The Biggest Smash Burger Mistakes Beginners Make - And how to fix them!

Tip from a really old griddle/grill cook. Use non-stick aluminum foil on your smash press thingy. Wrap it around the smasher with the dull side down. You'll never need wax or parchment paper again. I've done 24 smash burgers at a time with non-stick aluminum foil on my heavy, cast iron smash press without having to change it out. Try it.

I use a 6" drywall knife as my "spatula" to flip the burgers. Never had a tearout and works flawlessly every time. I found those long spatulas have a learning curve and this method takes the guess work out of it.

I like how you didn't just list the mistakes but you demonstrated them

Thank you for the tips. I just bought a Blackstone Griddle and this was my first time making smash burgers. Because of this video, I made the best burgers I have ever had in my life! My wife and kids loved them too!

Man I wish I would have found your channel sooner. I got my first 36” griddle last week, seasoned it up and was so pumped for smash burgers and I completely botched it. Watching this video I literally made all of the mistakes you listed and showed minus having a group of people over, just the wife and kids. Thanks for showing what it takes and demonstration!

Ive practiced making smash burgers so many times that i had completely forgotten some of these problems that i definitely had as well. I just pushed through with just trying it a thousand times haha if all else fails practice makes perfect!

Neal you are a natural or well trained instructor. I’ve been grilling for decades but new to the griddle. You teach so many techniques that I’ve improved rapidly on food my wife and I enjoy. You and Amy keep up the great work and I’ll keep learning 😅

Thanks for the 1/3 cup measure tip! It was also good to see the lacing. I've done smash burgers once and it was a fail. This encourages me to try again. :)

I love the whole white bread thing! We very seldom had buns for anything! It was always white bread!

Took a break from the video 20:04. Made my first smash burgers, including toasting the white bread, on the 6th use of our two burner Blackstone griddle. The 93% lean meat (with a few drops of peanut oil) performed perfect as per your instructions. Thanks! Next time will be to add slices of cheese along with a topping of sauteed onions, to suit.

Thankful to say my first couple of times I didn’t make that many of these mistakes. The one I was guilty of on my second run though was making too many at once. Makes for one chaotic scene-especially if you’re hosting! 😮 BUT, overall mine were a success.

I’ve never made them, and I don’t have a griddle. But the other night I thought I’ll try a smash burger like you make. I just did what you always do, but in a pan and made do with what I had. Turned out great! Also wanted to add, the fact you always SHOW what to do, personally helps me a lot. Thanks!!!

Perfect video for all levels of griddlers. A great training and coaching video for smash burgers. Adding garlic Texas toast really adds to it as well.

The bread worked exactly the same in our house growing up. I now do it to my kids without even thinking lol love all y’all’s videos! Great content keep bringing ‘em bud!

I agree about the speed comment. Not only for this meal but for everything on the flat top. That’s one thing that took me by surprise is how fast and hot this thing cooks. Definitely have to have all of your prep done and ready to go.

Neil and Amy thanks for all you do for this community. Your advice and guidance is always appreciated

Great "technique tips" in this video...much appreciated! I agree with you...good bread is better than BAD burger buns. At the end, when you gave Amy a bite...she sounded like she was enjoying it so much..great job! Happy holidays to you and your family!

I needed this video. When I made smashburgers for the first time, they did indeed suck. I saw a couple mistakes I made in this video. The second time around I got them pretty good. And they got better yet the third time. Learn from mistakes and keep at it.

Great video! I usually go about 2oz for my patties. 3 tops, depending on how much I have to use. I like the smaller patties since it's better to stack them up. :D

You are truly a smash burger expert. Outstanding and well done video.
Just want to share, pre smashed some raw pre seasoned 80/20 other day, threw them on the very hot charcoal grill and got a different but equally awesome outcome. The juice and flavor was amazing.

Great video. I and many other appreciate the effort and knowledge that went into sharing this information. I thank you. I am now a better ham burgerlar because of this video.

You guys are awesome. Thanks for this video. I’m new to the game and have made some great Oklahoma onion smash burgers. Need to try the mallard reaction without the onions in the way! I see you’re using the rectangular smasher. Why not the 8” round one? Thanks for all your videos. I love the Flat Top King (and Queen 😊)!

