smashburger

noun

smash·​burg·​er ˈsmash-ˌbər-gər 

variants or smash burger

plural smashburgers or smash burgers

1

: a hamburger patty that is pressed thin onto a heated pan or griddle at the start of cooking

Smashburgers start life as 3- to 4-ounce balls of ground meat, then get smashed flat onto a hot griddle. The resulting patty is thin and often imperfectly shaped, with edges all brown and crispy. … According to historian and burger authority George Motz, smashburgers go back more than 150 years.

—Chuck Blount

To put the "smash" in "smashburger," I pressed down firmly on my burgers with a spatula.

—Erin McDowell

So what's a smash burger? (And we're not talking about the Smashburger chain of restaurants.) Let's have Hammy himself (owner [of Hammy's Smash Burgers] Hamzah Ahmed) describe what happens after the ball of beef is placed on a hot griddle: "We take our press and smash it into the grill … so it gets crispy around the edges and the inside stays juicy. It pretty much locks in all the flavor."

—Bethany Clough

Because a smash burger is loosely formed and flattened, it has lots of craggy surface area to get crisp and brown and so darn delicious it barely even needs any condiments.

—Joanne Sasvari

also : a patty (as of beans or ground turkey) prepared similarly

a black bean smash burger

2

: a sandwich featuring one or more such patties

… a full-service bar and restaurant offering its famous smash burger: A burger patty that is smashed between two pounds of cast iron and topped with American cheese, caramelized onions, pickles, mayo and mustard on a golden brioche bun.

—Ariel Perez

Examples of smashburger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cardi dished out a nine out of 10 rating for the smashburger. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2024

The Tasting House Los Gatos has added a Reuben to its Champagne Bar menu, along with Croque Madame and a smashburger. —Laura Ness, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024

Burgers were soon added to the menu, long lines ensued and a smashburger star was born. —Brock Keeling, Orange County Register, 2 Mar. 2024

Monsour leans in with the playful touches: a smashburger slicked with Duke’s mayo sweetened with maple syrup and cinnamon, avocado toast dressed with cucumber-mint salsa and whizzed with drizzles of benne tahini. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024

Now, the menu features elevated classics like chili butter street corn, bluefin tuna crudo, and a double smashburger. —Evan Nicole Brown, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 July 2022

Ham grinder, roast beef grinder, a smashburger, Italian grinder wrap and a steak and cheese. —Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2024

But there is no debating the fact that the classic smashburger, one of the earliest forms from which today’s burgers evolved, is having a moment. —Chuck Blount, San Antonio Express-News, 10 May 2022

Main dishes include pizza with sausage and pickled nardello peppers; pressed chicken served with seasonal butternut squash, fresno peppers, popped black rice and herbs; and a double smashburger on a milk bread bun with American cheese and secret sauce. —Alyson Sheppard, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined at sense 2