A smashburger works best on a hot, flat cooking surface with direct contact between the meat and the steel. That's exactly why a plancha BBQ is so well suited to this style of outdoor cooking. The high heat creates a deep, flavourful crust while keeping the meat juicy on the inside.
Once you start making smashburgers on a plancha, you'll quickly notice that the small details make all the difference. The temperature of the cooking surface, the fat content of the beef and the moment you smash the burger ultimately determine its texture and flavour.
The smashburger recipes below are designed for cooking outdoors on a plancha BBQ. No complicated techniques or overloaded toppings, just combinations that work well with fire and steel.
Why smashburgers work so well on a plancha BBQ
A smashburger needs maximum heat and full contact with the cooking surface. On a plancha BBQ, this quickly creates caramelisation without fat dripping directly into the fire. The result is a rich grilled flavour without drying out the meat.
Ideally, use minced beef with at least 20% fat. Leaner burgers often lack the characteristic crust that makes smashburgers so distinctive. Loosely shape the beef into balls and only press them flat once they hit the hot plancha.
A thin, sturdy spatula that allows you to apply firm pressure works better than a burger press with raised edges. Smash each burger only once. Then leave it untouched until the underside has developed a deep, caramelised crust.
Classic smashburger with cheddar and onion
This is the most straightforward version for a plancha BBQ. Simple, quick and ideal when cooking for several guests.
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100 to 120 grams of minced beef per burger
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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2 thin slices of cheddar
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Finely sliced white onion
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Soft burger buns
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Pickles and mustard
Place the ball of beef on the hot plancha and immediately smash it into a thin patty. Only then season with salt and pepper. Once the edges start to darken, flip the burger and place the cheddar on top.
At the same time, cook the onion on the plancha in a little of the fat released by the beef. This gives it more depth of flavour than adding raw onion to a hot burger.
Smashburger with jalapeño and smoked mayonnaise
A plancha BBQ makes it easy to prepare your toppings right next to the meat. Jalapeño quickly develops colour on the hot steel without becoming completely soft.
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Minced beef with a high fat content
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Fresh jalapeño, thinly sliced
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Smoked mayonnaise
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Cheddar or Monterey Jack
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Potato buns
Briefly cook the jalapeño around the edge of the plancha so it softens slightly while retaining some bite. The direct heat gives it a lightly charred flavour that pairs perfectly with smashburgers cooked on the plancha.
Don't use too much sauce. With a smashburger, the flavour of the beef should remain the star.
Double smashburger for social cooking
On a larger plancha BBQ, double smashburgers are ideal when you're cooking for a group. Cooking time remains short and you can easily prepare several burgers at once.
Work in small batches to keep the cooking surface at a high temperature. Once the plancha cools down, you lose that characteristic crust and the meat is more likely to steam than sear.
For larger groups, a wider cooking surface such as a GrillRing BBQ or a spacious plancha setup gives you enough room to prepare meat, buns and toppings at the same time.
Toasting burger buns on the plancha
A perfectly toasted bun makes a noticeable difference to a smashburger. Add a little butter or beef fat to the plancha and briefly press the cut side of the bun onto the hot steel until golden brown.
Toasting for too long will dry out the bread. For a smashburger, you want the bun to remain soft enough to give slightly when you take a bite.
What temperature works best?
For smashburgers, the plancha needs to be very hot before the meat hits the surface. In practice, a cooking surface temperature of around 220 to 250°C gives the most consistent results.
At lower temperatures, you'll get less crust and the meat will release moisture more quickly. This takes away from the crispy, compact texture that sets a smashburger apart from a regular hamburger.
Anyone who regularly cooks burgers over a wood fire will benefit from combining direct heat with a stable steel cooking surface, such as a fire bowl BBQ with a plancha cooking surface.
🔥 Explore our fire bowls, GrillRings and plancha BBQ accessories.
🔥 Looking for more tips on cooking over fire? Discover our other blogs.
