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Smash Burger Bowl

Smash burger bowl with crispy-edged beef crumbles, melted American cheese, and shredded iceberg lettuce topped with dill pickles and diced onion. A quick pan-smash method keeps the edges lacy while the special sauce is drizzled over every bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill sauce 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 740
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

ground beef
  • 1.5 lb ground beef (80/20)
salt and black pepper
  • 0.25 Salt and black pepper to taste
American cheese
  • 4 American cheese slices
shredded lettuce
  • 4 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
dill pickles
  • 0.5 cup dill pickle chips
onion
  • 0.5 cup white onion, finely diced
special sauce
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 2 tbsp pickle relish
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp white vinegar

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make special sauce
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, pickle relish, garlic powder, and white vinegar until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes so the flavors meld.
Smash and stack beef patties
  1. Divide ground beef into 8 loose balls, then season each with salt and black pepper. Keep them uncovered while you heat the skillet.
  2. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking, then add the beef balls and smash flat immediately with a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes until edges are lacy and brown.
  3. Flip the patties and add American cheese to 4 patties, then cook just until the cheese starts to melt. Stack two patties per serving for a thicker bowl topping.
Assemble bowls
  1. Divide shredded iceberg lettuce among four bowls, making a wide base in each. This keeps the lettuce crisp under the sauce.
  2. Top each bowl with the smashed beef patties, then add cherry tomatoes, dill pickle chips, and diced white onion. Arrange components in sections so each bite gets a mix.
  3. Drizzle special sauce generously over everything, using extra to reach the lettuce edges. Serve immediately so the beef stays hot and the cheese remains melty.

Notes

Pro tip: smash immediately after the balls hit the smoking skillet to maximize lacy, browned edges. Refrigerate leftover components separately: sauce and cooked beef keep 3-4 days; lettuce best used within 1 day to avoid sogginess. Freezing isn’t recommended for the assembled bowl, but cooked beef can be frozen up to 2 months. For a lower-fat option, use 90/10 ground beef and reduce the mayo to 1/4 cup in the special sauce.