These homemade smash burgers are flattened onto grilled onions on a cast iron skillet or flat-top, topped with melted American cheese and a tangy homemade sauce made from mayo, dill pickles, and BBQ sauce. The clarified butter gives them a distinctive rich crust and flavor.
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Preheat your flat-top grill, griddle, or 12" cast iron skillet to medium-high heat.
Divide the ground beef into 8 even sections. Loosely form the meat into balls and set aside.
Make the homemade burger sauce: combine mayonnaise, dill pickles, and BBQ sauce in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Spread some clarified butter on the grill or cast iron skillet and add the sliced onions. Grill the onions until they start to soften. Divide the onions into 8 sections on your grill. Place a meat ball on top of each pile of onions and smash the ball flat with a spatula.
Season the flattened meat patties with beef seasoning and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip the burgers, add a slice of American cheese to each patty, and continue grilling for 3-4 minutes.
While the burgers are cooking, melt more clarified butter on the cast iron skillet next to the burgers and place the buns cut side down on the grill. Brush more butter on the tops of the buns and toast for 1-2 minutes until the buns begin to turn golden brown. Do not flip.
Remove the buns and meat from the grill. Place a dollop of burger sauce on the bottom bun, top with a cheesy patty and grilled onions, and finish with the top bun. You can also make these with a double patty and 4 buns, if desired.
Cooked burgers are best eaten immediately; store patties and components separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days and reassemble cold or reheat on the griddle for 1-2 minutes per side.
cast iron skillet (12") or flat-top griddle · spatula (for smashing and flipping)
Smashing creates a larger surface area for browning and crust development, and cooking them thin (3-4 minutes per side) keeps the inside juicy while the edges crisp up.
Regular butter will work but has a lower smoke point; clarified butter (ghee) is preferred for high-heat cooking on cast iron or griddles without burning.
Cook 3-4 minutes per side. The cheese will melt during the second side, and the burgers should have a golden-brown crust.
Form the meat balls and refrigerate up to 4 hours before cooking, but smash and cook them fresh on the grill for best results.
Yes, halve all ingredients to make 4 burgers instead of 8 using the same cooking method and times.
