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Smashburger meets Grilled Cheese in this delicious, decadent burger recipe. This is basically a patty melt without the traditional bread and toppings (goodbye rye and Swiss cheese). Thinly sliced onions are seared into thin beef patties, then those get piled high with American cheese on an inverted butter-parmesan bun.
Love a good sandwich fix? Try my remake of the Starbucks Grilled Cheese, or my variety of sliders like my Candied Bacon BLT Sliders, Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburgers, or my Cowboy Butter Steak Sliders.
I was so excited when I stumbled upon the viral Smashburger Grilled Cheese from No Good Burger Joint in New York! You know when you see a recipe video and you just KNOW you have to try it? Like, it stays on your mind until you get your fix? Yup, that’s this one. Since I live down south, my best bet is to whip up a homemade version.
These Smashburger Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Are:
- Everything you love in a smashburger – thin burgers with crisp edges and onions
- Everything you love in a grilled cheese – crisp buttery bread and gooey cheese
- Can be easily made in a skillet
- Decadent and comforting food for the soul
- Pairs perfectly with tomato soup
- Great for cozy nights in, game days, and summer cookouts on the blackstone
Grab These Ingredients
Here is what you’ll need to make these crowd-pleasing ooey gooey smashburger grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Hamburger buns – we use buns instead of regular bread to give these more of a burger feel.
- Parmesan Butter – a combination of butter, garlic powder, and grated parmesan cheese. I used this in my copycat starbucks grilled cheese and it was so yummy that I brought it back in this recipe.
- Ground Beef – I like an 80/20 ratio with my ground beef as it provides just the right amount of juiciness.
- Cheese – lots of cheeses work in this smashburger recipe, but we love a tried and true American cheese. You can also use cheddar, white cheddar, swiss, havarti, etc.
- Onions – white onions are thinly sliced and pressed into the patty for a traditional smashburger experience.
- Burger Sauce – lots of pantry staples come together to make this absolutely addictive burger sauce: mayo, ketchup, mustard, sweet relish, vinegar, paprika, and sugar.
How to Make Smashburger Grilled Cheese
First, make your burger sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients and set aside. Mix together the parmesan butter ingredients and spread it on both the top and bottom insides of each bun. Set aside.
Roll your burgers into 3-4 ounce balls. Preheat the skillet to medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the balls onto the surface a few inches apart and top with a handful of onions on each ball.
Immediately use the bottom of a metal spatula to press it down and flatten to a thin patty (mashing the onions into the patty). Season with salt and pepper.
Allow the patties to cook undisturbed for at least 2-3 minutes to allow a crust to form. Flip, season with salt and pepper, and immediately add one slice of American and one slice of cheddar cheese to each patty. Turn heat to low and allow cheese to melt. Add a dollop of sauce on top of the cheese.
Stack two patties together and set aside.
Add the bottom bun buttered-side down and add the double stacked burger on top. Place the top bun on, buttered side up (so it’s inverted). Cook until bottom bun is golden brown and carefully flip and repeat, toasting the top bun.
The Best Smashburger Sauce
Ok, whether it’s Big Mac sauce, Burgerville’s spread, ShackSauce, or In & Out signature spread, I think we can all agree that these signature sauces literally make a burger special.
Even though they are uniquely different, they all have in common the elements of creamy, tangy, and a tad bit sweet.
My smashburger sauce is an easy combination of pantry staples that come together to create such a deliciously addictive sauce you’ll want to dip everything in it (like, make extra if you’re serving this with fries).
Looking for More Burgers and Grilled Cheese?
Copycat Starbucks Grilled Cheese
Viral Grinder Grilled Cheese
Cowboy Butter Steak Sliders
Tex Mex Taco Burger
Raising Cane’s Chicken Sliders
I hope you enjoyed this recipe for my Smashburger Grilled Cheese! I look forward to your questions and feedback below.
Please be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking using hashtag #badbatchbaking if you made this recipe, and I will feature you on my story! Plus, I LOVE to see your baking accomplishments.
Smashburger Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef divided into 4 ounce portions
- 1/2 white onion sliced thinly
- 4 slices american cheese
- 2 slices cheddar cheese
- 2 brioche hamburger buns
- avocado oil
Parmesan Butter
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Burger Sauce
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish or minced dill pickles
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
Instructions
- First, make your burger sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients and set aside. Mix together the parmesan butter ingredients and spread it on both the top and bottom insides of each bun. Set aside.
- Roll your burgers into 4-ounce balls. Preheat the large skillet or griddle to medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the balls onto the surface a few inches apart and top with a handful of onions on each meat ball.
- Immediately use the bottom of a burger press or metal spatula to press it down and flatten to a thin patty (mashing the onions into the patty). Season with salt and pepper.
- Allow the patties to cook undisturbed for at least 2-3 minutes to allow a crust to form. Flip, season with salt and pepper, and immediately add one slice of American and one slice of cheddar cheese to each patty. Turn heat to low and allow cheese to melt. Add a dollop of sauce on top of the cheese.
- Stack two patties together and set aside.
- Add the bottom bun buttered-side down and add the double stacked burger on top. Place the top bun on, buttered side up (so it's inverted). Cook until bottom bun is golden brown and carefully flip and repeat, toasting the top bun. Serve immediately.
