Flavorful Dinner Ideas for Grilling in 2026

I make smashburgers on steel often. The work is getting your hamburger bar together: sliced pickles, onions, cheese, unique sauce.

Get your griddle or steel ripping hot. You have to work quickly. We're cooking these for 30-60 seconds per side, and you want it shouting hot for that Maillard response, the sear that makes smashburgers famous. I like to smash for buddies. The majority of the time, they've currently had our Baking Steel pizza, and I like to blend the menu.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I've made smash burgers on this thing that people still talk about. Smashburgers in your home are off the charts. Here's how I do it. More area equals more taste. Smashing the beef thin optimizes contact with the hot steel, triggering the Maillard response, the chemical procedure that creates that deep, mouthwatering, browned flavor we all yearn for.

Your first hamburger and your 4th get the same incredible edge-to-edge crust without the temperature dropping. I 'd understand my family has remained in the steel organization for over 50 years at our shop in Hanover, MA. I understand this product, and I built these frying pans specifically to resolve the heat retention problem that cast iron can't.

Perfecting the Griddle: Essential Burger Skills

Let it pre-heat for 10-15 minutes until it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the exact same concept behind our pizza steels fill the steel with heat, and it does the work for you.

Instantly smash them really thin (about 1/4 inch) with a stiff spatula or press. To prevent sticking, you can put a small piece of parchment paper between the meat and the spatula. Season the smashed patties kindly with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Prepare for 60-90 seconds. You'll see the edges turn a deep, crispy brown.

Cook for another 30-45 seconds to melt the cheese. Briefly toast your buns on a cooler part of the frying pan for 15-20 seconds.

Creating Gourmet Menus with Top-Rated Burgers

Cheese melting completely on the Mini Frying pan Cast iron is the conventional choice for smashburgers, and it works. After checking both side-by-side for over a years, I switched to steel.

I understand how it stores and transfers heat in a way most individuals never think about. Here's the difference: That suggests it recuperates temperature much faster in between hamburgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

You get the same screaming-hot crust on your very first hamburger and your fourth. Just cook, scrape, wipe clean. I have actually checked cast iron, stainless steel, and every frying pan on the market.

Want to take your smashburger game outside? Put your Baking Steel Original straight on your outside grill grates. Pre-heat the grill and steel for 15-20 minutes on high heat, then smash your burgers right on the steel. You get the same extraordinary crust with the added benefit of outside cooking which subtle smoky flavor from the grill.

Expert Culinary Tips for Savory Grilled Patties

Friends lose their minds when they see it. They stroll up anticipating regular grilled hamburgers and instead they see me smashing patties on a piece of American-made steel on the grill. It's a whole thing. Perfect smash burgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outdoor grill I developed each of these for a specific use case.

It fits on a single burner and is perfect for families or burger night with buddies. is compact and perfect for 1-2 burgers. It's fantastic for small kitchens, houses, or solo cooking. Very same heat retention, smaller sized footprint. is the one that started everything. Use it in the oven for pizza, or take it outside and place it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.