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Homemade Burger
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5 from 2 votes

Smash Burger - The Best Burger from Scratch

To make the best burger you have to grind the beef yourself. We need that crucial 80/20 lean to fat ratio to make a juicy burger. Don't forget a burger sauce as well. We've got that too.
Prep Time45 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Best burger recipe, best grilled burger recipe, homemade bbq sauce, homemade burger recipe
Servings: 6
Calories: 638kcal
Author: Michael Haas

Equipment

  • Equipment:
  • Grill: I find a charcoal makes the best burgers but a gas will do
  • Cast Iron Griddle: Fit this on top of your grill to allow flattening of the burgers
  • Weigh Scale
  • Meat Thermometer
  • Burger Flipper
  • Spatula
  • Meat Grinder
  • Scale
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Baking Tray

Ingredients

Burgers

  • 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 6 Buns
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 6 slices American Cheddar
  • 1 lbs Top Sirloin
  • 0.5 lbs Brisket short rib as alternative

Burger Sauce

  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Ketchup
  • 2 tbsp Mustard
  • 1 tsp Franks Hot Sauce
  • 1 Dill Pickle

Instructions

Patties

  • Setup your grinder with the coarse plate. Cool beef goes through the grinder better so make sure it is thoroughly cooled. Cut the sirloin and brisket into small enough strips for your grinder. Start grinding the meat alternating between sirloin and brisket pieces.   
  • I weigh my patties with a digital scale. I like to make sure everyone is getting the same size patty. Roll the ground beef into 1/4lbs balls and then slightly shape into a patty.  
  • Lightly salt both sides and store on a tray in the fridge.

Burger Sauce

  • Chop the pickle into small pieces.
  • In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together.   
  • Taste to your liking adding hot sauce or other favorite ingredients.
  • Keep cool in the fridge.

Burger Grilling

  • Light up your coals or gas grill 15 minutes before grilling time.
  • I prep my buns during this time by cutting in half and buttering them. 
  • Put your griddle on the grill and allow to heat up. For a charcoal grill put the griddle above the coals for direct heat. One the griddle is hot,place the burgers on the grill and quickly smash them with your burger flipper.We want to get a thin patty. After flattening, push your thumb into the middle making a small indentation. This helps the patty to cook more evenly and not turn into a ball.
  • The burgers cook very quickly. When the burgers turn brown on the edges and the tops are getting wet, quickly flip the burgers.  
  • With about a minute of grill time left, top the burgers with the cheese.
  • Always use a meat thermometer to know when the burgers are done. It is not just for the taste but for your safety.  I typically shoot for 145 Fahrenheit. The burgers are still be juicy because we are using an 80/20 fat ratio patty.
  • Take the burgers off the grill and rest for 5-8 minutes.  Resting allows all the juices/flavor soak back into the burger. During the burger rest, throw your buns on the hot grill with the buttered side down. We want to slightly toast these buns which makes them so much better
  • Once the burgers have rested for the 5-8 minutes, take the toasted buns and apply the burger sauce. Then you can add your patty and any other toppings you desire.
  • You are done. Enjoy and be proud of making your first burger fromscratch. You will be glad you did.
  • Enjoy. You rock.

Nutrition

Calories: 638kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 48.9g | Fat: 28.1g | Saturated Fat: 11.6g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 2198mg | Potassium: 601mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 8.5g | Calcium: 314mg | Iron: 24mg