Five Guys Burger Recipe, Smash Burgers My Way

Alright, you got me. I’ve been posting true comfort food for the last few months, I blame it on being cooped up and dealing with all of the craziness of late. Take a look at my Five Guys Burger recipe in the picture below………come on…….you want to try it.

Whether you are a Five Guys Burger and Fries lover or a Smashburger lover, the technique is pretty much the same. Mine is a Five Guys Burger recipe because I kept hearing my boys talk about how incredible these burgers were. I had to ask, “What’ so special about those hamburgers?”

“It just tastes incredible!”, “The burger toppings are amazing”, “I can’t explain it, they are just plain good”. Neither of them really had it pinpointed so off I went to try these amazing burger.

So you know I had to start doing some research. The first thing I did was order Five Guys for delivery (it’s still Covid time) to see for myself what all the fuss was about. It was a truly clean tasting burger I had to admit.

The Secret To Five Guys Burgers

The secret is just good quality, super fresh ingredients cooked consistently. And of course the method of smashing the burgers is what makes them stand out.

Visually it really didn’t do anything for me. Five Guys wraps the freshly made burgers in foil which steams the bun but also makes the burger look limp. Many like the taste, but I don’t’ think you’ll find anyone that says it does anything for it’s beauty. And you know what, my boys could care less what the burgers look like, it’s all about the taste!

You’ll notice in my picture I didn’t steam the bun………it wouldn’t look appetizing and hey, this is a food blog and pictures speak a thousand words.

How To Make My Five Guys Burger Recipe….Or Any Smash Burger For That Fact

First, toss out whatever you have learned about how to make the best burger. You DON’T make burger patties and you DO smash them, both of which is typically a huge mistake. OK, now start reading how to make a Five Guys Burger.

Don’t season the meat, according to mashed, Five Guys doesn’t add any seasoning, not even salt or pepper. With all of those toppings you’ll never miss it. Just use good quality ground beef, and none of that lean stuff.

Basically you roll the ground beef into meatballs and then smash once they are in a hot pan. It’s really that simple.  See below for more detailed instructions.

Five Guys uses two pieces of American cheese, melted after they come off the griddle stacked so that you have a burger, two pieces of cheese and then another burger. Is there a reason for this stack? I don’t know but I still copy the way Five Guys does it.

More Detailed Ways To Make Five Guys Burger Recipe

Lightly oil a heavy cast iron or stainless steel pan, if you don’t have cast iron then use your heaviest pan, it will make the burgers cook more evenly.

Lightly press ground beef into a 1/3 cup measuring cup, dump out and gently roll into a ball, don’t super compress them. Don’t’ worry about making a perfect ball, it’s about to be smashed anyway.

If you go to a Five Guys Restaurant you’ll see that they smash and stack their smashed burger patties on parchment paper and then stack them by fours. I did that as you’ll see from my pictures, not sure why they are stacked by fours.

But as I wrestled to transfer the thin burgers and spent extra time cutting parchment, etc. I stopped and thought why on earth am I doing this?  Now I just place the meatball on the lightly oiled hot pan and smash right away. There, I just saved you time and frustration!

Cook the burger over medium-high. The burgers will cook quickly. Flip after about 3 minutes, cook another 3 minutes. Top one of the patties with two pieces of American cheese, top with another patty and remove to prepared buns.

For a “little” burger just use one patty like Five Guys does. They really do call it a “little” burger.

How To Prepare The Burger Buns

At Five Guys you’ll see they start the buns at the same time as the burgers. This method will work if you are making the burgers and serving them as they come right off the griddle, just like a real short-hand cook.

I’ve found it’s easier to prepare the buns a little ahead of time.  Butter the buns and place face down on a griddle or pan over medium or medium-low heat, just until a little golden. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep the buns warm and to steam them.

If you want beautiful burgers then you may not want to cover them. Authenticity says steam, beauty says don’t steam. Your choice.

How To Serve Five Guys Burger Recipe and Toppings

This should be a fast recipe, and if you keep it simple it is. BUT if you are going to make all of the toppings at dinnertime, including the meatballs, then it’s a time-consuming recipe. See below for make-ahead time-saving tips.

Put all of the toppings in their own serving vessel. If you put the bowls on a baking tray then it’s easy to transfer the Five Guys burger toppings from the kitchen to the table. It’s also easy to pass the burger toppings too.

Or set up buffet style and let everyone serve themselves.

Time Saving Make-Ahead Tips

Grilled Mushrooms and Onions – buy pre-cut vegetables to save time. Also grill them in oil with salt and pepper up to a couple days ahead of time. Then cover and keep in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet just before serving.

Raw Onions, Green Peppers and Jalapenos – Slice up to several days ahead of time and cover and keep in the refrigerator.  I love to throw a few sliced jalapenos or green peppers in with the onions or mushrooms too. An extra treat..

Put all of the toppings in their own serving dishes. Or if serving right out of the jar place all of the toppings on a baking tray in the refrigerator. These may seem like trivial things but really help save time

To Smash or Not

It goes against everything you’ve ever learned. Traditionally, you are not supposed to press the burger on the grill or you’ll lose precious juices, that’s what I’ve always read. And that’s true if you are cooking a nice thick burger and you press it after it’s been flipped….out go the juices and the flavor.

The key to the smash burger, or Five Guys Burger recipe, is that you lightly roll the ground beef into a ball, place it in a very hot pan, press it down immediately. This will give you jagged edges that get crispy. If you watch the Five Guys grill guy, you’ll see he flips the burger a couple of times and smashes it each time. I usually only do the initial smash, if I want the burger thinner then I’ll smash after the first flip.

The fact that the burger is so thin once smashed, it will cook quickly so it really doesn’t give any time to lose it’s juice.

I like to use a cast iron bacon press to smash the burger, it’s perfect and fits inside the pan just right. If you don’t have one then use a heavy bottom pan that’s smaller than the one you are frying in.  You can also just use a rigid spatula but it’s harder to get the burgers evenly smashed unless you use something bigger on the burger patties.

Toppings For Five Guys Burger Recipe

Toppings for Five Guys Burgers is one of the keys to it’s success, and no extra charge for each item. Simplicity at it’s best!

The toppings you’ll find on the Five Guys Menu is mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled or raw onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, relish, jalapeno, green peppers, bar-b-que sauce, hot sauce and A1 Sauce.

And of course you can add American cheese or crisp applewood smoked bacon.

I provided all of these toppings but green peppers, I just forgot to buy them at the store. I’m wondering if the green peppers are grilled? It didn’t say on the online menu. If anyone knows please send me a message at the end of this post, I’d love to update it.

Types of Burgers At Five Guys

Just four basic types that are available standard or “little”.

Hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, or bacon cheeseburger. Then have at it with whatever toppings you’d like.

Try Our Other Burger Recipes

General Muir Burger

Fried Green Tomato Burger

Oven Baked Burgers

Homemade French Fries