Easy Blackstone Smash Burger Recipe with Cheddar Cheese

Making smash burgers on a Blackstone is quick, simple, and one of the best ways to use a flat-top griddle!

The beef is smashed directly onto the hot cooking surface, creating a burger with crispy edges and plenty of browned flavor.

For this Blackstone smash burger recipe, I use 17% fat ground beef and keep the seasoning simple. Add cheddar cheese and your favorite burger toppings, and the whole meal is ready fast!

Why Smash Burgers Are Perfect for the Blackstone

A Blackstone griddle is basically made for smash burgers!

The flat cooking surface gets very hot and gives the beef full contact with the griddle, which helps create that thin, crispy crust.

You also have plenty of room to cook the burgers, melt the cheese, and toast the buns at the same time.

Here’s why this recipe works so well on a Blackstone:

• High heat: Helps brown the beef fast.
• Flat surface: Makes it easy to smash the burgers thin.
• Plenty of cooking space: Great when making several burgers at once.
• Quick cooking: Smash burgers only need a few minutes on the griddle.

Best Ground Beef for Smash Burgers

For these burgers, I used ground beef with 17% fat, and it worked really well. The burgers stayed juicy but still developed a good browned crust.

I recommend using ground beef with around 15–20% fat. Very lean beef can dry out quickly because smash burgers are thin and cooked over high heat.

Here’s how to choose your ground beef:

• 80/20 ground beef: A classic choice for juicy smash burgers.
• 15–20% fat: A good general range.
• Don’t overwork the beef: Gently form loose balls instead of tightly packed patties.
• Keep the meat cold: Take the beef out of the fridge shortly before cooking.

Ingredients and Equipment You’ll Need

Smash burgers don’t need many ingredients. For the burgers themselves, good ground beef, salt, pepper, and cheese are enough.

For about four smash burgers, you’ll need:

• 1½ lb ground beef: I used beef with 17% fat.
• 4 burger buns: Brioche or soft burger buns work well.
• 8 slices cheddar cheese: One slice for each patty.
• Salt and black pepper: For simple smash burger seasoning.
• Mayonnaise: For the buns.
• Pickles, tomato, and lettuce: Optional toppings.

For equipment, you’ll need:

• Blackstone or another flat-top griddle
• Sturdy metal spatula
• Burger press or second spatula for smashing, optional
• Parchment paper, optional for smashing
• Griddle scraper, optional for cleaning

How to Make Smash Burgers on a Blackstone

The most important part is having the griddle hot and smashing the beef immediately. Once the burgers start cooking, everything moves pretty fast.

1. Make the Beef Balls

Divide the cold ground beef into loose balls. Don’t pack or knead the meat tightly.

Preheat the Blackstone to medium-high to high heat, around 400–450°F (205–230°C).

Note that my smash burgers are thicker than usual, because I like them that way.

Another, more traditional way to make them is to make smaller balls and thinner burger patties. This means you would probably have more patties and make double-patty burgers.

2. Smash and Season the Burgers

Place the beef balls on the hot griddle, leaving enough space between them. Put a piece of parchment paper over each ball and smash it firmly into a patty.

Season immediately with salt and black pepper. If you make thicker patties like mine, you should cook them for about 3–5 minutes per side, until the edges look dark and crispy.

If you make thin patties, you can cook them faster. Only for about 1½–2 minutes.

3. Flip and Add the Cheese

Use a sharp metal spatula to scrape underneath each patty and flip it in one quick motion.

Add cheddar cheese and cook for another 2–3 minutes depending on the thickness of your patties.

4. Toast the Buns and Build the Burgers

Place the buns cut-side down on the griddle for about 30–60 seconds, until lightly toasted.

Spread the buns with cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, habanero sauce, pickle relish, tomato, lettuce, and any other toppings you like. Serve immediately while the patties are hot and crispy.

I like my burgers thick and super juicy! Even when they are smash burgers.

If you make thinner patties, you can stack two patties together for double smash burgers.

Best Blackstone Temperature for Smash Burgers

I cooked these smash burgers on a hot Blackstone at around 400–450°F (205–230°C). You want the surface hot enough to sear the beef almost immediately.

A few signs the griddle is ready:

• The beef sizzles hard: You should hear a strong sizzle as soon as it hits the griddle.
• The patties brown fast: Crispy edges should start forming within a couple of minutes.
• The griddle isn’t smoking excessively: If the oil burns instantly, lower the heat slightly.

An infrared thermometer is useful, but you can also simply preheat the Blackstone for about 10 minutes and adjust the burners as needed.

5 Tips for Crispy, Juicy Smash Burgers

Smash burgers are easy, but the small details make a big difference:

• Use beef with enough fat: Around 15–20% fat works well.
• Make loose beef balls: Don’t form traditional burger patties before cooking.
• Smash immediately: Press the beef within the first few seconds on the griddle.
• Smash once: Don’t keep pressing the patties while they cook.
• Use a sharp spatula: Scrape underneath the crust so you don’t leave the best part on the griddle.

What to Serve with Smash Burgers

I kept these burgers simple with cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, habanero sauce, pickle relish, tomato, and lettuce.

You can easily change the toppings or keep them even simpler with just cheese and pickles.

For sides, try:

• French fries or potato wedges
• Griddle-cooked onions
• Coleslaw
• Pickles
• Mac and cheese
• Grilled corn
• A simple green salad