Garlic Parmesan Smash Burger
An Italian-inspired smash burger with garlic butter, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and balsamic glaze.
- Prep
- 15min
- Cook
- 10min
- Total
- 25min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 700per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Here the garlic goes on while the patties cook instead of into a sauce. Each thin, smashed patty gets brushed with garlic butter just before the flip, so the garlic meets the hot pan and toasts against the crust, a lot like garlic bread. Grated Parmesan then goes on the cooked side, softening into the beef and crisping wherever it spills onto the pan.
Eight small patties from 450 g of beef, two per burger, give twice the crust of a single thick one. Basil, arugula and a thin line of balsamic glaze cut through the butter and cheese.
Garlic Parmesan Smash Burger
Prep 15 min, cook 10 min, total 25 min. About 700 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/garlic-parmesan-smash-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
Tap a step to keep your place.
Mix 1½ oz melted butter with 4 cloves minced garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
Divide the ground beef into 8 portions and roll each into a loose ball. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat. Brush with 1 tbsp olive oil.
Working in batches, place beef balls on the hot surface and immediately smash hard with a sturdy spatula until very thin (about ¼ inch). Cook for 2 minutes without moving.
Brush the top of each patty with garlic butter, then flip. Immediately sprinkle 2¾ oz Parmesan cheese over the patties and cook for 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts and the patty is crispy and an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 160°F (71°C).
Stack 2 patties per burger. Layer bottom ciabatta rolls with arugula and fresh basil leaves, add double-stacked patties, drizzle with 1 tbsp balsamic glaze, and crown with top rolls.
Tips
- Mince the garlic very fine. After the flip, the garlic side faces the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, and large pieces scorch before the patty is done.
- Use finely grated Parmesan, not shreds, so it softens into the hot beef in the short time left.
- Let any Parmesan that lands on the pan crisp, then scrape it up with the patty. That lacy cheese edge is the best part.
- Wipe the pan and re-oil it between batches. Burnt garlic and cheese left behind will make the next batch bitter.
Substitutions
- Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan: sharper and saltier, so go lighter on the salt for the beef.
- Provolone slices instead of grated Parmesan: a gooey melt instead of a crisp cheese edge.
- Brioche or potato rolls instead of ciabatta: softer, and they press down around thin patties more easily.
- No balsamic glaze: simmer 60 ml balsamic vinegar until syrupy and reduced by about half; it thickens more as it cools.
Make ahead & storage
Mix the garlic butter up to 3 days ahead and keep it chilled; warm it until just melted before brushing. Smashed patties are thin and dry out when reheated, so cook only what you'll eat. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge; reheat in a hot skillet to 165°F (74°C).
