Let’s elevate our burger game with this mouthwatering smash burger recipe – with a lil’ soda pop twist! We’re taking this classic to new heights by introducing root beer barbecue sauce (you heard that right!) that adds a sweet meets savory kick. It’s an elite compliment to these caramelized cheesy burgers!
Listen friends, I know everyone (myself included) is hitting the great outdoors this weekend but what if you just want to be an Indoor (aka Air Conditioned) Kid? You have my full respect AND you also have a very special, very indoor burger recipe to make you feel as festive as us fools sweatin’ it up outside.
Here’s how, babes!
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this smash burger recipe:
• Ground beef or ground chuck (chuck will have a richer flavor that leaner ground beef)
• Choose your bun carefully. I like Martin’s Potato Buns best.
• Salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• Lettuce – I like either the green tender parts of romaine leaves or butter lettuce
• Extras like thin sliced sweet onions, dill pickle slices, and dijon mustard, and mayonnaise if they’re your preference
• American cheese is my favorite for these burgers but cheddar cheese is classic, too!
• Butter to toast the buns
• Homemade Root Beer Barbecue Sauce which absolutely MAKES these burgers.
There are a few tricks to make these smash burgers max delicious:
• Do not skip the Root Beer Barbecue Sauce! It really is easy to simmer together and adds such a unique flavor to these burgers and, really, to all of summer. We’ll add the barbecue sauce inside of the meat and brush it on top after cooking. The recipe makes enough for leftovers because you’ll absolutely want to slather this sauce on a beer can chicken as soon as possible.
• Weigh the meat portions so the burgers are all the same size.
• Roll the seasoned beef mixture loosely (not in a tight ball), so they’re easier to smash thin.
• Toast buns in a lightly buttered cast iron to keep them from getting soggy.
• Slice summer tomatoes and allow them to rest on a folded paper towel to absorb some of their moisture. Season each tomato slice lightly with sea salt and black pepper.
As you might expect, this smash burger recipe requires some smashing. These burgers are best made on a griddle or cast iron skillet, or if you have one of those fancy outdoor grill with a flat top – I love that for you!
Place patties in a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat leaving enough room around each burger to smash into a thin patty.
A solid metal spatula is best for smashing. We want to caramelize the edges and quickly cook through the burgers without drying them out. Brush each burger patty with Root Beer Barbecue Sauce, still in the skillet, add the slice of cheese and place each patty on a baking sheet to rest until all the patties are cooked through.
Now, just build your best burger!
I like mayonnaise on my top and bottom bun because I’ve always been a mayo girlie. I usually like very, very thinly sliced raw sweet onions, and a pickle on the side.
Maybe you need ketchup or special sauce? More is more and you make the rules.
Serve these burgers with any kind of potato. Fried, roasted, or in chip form – there is never a wrong potato.
Enjoy this perfect indoor burger. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe below if you make it – we love to hear from ya!
These photos are by my friend Emily Ferretti from last year’s Joy the Baker summer magazine.
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Root Beer Smash Burgers
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: about 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: holiday, dinner
Description
A perfectly seared patty with a caramelized crust, topped with melty cheese, crispy lettuce, and a secret weapon – a root beer barbecue sauce that will make your taste buds dance with delight
Ingredients
For the Root Beet Barbecue Sauce:
- 2 cups root beer
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Few dashes of hot sauce, to taste
For the Burgers:
- 1 pound cold ground beef
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons root beer barbecue sauce (recipe follows), plus more for brushing
- 4 potato hamburger buns
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 4 slices American cheese
- 4 pieces lettuce
- 4–8 slices tomato
- mayonnaise
Instructions
- To make the barbecue sauce, combine all ingredients in a medium, heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and lower heat. All mixture to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, reducing until desired thickness. Sauce will thicken some as it cools. Taste and add additional seasoning to your taste. Allow the sauce to cool before placing in a jar. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
- To make the burgers, break ground beef up loosely in a large bowl. Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder over beef. Drizzle sauce over beef. Loosely combine. No need to knead the the beef to a mush, just lightly combine. Divide the beef into four 4-ounce balls, keeping the balls cohesive but loose (which will make them easier to smash in the pan).
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and allow to melt. Once melted, split open two buns and face inside down to brown, 30-45 seconds. Remove from the pan, add the remaining butter and two remaining buns and toast to golden.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, wait for the pan to get hotter and add one ground beef portion. Use a large, flat metal spatula to press down firmly on the meat making it as flat as possible. The burger won’t be perfectly round but those imperfect edges will caramelize really nicely. Cook for about 2 1/2 minutes or until browned and caramelized. Flip the burger, brush with barbecue sauce, top with cheese and allow to cook for 1 minute. Remove to a plate and repeat the process with the other three burgers.
- To assemble, spread the toasted bun with mayonnaise. Place cheeseburger patty on the bottom bun followed by lettuce and tomato. Enjoy warm.
Keywords: smash burgers, dinner, holiday, 4th of july,
Sabrina
I’m all in on new burger flavors, at least new to me, root beer is one I would never have imagined, but kinda makes sense, so thank you!
Katt
“There is never a wrong potato” should be a tattoo.
There is never a wrong potato, forever and ever amen.
Micha
THESE burgers! Made them for dinner last nice! Yummidy yum! So juicy.. Love the BBQ sauce , we want to slather it on everything. Added a bit more brown sugar, but that’s just us. Thanks for posting.
★★★★★
Jen Outman
This BBQ sauce is an absolute gem! Can’t wait to slather it on absolutely everything!!!
★★★★★
Zara
Wow, these root beer smash burgers sound delicious! I’ve never considered incorporating root beer into a burger, but it seems like a unique and intriguing flavor combination. I can’t wait to try this recipe over the weekend and see how the sweetness of the root beer complements the savory beef patty. Thanks for sharing this creative twist on a classic burger!