Healthy Smash Burger Recipe

Smash burgers are like potato chips, the only thing better than a smash burger is another one, and before you know it, the entire bag is gone.

For meals like this, it's a no brainer to make simple and healthy ingredient choices. We use lean beef to dial back the calories and fat and amp up the lean protein.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• FAQ
• Related
• Pairing
• Recipe

Ingredients

• 95/5 ground beef
• Cooking spray
• Salt and pepper
• Cheese
• Water
• Burger bun
• Pickles
• Iceberg lettuce

See recipe card for quantities.

Ingredient Tips

• Go for lean meat. Substituting the typical 80/20 ground beef for 95/5 lean beef reduces the calories by 46% and fat by 75%. Plus lean meat packs in roughly 10% more protein per serving. Is this really even a choice?
• Using a low calorie cheese will help keep the calories down while still achieving an epic tasting smash burger. 
• American cheese or a fast melting cheese works best because it has a low melting point.  
• Use iceberg lettuce for a crisp crunch that you can't match with other lettuce types.
• Pick your buns wisely, we recommend brioche buns. The bun can make or break your burger. Smash burgers are best with a soft, buttery bun that gives way to the crisp burger patty. You want the burger to steal the show.
• Serve with our quick and easy Big Mac sauce, it's the perfect condiment for this burger.
• Add sliced dill pickles to create an acidic balance to the fats in the cheese and the burger.

Instructions

Prep and cook the burgers

1. Mix and season the ground beef by hand in a bowl using salt and pepper (add or subtract to taste).

2. Split and roll the ground beef into ¼ lb balls and set aside.
3. Pre-heat a non-stick or cast iron pan to medium high heat. Lightly spray with cooking oil spray.
4. Cut or fold a 6 in by 6 in square of baking paper and set it aside.

5. Place 1 beef ball on the pre-heated pan. Lay the prepped sheet of baking paper on top of the beef ball, and smash it down with a spatula or burger press. Smash it into a ¼ in thick patty.
6. Remove the baking paper. Season again with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until a crust has formed, about 90 seconds. 
7. Use a spatula to flip and season with salt and pepper. Cook until a crust starts to form, about 1 minute or to your preference.

8. Add 1 slice of cheese to the patty. Pour 1 teaspoon of water on the pan to create steam, cover the pan with a lid and cook until the cheese is just starting to melt. Remove the patty from the pan.
9. Repeat for each patty.

Toast the buns

1. Spray a pan with cooking spray and lightly toast the hamburger buns until golden.

Assemble the burger

1. Add a dollop of our Big Mac sauce or your favorite sauce on each half of each bun.

2. Place the cooked patty on the bottom bun, add a layer of thin cut pickles, and then shredded lettuce.
3. Top with the other half of the bun.

4. Serve and enjoy.

Substitutions

• Gluten free - Use gluten-free buns.
• Low calorie
  • Use 90/10 lean ground beef or better. We use 95/5 in this recipe.
  • Use low-calorie buns, low-fat cheese, and low-calorie sauces.
• Vegan
  • Use plant based meat like Beyond Burger, plant-based cheese, and plant based sauces.

Variations

Higher protein

• Make it a double and add two patties with cheese to your burger. Each additional patty adds 30 g of protein and only about 200 calories when using 95/5 lean meat.
• Key macro comparison:
  • Single - 324 calories - 35 g protein - 9 g fat - 22 g carbs
  • Double - 530 calories - 66 g protein - 17 g fat - 23 g carbs

Deluxe - Add grilled white onions.

Equipment

• Baking paper or parchment paper
• Heavy duty spatula or burger press

Storage

• Leftovers - Store smash burgers in an airtight container in the fridge. Store the lettuce and burger sauce separately and add those at the time of reheating.
• Freezing - Store cooked and cooled burgers in an airtight container with a piece of baking paper between each patty to prevent them from sticking together.
• Reheating - Microwave burgers or reheat them in the oven at 350 F. If reheating in the oven, wrap the patties in aluminum foil to ensure they heat evenly.

FAQ

Related

Once you've tried these smash burgers, your next stop must be smash burger tacos, they went viral for a reason. Our Big Mac smash tacos are like iPhone upgrades, once the new model comes out, you just have to have it.

Pairing

Keep it simple and pair these burgers with oven fries and our easy smash burger sauce. The burger is the main attraction, there's no need to overcomplicate a classic.

If you don't want to blow calories on spuds, have a side salad or grilled veggies instead.

Smash burgers are a game changer for cooking better than takeout burgers at home. These fast cooking, thin patties are perfect for weeknights when your time is limited and the payoff of cooking for yourself instead of eating out is beyond worth it.

So get smashing! And don't forget to leave us a rating and a comment when you try it. We love your stories and sharing the experience of cooking and eating feel-good food with you.

Recipe