Smash Burgers with Baconnaise Sauce

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup Bacon (Cut into small pieces and cooked until crispy; it will be used in the sauce, and some of the fat may remain on the griddle.)
• 1 Onion (Sliced; cook until softened.)
• 0.5 cup Mayonnaise for the sauce
• 2 tbsp Ketchup
• 1 tbsp Hot honey
• 1 tbsp Yellow mustard
• 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp Chives (Finely chopped.)
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper
• 8 Ground beef (Formed into eight ¼ lb balls; two thin patties are prepared for each burger.)
• Burger seasoning (To taste.)
• 8 slices Pepper jack cheese (One slice for each patty.)
• 4 Hamburger buns (Halved.)
• 2 tbsp Mayonnaise for toasting the buns (For spreading on the inside of the buns before toasting.)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat a large griddle or flat-top skillet over high heat. Have a burger press or sturdy spatula ready for smashing the meat.

2. 2

   Cut the bacon into small pieces. Place it on the hot griddle and cook until deeply browned and crispy, turning as needed.

3. 3

   While the bacon cooks, add the onion slices to the griddle. Cook until softened and beginning to brown; remove and set aside.

4. 4

   Remove the bacon from the griddle and let it cool for a few minutes so it retains its crispy texture.

5. 5

   In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, crispy bacon, ketchup, hot honey, yellow mustard, red pepper flakes, chives, and black pepper. Mix until fully combined and set aside the Baconnaise sauce.

6. 6

   Form the ground beef into eight balls of approximately ¼ lb each. Do not compact them more than necessary so the patties remain tender.

7. 7

   Place the meatballs on the very hot griddle, leaving space between them. Immediately smash each one with the burger press until it forms a very thin patty.

8. 8

   Season the surface of the patties with your favorite burger seasoning. Cook without moving them for 4 to 5 minutes, until a deeply browned crust forms on the bottom and the edges are crispy.

9. 9

   Flip the patties. Immediately place one slice of pepper jack cheese on each and cook until the cheese melts, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.

10. 10

    Spread mayonnaise on the inside of all four buns. Place them mayo-side down on the hot griddle and toast until golden brown.

11. 11

    To assemble each burger, spread Baconnaise sauce on the bottom bun. Add two cheese-topped patties and some of the cooked onions.

12. 12

    Spread more sauce on the inside of the top bun, place it on the burger, and serve immediately while the patties and cheese are still hot.

Notes

The post does not specify how many burgers to prepare; this extraction estimates 4 double burgers using eight ¼ lb meatballs. Adjust the amount of meat, cheese, buns, and onion according to the number of servings. Ground beef should reach a safe internal temperature of 160 °F / 71 °C.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• burger
• American cuisine
• griddled
• smash burger
• with cheese
• bacon