The Hands Down Best Time To Smash Burgers On The Grill

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Making anything on the grill is all about timing. A watchful eye is needed to ensure your sausages don't split, and flipping your steaks judiciously prevents them from drying out. The same goes for making burgers. If you're making the smashed variety, you'll need to know the perfect time to smash them, which is within 30 seconds of the beef meeting the fierce heat of the grill.

The science behind the deeply savory flavor of smash burgers lies in their overall thickness and surface area. A traditional burger is chunky with a smaller footprint, whereas a flatter patty has a larger surface area, causing more of the meat to come into contact with the heat. This creates a golden-brown crust with a complex umami flavor and a meaty, inviting aroma.

Once your balled hamburger meat has been placed on the grill, smash it down with a burger press or a large, non-slatted spatula within 30 seconds. Firmly flattening the patties early on prevents the juices from escaping and ending up on your cook surface instead of inside your burger. Aside from tasting delicious, those juices are also vital for keeping a smash burger moist. Ideally, smash your patties as early as possible but definitely within the 30-second mark. Something else to remember: Smashing burgers on a flat-top grill or griddle pan helps keep the patties intact. Pressing the meat into grill grates could break the patties apart.

If you allow balled-up patties to cook longer than 30 seconds before smashing them, the bottom of each ball will crisp up while the rest of the sphere remains raw. This will result in an uneven cook once you do smash them. Furthermore, the fat in those cooked areas will have started to melt, and its rendered flavor will escape the burger instead of staying safely inside. By smashing the burgers quickly, the solid fat won't have time to heat through and melt, so the juices stay put once the fat warms up and transforms into an unctuous liquid. 

While you can flatten the meat ahead of time for the crispiest smash burgers, you may find it more convenient to ball up the ground beef and squash it once it's had 30 seconds or less on the grill. This method also allows you to customize the thickness of each patty. How thin should a smash burger patty be? It's up to you. Go for ultra-thin if you're planning on stacking them, or a little thicker if they'll be flying solo in a toasted bun.