Description
Thin beef patties smashed on a hot griddle with salted onions, crispy edges, melted cheese, and toasted buns. These fried onion smash burgers are fast, messy, and built for griddle cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large yellow or white onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1–2 tablespoons oil, for the griddle
- 4 slices American cheese or cheddar cheese
- 4 hamburger buns
- Pickles, mustard, ketchup, mayo, or burger sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Peel the onion, cut it in half, and slice it into very thin half-moon pieces.
- Add the sliced onion to a bowl and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir well, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Drain the onions in a colander and blot them dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions and gently shape each portion into a loose ball. Do not pack the meat tightly.
- Preheat a large flat top griddle or heavy griddle pan over high heat until very hot.
- Lightly oil the griddle. Add the onions to one side of the griddle and drizzle with a little more oil if needed.
- Place the beef balls on the griddle. Put a square of parchment paper over each ball, then smash firmly with a heavy spatula, burger press, or small cast iron skillet. Peel off the parchment paper.
- Season the patties with the remaining salt and black pepper.
- Cook the patties undisturbed until the edges are browned and crisp, about 2–3 minutes.
- Use a thin metal spatula to scrape under each patty and flip. Flip the onions as needed.
- Pile some onions onto each patty, add cheese, and cook for another 1–2 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the burger is cooked through.
- Toast the buns on the griddle, then assemble the burgers with your preferred toppings and condiments.
Notes
- A flat top griddle works best because the burgers and onions need room to cook hot and fast.
- Salting the onions first helps remove moisture so they brown instead of steam.
- Use parchment paper when smashing the beef to keep it from sticking to the press or spatula.
- Timing: The burgers take about 20 minutes of active prep and cook time. For best results, salt the onions 1 hour ahead so they release moisture and brown better on the griddle.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Additional Time: 1 hr
- Cook Time: 10 min
