge crust without the temperature dropping. I 'd know my family has actually remained in the steel organization for over 50 years at our store in Hanover, MA. I understand this product, and I constructed these griddles specifically to solve the heat retention issue that cast iron can't.

Comparing Flat-Top vs Traditional Grill Methods

Let it preheat for 10-15 minutes until it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the exact same principle behind our pizza steels load the steel with heat, and it does the work for you. Carefully divide the hamburger into 4 x 4 oz (115g) balls. Do not strain the meat; just form it into a loose ball.

Immediately smash them very thin (about 1/4 inch) with a stiff spatula or press. To avoid sticking, you can position a small piece of parchment paper between the meat and the spatula. Season the smashed patties kindly with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Prepare for 60-90 seconds. You'll see the edges turn a deep, crispy brown.

Use a bench scraper or stiff spatula to get under the patty, guaranteeing you scrape up all the crispy, browned bits. Turn it over. Immediately place a slice of cheese on the flipped patty. Prepare for another 30-45 seconds to melt the cheese. Briefly toast your buns on a cooler part of the griddle for 15-20 seconds.

Making Restaurant-Quality Sides at Home

Cheese melting perfectly on the Mini Frying pan Cast iron is the standard option for smashburgers, and it works. After evaluating both side-by-side for over a decade, I changed to steel.

I comprehend how it stores and transfers heat in a method the majority of people never think of. That knowledge is precisely what led me to develop the Baking Steel in 2012, and it's why I designed the Skinny Griddle particularly for stovetop cooking like this. Here's the distinction: That suggests it recovers temperature quicker in between hamburgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Steel doesn't drop. You get the very same screaming-hot crust on your first burger and your fourth. It warms up faster and distributes heat more uniformly. No hot areas, no cold areas. Just constant, edge-to-edge browning. No flavoring, no babying. Simply cook, scrape, wipe clean. I've evaluated cast iron, stainless-steel, and every griddle on the market.

Pre-heat the grill and steel for 15-20 minutes on high heat, then smash your burgers right on the steel. You get the exact same amazing crust with the added benefit of outside cooking and that subtle smoky flavor from the grill.

Mastering the Griddle: Best Burger Skills

They walk up anticipating regular grilled burgers and rather they see me smashing patties on a piece of American-made steel on the grill. Perfect smash hamburgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outside grill I designed each of these for a particular use case.

It fits on a single burner and is ideal for families or burger night with pals. Exact same heat retention, smaller footprint. Use it in the oven for pizza, or take it outdoors and location it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.