As a chef I actually approve your teaching. It’s simple chemistry with season infusion

Great video! Love your content. Ice been griddling for a while, and have had some issues like you discussed. Love the content! Appreciate you and your help! Griddle on!

Thanks for the tips. Smash burgers in the UK are getting big. Typically they use Brioche buns. Really soft and taste amazing. They really are perfect for smash burgers.

Gotta give you props for Cavenders seasoning, Im 39 and remember my grandparents always having it with the spices as a kid in the early 90s.. have a jar in my spice rack now but have never seen anyone mention it or use it. It is the bomb ap seasoning

Damn brother, I'm a pretty good griddler, but that was one fine video. Probably the best one I've watched in weeks, of any kind. Really brought back memories when you mentioned the many ways to eat white bread growing up, same here. Especially the part about tearing it up and putting gravy on top. Keep it up!

Thank you for the video Amy and Neal, it is always great to learn about the own mistakes. Could you do a video about how to cook smash burguer in normal pan in induction kitchen inside home? In winter the most of the days we can't use the plancha over here 🥶🥶🥶🥶

Yummy!! Can't wait to get our Bkackstone assembled, seasoned and into action. We enjoy watching you guys together.

Thanks so much! First cook in my Blackstone and first Smash Burger. I made a nice warm slaw with broccoli, cabbage, and mushrooms for on top and on the side.
Had some trouble with getting the first few off the griddle but then I got the hang of it. They were a big hit with my husband, his twin, and Cosmo the cow herding pit bull.
Thanks again!

21K views on this brother! Excellent points all the way around, and I am guilty of most of them! Absolutely love the use of sliced white bread and would really almost prefer that to a hamburger bun. Excellent job my friend.

I learned a new term today: Smashage! Hahaha! Love it, thank you!
I prefer the toasted bread to a generic bun. And the mustard, mayo combination is perfect. The only thing I would have added to what you had is a few slivers of Vidalia onion. - Very informative video. Keep on rockin'.

Great video and helpful tips! Even messing up smashburgers can be a tasty learning process though I suppose 😅

Good pointers. I always do a face plam when I see either a 1/2"+ patty as a smashburger, or 12 patties on the griddle. Yeah, you're gonna burn most of those. I got tired of fighting the parchment paper, too. I've been using the rounds for a couple of years. Much easier.

Awesome job explaining everything, Smashburgers are amazing when done right!! Great Video!!

You make it look easy! You are indeed a Grill Master.

Such a timely video for me! I made smash burgers the night before your video posted. a couple turned out okay, but most did not. I then saw your video post...watched...learned!!! Tried again the same day and success!!! All comments were MUCH better. TY for helping. I have been a home cook for most of my 49 years... yet I learn lots from you guys. Your channel has quickly become my favorite! Love the interaction between you two :) So adorable. Keep the videos coming. Blessings to you and yours this holiday season!

I might have to try making a smashburger this summer. I've never had a good smashburger before, they're always dry and overcooked when I've had them. From the chains/restaurants that make them, to friends who have made them at their cookouts.

I just bought my Blackstone griddle last week. We've done a few simple things but thank you for teaching us the right way to do burgers. Can't wait to do these for my son this weekend!!!! Thank you, from beautiful Tulsa, OK.

Awesome tips Neil! And the bread is a awesome idea also. hope you Amy and your family have a great Holiday. Your videos are really helpful! Cheers brother 🍻

Like you, regular bread was always the bun and more. I grabbed a big block of that cheese from GFS and have using it for lots of fun cooks too. Very cool video!

Hey shipmate, great video. Seen a few mistakes in making myself. With the pit boss, I don't use the metal spatula, so my crust sticks. I know you use the metal ones, can you let us know how the pit boss is holding up or a video on the technique you use so you don't destroy the ceramic coating. I've given up on making them.

Made smash burgers for Super Bowl party, made some of these mistakes, but everyone loved them.
Great video!

I make my smash burgers the same way and I also do smash burgers with white American cheese, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions in butter on Sara Lee Artesano Brioche Artisan Bread, with mayo and toast the mayo side. Its by far the most requested burger I cook

Thank you man! You nailed it for me because I struggle with these.

