Ina Garten Smashed Hamburgers with Carmelized Onions

Ina Garten smashed hamburgers with carmelized onions are crusty, juicy burgers with mustard-spiked beef, sweet red onions and melted Gruyère that come together in 55 minutes. It's an easy weeknight dinner for family nights, cookouts or game day, and it's cooked in one cast-iron skillet.

Freeze the shaped patties for exactly 15 minutes before they hit the hot skillet, because the cold center stays rare while the outside sears. Skip the freezer and the burgers cook through to gray before the crust ever forms.

Ina Garten found a new way to make hamburgers in Modern Comfort Food (2020), pressing cold patties hard into a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet. Her version also rubs dry mustard into the beef, which adds a gentle tang that plain salt and pepper burgers never get.

Source: Modern Comfort Food (2020)

Ina Garten Smashed Hamburgers with Carmelized Onions

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Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

780

kcal

Mustard-seasoned patties sear into a deep brown crust while the centers stay pink and juicy. Sweet jammy onions and melted Gruyère pile on top, so every bite is salty, tangy and rich.

Ingredients

• Canola or grapeseed oil
  

• 4 cups (1/4-inch) sliced red onions (2 medium)
  

• 1 teaspoon sugar
  

• 1 tablespoon good red wine vinegar
  

• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder, such as Colman's
  

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef with 20% fat
  

• 1 1/4 cups grated Gruyère cheese (4 ounces)
  

• 4 sandwich potato rolls, such as Martin's
  

• Ketchup, for serving
  

Directions

• Caramelize the onions: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat, then add 4 cups sliced red onions. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and starting to brown, then stir in 1 teaspoon sugar, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more until deeply browned.
• Deglaze the pan: Add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar to the onions. Cook for 30 seconds so it scrapes up the browned bits and the onions turn glossy.
• Season the beef: Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle it over 1 1/4 pounds ground beef and lightly work it in with your fingers.
• Shape and freeze: Shape the beef into four 1-inch-thick patties and set them on a plate. Freeze them for exactly 15 minutes so the centers stay cold.
• Smash the burgers: Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, then place the frozen patties straight into the pan. Press each one firmly with a large metal spatula and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes without moving them, so the bottoms turn browned and crusty.
• Top and melt: Flip the burgers, then spoon the onions over them and sprinkle on 1 1/4 cups grated Gruyère. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts and the centers are medium-rare.
• Serve on rolls: Set one burger on each of the 4 potato rolls while everything is hot. Serve with ketchup on the side.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, OXO silicone spatula set, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use leaner ground beef for smashed hamburgers?

I'd stick with 20% fat, because the fat is what browns the crust and keeps the centers juicy. Leaner beef tends to dry out, especially since these cook so fast over high heat.

How do I store leftover caramelized onions?

Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge, where they hold for several days. Reheat them in a small pan before spooning them over the burgers.

Can I make the patties ahead of time?

You can shape and season them a little early, but the 15-minute freeze is part of the method. Don't leave them in the freezer much longer, since the goal is cold, not solid.

What if I don't have a cast-iron skillet?

Any heavy skillet that holds high heat will work, like stainless steel. Cast iron gives the deepest crust, so a thinner pan may need a little longer to brown.

What is the most common mistake with smashed burgers?

Moving the patties too soon is the big one, because the crust needs those full 2 1/2 to 3 minutes untouched. Press once at the start, then leave them alone.