I make this for Father’s Day dinner when I want big flavor and zero fuss. It disappears fast. Crispy edges, bacon, cheddar, done.
Last year, I made these instead of my usual Father’s Day grill plan, and nobody complained. That alone felt historic.
If you need something to make for your dad for Father’s Day, this beats boring cookout food. Messy hands, quiet table, total success.
Bacon and Cheddar Smash Burgers
EQUIPMENT (PAID LINKS)
- Large skillet, cast-iron skillet, or flat-top griddle
- Medium mixing bowl
- Spatula or burger press
- Plate
- Lid or melting dome
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- 2 brioche buns
- 1 tablespoon water
- Ketchup mustard, mayo, pickles, or other toppings, optional
Instructions
- Cook the Bacon: Place the bacon in a large skillet or on a griddle over medium heat. Cook until crisp, then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.4 slices bacon
- Cook the Onions: Add the sliced onion to the skillet or griddle with a little of the bacon fat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and browned. Move the onions to a plate.1 medium onion
- Season the Beef: In a medium bowl, gently mix the ground beef with the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until just combined.1 pound ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Form the Meat Balls: Divide the beef mixture into 4 equal portions and shape them into loose balls.
- Smash the Patties: Heat the skillet or griddle over medium-high to high heat. Place the beef balls on the hot surface and press each one down firmly with a spatula or burger press until thin.
- Cook the First Side: Let the patties cook without moving them for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned and crisp around the edges.
- Flip and Top the Patties: Flip each patty and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Top each patty with some cooked onion, 1 slice of bacon, and 1 slice of cheddar cheese.4 slices cheddar cheese
- Melt the Cheese: Pour the water onto the hot griddle away from the burgers, then quickly cover with a lid or melting dome for about 30 to 60 seconds, until the cheese is melted.1 tablespoon water
- Toast the Buns: While the cheese melts, place the brioche buns cut-side down on the skillet or griddle and toast until lightly golden, about 1 minute.2 brioche buns
- Assemble the Burgers: Place 2 patties on the bottom half of each bun to make 2 double burgers. Add any optional toppings, then place the top bun on.Ketchup
- Serve: Serve immediately while hot and gloriously messy.
Bacon and Cheddar Smash Burgers: Little Tricks for Maximum Show-Off Energy
This is the part where I save you from the kind of tiny burger mistakes that somehow ruin your mood. I have made enough smash burgers to know exactly where the nonsense starts.
Don’t overwork the beef
Treat the ground beef like it has somewhere else to be. Mix it just enough to season it, then stop. The more you fuss with it, the more it fights back and turns dense instead of juicy.
Cold beef works better
Keep the beef cold until the second it hits the hot pan or griddle. Warm beef gets sticky and annoying fast, and it does not smash as cleanly. I like to portion the meat first, then keep the balls chilled while everything else cooks.
Bacon first, onions second
Cook the bacon first, then let the onions take a luxurious little bath in some of that bacon fat. That is where the real personality comes from. If your onions look suspiciously extra delicious, that is why.
Go thin, then leave it alone
Once you smash the patties, back away emotionally. Do not keep pressing them, poking them, or sliding them around like you are editing a document. The crust needs time to form, and constant flipping is how you end up with burger sadness.
American cheese is not a crime
Cheddar is great here, obviously, but if you want a meltier, drapier situation, American cheese absolutely works. Pepper jack is also solid if you want a little kick. I have even done a cheddar-American mix, which feels a bit greedy, but in a productive way.
Brioche is nice, but not mandatory
Brioche buns are soft and rich, but potato buns are honestly fantastic for smash burgers because they hold together better. Sesame seed buns work too if that is what you have. A burger bun’s first job is not falling apart in your hands.
Pickles fix a lot
If the burger feels rich, which it will, add pickles. That sharp, briny bite cuts through the bacon and cheese and makes the whole thing taste less like a dare. Thin-sliced dill pickles are my default because they do the job without taking over.
Sauce should know its role
You do not need a ten-ingredient burger sauce unless you are in the mood for a project. Mayo, mustard, and ketchup are enough. A little barbecue sauce works too, but go easy because the bacon already brings plenty. Not every burger needs a condiment identity crisis.
Toast the buns like you mean it
A pale, floppy bun is how you lose structural integrity before the second bite. Toasting the cut sides gives you a little barrier against juices and sauce, and it adds better texture too. I do not always butter the buns, and nobody has ever filed a complaint.
Want a lighter version? Fine
You can use turkey bacon if you must, and it is better if you cook it until actually crisp instead of giving up halfway. You can also do one patty per burger instead of two if you want less of a full nap afterward. It is still good, just slightly less dramatic.
Add-ons that actually make sense
Caramelized onions are already doing a lot, so keep the extras smart. Pickled jalapeños, sautéed mushrooms, or a swipe of burger sauce make sense. A fried egg is delicious but also chaotic, so only do that if you are prepared for full brunch-meets-bad-decisions energy.
If your pan is crowded, make peace with batches
Trying to smash too many patties at once on a small skillet is how you end up angry and steamed instead of seared. Give them room. I know batch cooking is annoying, but it is less annoying than scraping half-smashed beef off the side of the pan.
Leftovers are still useful
These are best fresh, but leftover patties can absolutely be chopped up and thrown into breakfast potatoes, a grilled cheese, or even a quesadilla. Store the patties, bacon, and onions separately if you can. The buns should definitely stay out of the fridge unless you enjoy chewing on cold sponge.
Reheating without ruining everything
Use a skillet, not the microwave, unless your standards have temporarily collapsed. A quick reheat in a hot pan brings the edges back to life and warms the middle without making the burger weird. Microwaved burger meat has a very specific heartbreak to it.
For feeding more people, prep smarter
Cook the bacon and onions ahead, portion the beef ahead, and keep the cheese ready to go. Then all you have to do is smash, flip, melt, and pretend you are effortlessly good at this. That is my favorite kind of entertaining: suspiciously relaxed but still very well fed.
