Home
back to recipes
Smashed Butter BurgersSmashed Butter Burgers
Dinner

Smashed Butter Burgers

By: Gaby Dalkin

Refresh your classic backyard cookout burger with full-on buttery flavor. Be prepared—this is over-the-top decadence.

30minserves 4

Ingredients

BURGERS:

BURGER TOPPINGS:

  • Mayonnaise

  • Mustard

  • Ketchup

  • Shredded lettuce

  • Sliced tomatoes

  • Homemade Pickles (and Other Vegetables) (recipe follows)

  • Special Sauce (recipe follows)

  • Caramelized Onions (recipe follows)

SPECIAL SAUCE:

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish

  • 1 tbsp ketchup

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

  • 1 clove garlic, grated

  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika

  • ¼ tsp onion powder

  • Pinch of red pepper flakes

  • Splash of Worcestershire sauce

  • Splash of hot sauce

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

HOMEMADE PICKLES (and other vegetables):

  • 1 ¼ cups water

  • ¾ cup rice vinegar

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • 2 tsp pickling spice

  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes

  • 1 pound Persian cucumbers, sliced into coins or spears (you could also use this for carrots + jalapeños + green beans + cauliflower)

  • 6 large sprigs dill

  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

  • 2 tbsp Tillamook Extra Creamy Unsalted Butter

  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided

  • 2 large yellow onions (about 1 pound), peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
    Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Share:

SMASHED BUTTER BURGERS

  1. Using a box grater, grate the frozen stick of butter on the smallest size holes.

  2. Combine the beef, grated butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Don’t overmix.

  3. Divide into 8 portions and loosely form into balls, about 4 ounces for each. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

  4. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high heat (450ºF to 500ºF/230ºC to 260ºC) with a cast-iron griddle on it. You want it smoking hot.

  5. Split the buns and slather with mayonnaise on each cut side.

  6. Toast the burger buns on the hot griddle for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden, making sure not to burn them. Remove from the heat.

  7. Working quickly, place 4 of the burger balls on the griddle on the grill and, using a piece of parchment paper just bigger than the final patty size and a spatula, smash the ball into a thin burger. You want to really put some weight into it to make it as thin as possible. You can even use another metal spatula to assist in the smash. Slide the spatula off (don’t pull it up). This will help the patty stay flat against the griddle.

  8. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes; at the end, add a few slices of onion, then quickly flip the patties and give them another smash with the spatula.

  9. Top each patty with sliced cheese, close the lid on the grill, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

  10. Stack 2 patties and place them on the bottom bun. Top with desired toppings (see below for instructions on how to make the homemade pickles, caramelized onions and special sauce) and the top bun.

HOMEMADE PICKLES (and other vegetables):

  1. Prep time: 5min | Marinating time: 24 hours | Yields: 1 quart of pickles

  2. Combine the water, vinegar, salt, sugar, pickling spice, and pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

  3. Meanwhile, combine the cucumbers, dill, and garlic in a heat-resistant quart- size jar and set aside.

  4. Once the vinegar mixture comes to a simmer, turn off the heat. Pour the mixture over the cucumbers and let cool to room temperature.

  5. Cover the jar and store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before enjoying.

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

  1. Prep time: 5min | Cook time: 35min | Yields: 1 cup

  2. Melt the butter in 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan over medium- high heat.

  3. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper.

  4. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for another 10 minutes.

  5. Reduce the heat to medium- low and continue to cook another 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions are deep golden brown.

  6. Stir in the thyme leaves and remove from the heat.

  7. Place in a bowl to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge.

SPECIAL SAUCE:

  1. Prep time: 5min | Yields: 2/3 cup

  2. Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust as desired.

Shop this recipe

  • Extra Creamy Unsalted Butter

    Tillamook Extra Creamy Unsalted Butter

  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese Slices

    Tillamook Sharp Cheddar

Meet the chef

Gaby Dalkin

Gaby Dalkin (@whatsgabycookin) is a trained chef, recipe developer, entrepreneur and food/lifestyle writer based in Los Angeles. Her website, What's Gaby Cooking, features original recipes and images along with highlights from Gaby's life and travels. In September 2022, Gaby released her fourth cookbook, a New York Times Best Seller, What’s Gaby Cooking: Take it Easy. In addition to her books, Gaby is known for her popular line of products that includes seasonings, oils, cocktail mixes and more and has made frequent appearances on The Today Show, Kelly & Ryan, Hallmark Home and Family and more. Her debut TV show, My Best Friends Kitchen, premiered Fall 2022 on QVC+.​

Related Pages