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smashburger with "mac" sauce

(1 rating)
Kitchen Crew
By Kitchen Crew

The Smashburger is burger perfection. But why? The key to this style of burger is to get as much meat as possible in contact with the cooking surface to create more caramelization, more flavor, and more crispy-lacey goodness—creating the perfect burger. And since we’ve got the perfect burger, what better than to combine it with the perfect burger sauce— "Mac" sauce! Our Smashburger w/ “Mac” sauce is a blend of the vaunted Big Mac—special sauce, lettuce, onion, & pickle—and a typical Smashburger—a buttered brioche bun, smashed patty, and American cheese. Let’s get smashing.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

For the hamburger meat, use any type you like. We used 80/20 Wagyu.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(1 rating)
yield 4 serving(s)
prep time 10 Min
cook time 10 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For smashburger with "mac" sauce

  • "MAC" SAUCE
  • 1/4 lg
    white onion
  • 1/3 c
    mayonnaise
  • 3 Tbsp
    sweet pickle relish
  • 1 Tbsp
    distilled white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    yellow mustard
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    ketchup
  • 1/2 tsp
    turmeric
  • BURGERS
  • iceberg lettuce
  • 4
    brioche buns, split
  • 8 Tbsp
    butter, divided
  • 8 Tbsp
    "Mac" sauce
  • white onion
  • sliced kosher dill pickles
  • 12 oz
    hamburger of choice, rolled into 3 oz balls
  • 4 slice
    American cheese

How To Make smashburger with "mac" sauce

  • grating onion
    1
    First, make the "Mac" sauce. Grate the onion using a grater or microplane until you have 1 tablespoon.
  • mixing
    2
    Mix that grated onion with remaining ingredients. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
  • 3
    To make the burgers, shred the lettuce finely using a knife or mandoline and dice the onion.
  • 4
    Toast the burger buns. Add 2 tbsp butter to a pan over medium heat. Once sizzling, add two of the split buns, all four cut sides down, to toast in the butter. Be careful to watch so they don't burn. Repeat with remaining buns.
  • 5
    Add 1 tbsp "Mac" sauce to the toasted cut side of each of the buns. Stack the bottom buns with desired amounts of lettuce, onions, and pickles.
  • burger ball on melted butter
    6
    Heat a on-stick pan over medium or medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and melt. Place one burger ball on top. Spray the back of a big, sturdy, flat spatula with cooking spray and press it down on the burger until it is flat across the cooking surface and cannot be pressed any further. (Do not be afraid to press firmly; the goal is to have as much beef in contact with the cooking surface as possible.)
  • cooking the beef
    7
    Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and cook until crispy bits start to form, a couple minutes. Flip the burger, making sure to get as much crispy goodness as possible, add a slice of cheese, and cook until crispy on the bottom, another couple minutes.
  • completed burger
    8
    Add the burger to the prepped bottom bun and top with the sauced top bun. Repeat steps 4 - 6 for the remaining burgers.
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