Once upon a time, I made an ebook called “Chris Loves Burgers” because it’s true – I do! You can find a link for it, along with 3 of my favorite burger recipes, in this post here, but one thing the eBook fails to have a recipe for is smash burgers. The smash burger is the ultimate burger experience. You have more crust, which means more texture and flavor. Stacked, thin patties with that browning will win over thick patties every time, and when you layer in American cheese (which is the prime cheeseburger cheese–doesn’t matter what the haters say), you get a more favorable cheese-to-meat ratio. But ultimately, you need a good flat cooking surface to smash them on, and the Dometic Twin Eagles Teppanyaki is the perfect flat-top grill for the job. Keep scrolling for a surprise!

Back when we shared the reveal of the outdoor kitchen, I specifically raved about how the Teppanyaki flat top is ideal for making smash burgers, but you can cook practically anything on it: bacon & eggs, pancakes, grilled sandwiches, tacos, kebabs, and more traditionally, hibachi style stir-fry. Because of the flat surface, a teppan is going to catch all the yummy juice flavors, as opposed to a grill. Also, the thermostatically controlled burners are a unique feature of the teppanyaki and really helps ensure consistent results. And when it comes to smash burgers, you want to retain all that juice from a flat top.

The first time I had a smash burger was from a small diner in Louisiana, the name of which I can’t even remember. I was 20, it was a crazy hot day, and I had been out on a bike all morning. We stopped for lunch at this diner, and I just remember eating that cheeseburger, the crispy fries, chasing it all down with a cold pop. It was a moment of bliss that I don’t know can ever be recreated. I don’t think I could find that restaurant again even if I tried.

This smash burger isn’t breaking any new ground (I even use Kraft singles), but it is nailing every detail for the perfect burger experience. The seasoning, the sauce, the pickles. The addition of the caramelized onions are one of my favorite details, and it all just works. But it’s also super easy to build from if someone wants to get more complicated with it. But I’d encourage keeping it simple the first go around.

We recently completed our exterior renovation, front and back, and I think you could have guessed that the outdoor kitchen is my favorite of all. Since its’ completion in December, I’ve used it every moment I could, but this will be my first summer with it, and I’m practically giddy.

My biggest priority for the outdoor kitchen was getting to use the most premium grilling products I’ve had my eyes on for years – the Twin Eagles Collection by Dometic Home. I raved about my ongoing crush on them in my ultimate grill guide, so getting to team together to make this outdoor kitchen a reality has been such a bucket-list item.

The reality of being able to cook the burgers from start to finish in this kitchen is a pinch-me moment. I’m talking chopping, mixing the sauce, prepping and refrigerating the pickles, to cooking, assembling, and serving the burgers. There’s not a lot of going back and forth inside to outside, which is just downright convenient.

We’re giving away a Teppanyaki grill!

And now comes the fun part, where you can enter to win a Dometic Twin Eagles Teppanyaki grill! Head to our Instagram Smash Burger post with all the details. We’ll select one of you lucky folks as the winner on June 5th! Whether you make these smash burgers on a Teppanyaki, griddle, or pan, I hope this smash burger recipe changes your life.

The tastiest smash burgers recipe