Smash burger

The Food Network defines a smash burger as: "A thin beef patty cooked on a super-hot griddle. The burger is smashed down, usually with a spatula, to increase browning and craggy bits on the surface for extra flavor." High-fat beef (typically 70–80% lean) is recommended, and the smash should occur once, early in cooking, to avoid pressing out juices. Preparation Smash burgers are made by placing a ball of ground beef, commonly around 3 to 5 oz. (90 to 150 g), onto a hot flat-top grill and pressing it flat with a spatula or burger press. The goal is to maximize surface contact, which increases browning. Variations in thickness exist: some restaurants serve extremely thin patties stacked in multiples, while others prepare slightly thicker versions. The ideal fat content is around 30% for moisture retention and flavor. Buns vary regionally, with brioche common in the UK, and potato rolls and milk rolls preferred in the U.S. == History ==

Origins The origins of the Smash Burger are debated. Food historian George Motz argues that some of the earliest American hamburgers, sold at fairs and factories in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were thin patties pressed into pans for speed. A widely cited story credits Dairy Cheer, a Diner in Ashland, Kentucky, where in the 1960s a cook reportedly used a bean can to press beef balls onto the griddle, creating the crisp, thin patty that became known as a smash burger. In the United Kingdom, some restaurants had specialized in the format before 2020, but the trend expanded rapidly after 2022. National supermarket chains such as Waitrose and Aldi also introduced smash burger products. By the 2020s, the smash burger was frequently described as the "it" burger of the decade. Analysts and restaurateurs cite its appeal as fast, cost-effective to produce, and well-suited for casual dining menus, in contrast with the thick, gourmet-style "bistro burger" popular in the 2000s and 2010s. == Variations ==

The fried onion burger, also called an "Oklahoma onion burger" or an "Okie burger," is a regional style in which a wad of thinly sliced onions is smashed into the patty as it cooks, producing caramelized onion shards within the burger. == See also ==