Name: Wagyu smash burgers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 double burgers
Ingredients: 1½ lb Ground beef, Wagyu if you can get it, otherwise 80/20; 8 Slices American cheese; 4 Soft burger buns, split; Arnie's Bakery buns are used in the kitchen; 1 tsp Refined avocado oil, or another high-smoke-point cooking oil; To taste Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; For serving Pickle slices, lettuce and sliced tomato; ½ cup Mayonnaise; 2 tbsp Sweet pickle relish, drained of excess liquid; 1 tbsp Yellow mustard; 1 tsp Dill pickle brine, plus more to taste; ½ tsp Sweet paprika; ¼ tsp Garlic powder; ¼ tsp Onion powder; 1 lb Frozen tater tots, optional; As needed Kosher salt

Wagyu smash burgers

Thin Wagyu patties with browned edges, melted American cheese and a quick pickle-and-mustard burger sauce. Stack them on a soft bun and have napkins ready.

Published Sep 8, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026

Servings

4 double burgers

Total time

About 45–50 minutes

Get the pepper mill out

Wagyu, salt, fresh black pepper and a hot pan. This is where less is more. Hall of Fame Farms generously donates the Wagyu for our school kitchen, and I'm grateful to cook with it.

My biggest tip here is to grind your pepper fresh. Use a pepper mill, or put some peppercorns in an electric spice grinder. To me, the old pre-ground stuff tastes like cardboard by comparison. You're putting effort into the food. Give it good ingredients to work with.

I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt in the kitchen. That and freshly ground pepper are all the beef needs. Season the surface after smashing. Don't work the salt into the meat.

Smash it once. Keep the crust.

Keep those little beef balls loose. They only need enough handling to hold together. Then smash them thin in a hot cast-iron pan and leave them alone while the edges brown. A sturdy metal spatula lets you scrape underneath and take that crust with you when you flip.

I like two or three patties stacked with American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato and burger sauce. Nothing complicated. The quick sauce below gives you that creamy, tangy burger-shop flavor with a few things you probably already have. If you don't have Wagyu, 80/20 ground beef works here too.

Instructions

Burgers

Heat the oven to 400°F. Put an oven-safe cast-iron skillet in the oven for about 30 minutes. While it heats, make the burger sauce below and get your toppings ready.
Weigh the beef into eight 3 oz portions. Gently round them into loose balls, handling them only enough to hold together. Keep cold until cooking. Do not mix salt into the beef.
Using oven mitts, move the skillet to a burner over medium-high heat. Remember that the handle stays hot. Add the oil and spread it into a thin film. Increase the heat if needed to keep a strong sizzle, or lower it if the oil smokes heavily. Toast the buns separately if you like.
Put one or two beef balls in the skillet, leaving plenty of room. Immediately cover each with a small square of parchment and press firmly with a burger press or the flat bottom of a small pan to about ¼ inch thick. Peel off the paper right away, keeping it clear of the burner.
Season the tops with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook undisturbed until the edges are browned and the underside has a deep brown crust, roughly 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Slide a sturdy metal spatula firmly along the pan beneath each patty, scraping up the crust, then flip.
Season the second side lightly and lay a slice of cheese on each patty. Cook for about another minute, continuing as needed until the beef reaches 160°F; check with the thermometer inserted from the side. Cover briefly if the cheese needs help melting. Do not smash again after flipping.
Spread burger sauce on the buns and stack two patties on each. Add pickles, lettuce and tomato. Repeat with the remaining beef, letting the skillet regain its heat between batches, and serve as each burger is ready.

Quick burger sauce

Stir everything together in a small bowl. Taste and add a little more pickle brine if you want it tangier. The sauce should be thick enough to spread.
Refrigerate while the skillet heats and the burgers cook. This makes about ¾ cup, enough for four double burgers with a little extra for dipping.

Tater tots

Bake in one layer according to the package directions. Toss with a little salt after baking if needed. The time above is for the burgers; plan the tots around their package directions.

Wagyu smash burgers

Get the pepper mill out

Smash it once. Keep the crust.

Watch it in the kitchen