I'm shocked you didn't hit the grill with the infrared thermometer when you had the perfect temperature.

Ive got my smash burgers down to a tee now thanks to you, everyone I’ve served to absolutely loves them👍👍👍😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

we've found the 1/3 cup measure is good too! when you flip the burger, do you set it down in the same spot it was cooking, or a new spot? on the "good" burger you did, looked like you set it down in the same spot, and the others a different spot? Thanks!! looks great!

Echoing comments on the white bread! I love burgers on toasted homemade cheddar jalapeno bread, and save buns for hot dogs and Maid-Rites. Great Smashburger refresher course too. My ADHD brain sometimes zones out and I tend to overcook

Thank you for this. I have people ask me all the time about their smash burgers and this video takes the explanation out for me. I can just share your video. 👍

This was great for beginners and of course you guy are always entertaining! Well done video. Fan for life here.

Now I know why I've failed every time by trying to do this in a 12" skillet. I wonder if I can find a big enough griddle to fit on a 10" banjo burner.

This video has to be the best tutorial I’ve ever seen Neil! So many videos about smash burgers but no one teaches anyone the dynamics of making one

Have you tried using a paint scraper to get her burgers off the griddle? I've seen that on other videos and it looks like it has promise. Love the video as always!

Thanks for all the examples, this was very informative.

Nice Nice Nice. I hated burgers because they were too damn big. Started making smash burgers on a Lodge griddle and it was a game changer. Your parchment paper technique is the missing link to my process…….the burger was getting stuck on my press. Your channel came up on my feed and now I’m a subscriber. Maybe you’ll motivate me to buy a flat top to compliment my other outdoor equipment. Nice banter between you and Wifey.

Some good tips. I didnt have a grill or smasher so I improvised. I found 2 mins first side and 1 minute final side. The foil worked great. I just need better equipment now. Thanks!.

Great instructional video and you made me very hungry!🤤

I'm with you on the white bread.... but I've been craving onion buns like my granny used to have

Just found this channel as I'm in the market for a griddle. I saw a trick somewhere, maybe it was Diners Drive-In's and Dives, that you put a hunk of cheddar cheese on the burger, then shoot it with water around the sides and put a dome over it. Makes that toasted cheese around the patty. It's different but very tasty (did it in a skillet on the stove though).

It’s really crazy how refrigerator temperature hamburger meat can drop your grill Temp by 200F and mess up your cook. I make 4 patties at a time so I let the meat get to room temperature first and crank the griddle up to 550F. You really need a surface temp reader when first learning. And then get the grill back to high temp before starting round two. Cheese melts way quicker and evenly with a dome cover too.

Thanks for the great tips!! Gotta say, though... to me, your "too big" patty was perfection.

I did smash burgers tonight and found out another mistake. Griddle is too hot. I have an infrared thermometer and figured I'd try it around 475-480. The ends curled up almost instantly, and I ended up having real crunchy overcooked curled up burgers that went right in the trash!

I watched all 7 or 8... or 78 of them. And yes, white bread was the go to. A good ole piece of white bread will help you push anything up on your fork/spoon. 😄😁👍
Keep the videos coming brother. I really enjoy them. A cold one and a few cooking videos helps me relax. 🍻 Cheers!

You're missing out by not doing buttered-grilled buns inside out 😉

My smash burger method works for me great.. I pre smash them very thin on parchment paper then I put it in freezer for 10 minutes, then peel it off paper and cook it in hot cast iron pan.

When I was a kid back in the 60's growing up in Eugene, OR, I would follow my neighbor on his John Deere tractor while he plowed. One rainy day my Mom made me a burger on white bread with mustard and salt/pepper and lettuce. Old George and I sat in the rain and had lunch next to his tractor. Best burger ever and the memory will never fade.

Great video brother and thank you for your knowledge for sure! 👍

Instead of just standard white bread I make a white bread grilled cheese for each bun.

