The smash burger is THE trend from the US right now – thin, super crispy at the edges, juicy in the middle. The idea: loose balls of ground beef go onto a scorching hot pan or plancha and get pressed flat right away ("smashed"). That creates the famous, deeply caramelized crust (the "Maillard reaction") that a regular burger patty can never quite achieve.
How much meat per patty? For the perfect smash burger, use 65–80 g of ground beef per patty – shape it into a loose ball that turns into a paper-thin, roughly 12 cm patty once smashed.
Run a restaurant or food truck?
Smash burgers are on more menus right now than almost any other concept. We supply restaurants, burger joints and food trucks across Europe with the right buns – from 1 pallet, shipped directly from our warehouses in Austria, Germany or France.
See wholesale pricing🔥 Patty quantities at a glance
| Burgers | Total ground beef | Buns |
|---|---|---|
| 2 burgers | 150–160 g | 2 |
| 4 burgers | 300–320 g | 4 |
| 6 burgers | 450–480 g | 6 |
| 8 burgers | 600–640 g | 8 |
What actually is a smash burger?
Unlike a classic burger, the patty isn't pre-shaped and grilled. Instead, a loose ball of meat is placed on the hot surface and immediately flattened with a spatula. The direct, hard contact with the hot surface creates a deeply browned, crispy crust within seconds – that's the whole trick.
Ingredients
For 4 smash burgers – tap to check off.
Method
- Preheat the pan. Get a cast iron pan or plancha as hot as it will go – it needs to be really, really hot, this is the single most important step.
- Portion the meat. Shape the ground beef into loose 70–80 g balls, don't pack them too tightly.
- Smash it. Place the ball in the pan and immediately press it really flat with a sturdy spatula (or a burger press) for about 3 seconds. Only season with salt and pepper after smashing.
- Wait, don't touch it. About 90 seconds, until a dark brown crust has formed.
- Flip & add cheese. Flip the patty and add the cheese right away so it melts while the second side finishes (about 30–60 seconds).
- Toast the buns. Brush the inside of the Martin's Potato Rolls with a little butter and toast them golden brown in the same pan.
- Stack it. Sauce, lettuce, patty with cheese, onion, pickles – your smash burger is done.
For smash burgers we recommend the 4 inch Potato Rolls – the perfect size for a thin patty, soft enough to let the flavor shine, sturdy enough to hold the stack together. For your kitchen, get the right quantity on the wholesale page.
FAQ
What's the best meat to use?
Ground beef with at least 20% fat content (e.g. chuck, or a chuck/brisket blend). Meat that's too lean turns dry and crumbly when smashed, because the crust forms extremely fast at very high heat.
How much meat per patty?
70–80 g per patty is the sweet spot for a classic smash burger – thin enough for a full crust, but still juicy in the middle. For a double, just stack two patties.
Which buns work best?
A soft, slightly sweet potato-dough bun like the Martin's Potato Rolls (4 inch) – exactly the size and texture used at Shake Shack and similar spots for their smash burgers.
Do I need a special burger press?
No, a sturdy, wide spatula works just fine – it just needs to be stiff enough to apply real pressure without bending.