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Smash Burgers

Blackstone smash burgers with 80/20 beef, American cheese, pickles, and onions. This dinner is designed to become a Burger Bowl for a mixed warm-and-cold work-box meal. Version: 0.3.0.

Servings and Time

  • Servings: 4, plus leftovers for 2 to 4 lunches
  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lb 80/20 ground beef
  • White American cheese
  • Brioche buns
  • Onion
  • Pickles
  • Salt and pepper

Sides

  • Light pasta salad
  • Optional Blackstone Zucchini

Instructions

  1. Divide the beef into 8 loose balls, about 4 oz each.
  2. Heat the Blackstone to high.
  3. Place the beef balls on the hot griddle and smash thin.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Flip after 2 to 3 minutes, when a crust has formed.
  6. Add American cheese and cook until melted.
  7. Toast the buns and assemble burgers with onion and pickles.
  8. Reserve burger patties for Burger Bowls.

Planned Transformation

This dinner is designed to become a Burger Bowl for a mixed warm-and-cold work-box meal.

Additional Ingredients

  • Romaine
  • Pickles
  • Onion
  • Optional tomato
  • Burger sauce

Burger Sauce

  • Mayonnaise
  • Ketchup
  • Dijon
  • Splash of pickle juice
  • Black pepper

Before Leaving for Work

  1. Chop the burger into bite-size pieces.
  2. Pack the burger separately from the vegetables.
  3. Pack burger sauce separately.

At Work / At 2:00 AM

  1. Warm the burger briefly.
  2. Build the bowl with romaine, pickles, onion, and tomato if using.
  3. Add the warm burger.
  4. Drizzle with burger sauce.

Storage and Leftovers

  • Refrigerate burger patties separately from lettuce and sauce.
  • Burger bowls are best when the meat is warmed and the vegetables stay cold.

AnyList Cooking Notes

Source: Kester Family Cookbook
Version: 0.3.0
URL: https://cookbook.connellkesters.com/recipes/main-dishes/smash-burgers/

Status and Testing Notes

Current status: testing

  • Date tested:
  • Result:
  • Next adjustment:

What Matters

  • Use 80/20 beef for better crust and juiciness.
  • Do not overwork the beef balls.
  • Pack sauce separately for the Burger Bowl.

Revision Notes

  • 2026-07-06: Initial AnyList-ready recipe added from the 2026-07-05 rotation.