I know you cook good burgers. When I cooked for my mom at her burger shop, we smashed the meat before we put them on the grill. We put them on a hot griddle and quickly turned them. We then put the bottom bun on the patty to absorb the meat juices of the patty onto the bun. Next, we put the bottom bun on the griddle to brown. Meanwhile we turned the patty and put the top bun on the patty to absorb the juices of the meat and put that bun on the griddle to brown. While that was cooking we dressed the bottom bun, then finally stacked the finished burger. Yummy they were hot and delicious.

This just helped me perfect my smashburger game! Thanks! 😁

Just made my first smash burgers thanks to your video, but my problem is that the crust was mainly forming on the edges of the burger with less crust in the center, how can I get a more even crusting in the center of the burger like yours?

The big 3/8 inch slice of Velveeta is the common ingredient on ALL the very famously delicious,, almost legendary cheeseburgers know of 😝💯 great job, Much appreciated 👍✌️

I had them in Fort Smith. Arkansas as a kid we had the Oklahoma style cheeseburgers. Buns were small hamburger-patty was thin as a silver dollar and about the same size. Best I ever had and I grill a good burger that doesn’t need anything but the bun. I do sometimes put the cheese inside the patty. But plan on making them Oklahoma burgers soon.

Great stuff. I see a lot of "smash burgers" that are actually steamed hamburgers - too thick and griddle too cold.

I love smash burgers. I’m making chicken smash burgers tonight. We only had white bread in my house. We were so poor! Great video

Another great video! Practice makes progress!

You can’t try to flip the burger from the front when using a round tip spatula lol but if u have a square flat tip spatula it’s way easier for burgers

Great video Neal! Definitely some great information.

We have multiple smashers and we leave them on the beef for 20s or so instead of wasting 10s holding down on each patty.

You need to get about a 5-6 inch scrapper, way easier/quicker to scrape from the front.

What about when after flipping the burger the second side ends up uncarmelized? It gets a concave bottom and doesn't sear. Even when held down it doesnt sear right, it burns snd the burger is dry

new subscriber. you’re my man for griddle cooking moving forward!
thank u

I never would have none that Technique. Excited to try on my flat grill.

Someone asked me "How do you make the best Smash Burger" So I looked around to make sure no one was listening and told them "I'm going to let you in on a little secret, but you must never tell anyone" I watched The Smash Top King, well he is actually called The Flat Top King, but for top secret purposes use Smash Top. I followed all his techniques, renamed one and pretty much have it down to a science on how long it takes. So I said to them "Watch his video, then watch it again and again because once is not enough, too much information to absorb. I then said ok, now I will add this to his video. "He is not the best Smash Burger Maker, only a wife would call him that but that is too plain" He is the best Smash Burgerer" They then asked "But how long does it take to make them" So I told them that is why you watch the video the third time. Do this and you will learn that from start to finish with lot's of practice it take two beers to make a Smash Burger like his. Great Job!

Dude, that looks amazing, thanks for sharing. Love it on white bread.

Love the RARE (correct) description of the Maillard Reaction -- NOT carmelization! -- Big props.

We didn't have a lot of money growing up in the 70's and 80's. Buns were just an extra purchase. White bread was used for most everything. Toast and sausage gravy was a staple in my house growing up.

As a grunt vet, this guy must have been a navy cook. God we relied on our cooks!!

Thanks bro, details are the secret and you captured them all.

I LOVE burgers on toast!! English muffins are killer too!! Excellent as always bud!!

I was basically eating smash burgers at the original Sunset Grill in Hollywood back in the 80's where old man Joe used Velvetta cheese and they were the bomb. He didn't even pull the lettuce off the head or slice the tomatoes or onions until he was assembling your burger that's how fresh they were. And you're definitely correct on the size because I tried doing a 1/2 pound smash burger and it was too big. I just ate it off the plate.

Thanks for demonstrating the mistakes as well. Huuuuuge help!!

Thanks for the amazing videos I enjoy watching them and yes I haven’t had my griddle hot enough now I know thanks

Pumped to make my first smash burger tomorrow!

Thanks for the video. I prefer toasted bread to a bun, way I was raised I guess.

I make all of those mistakes regularly! Each cook gets better and better though.

I am dying when he said “appetiteable” my guy is hilarious thanks for the video

I don't have a griddle yet but these tips should work on my big cast iron. Thanks

If it's still edible, "there are no mistakes, only happy accidents".