This Mushroom Swiss Smash Burger recipe is a blended burger you can make in a cast-iron skillet. It's perfect for when you want a burger that you don't have to cook on a grill!
About the recipe
It's time for a new addition to my blended burger family! Remember when I told you about the blended burger in my post on the Best Homemade Hamburger? I love those SO much and make them all the time!
Basically, a blended burger is one that combines chopped mushrooms + ground meat to make a delicious and nutritious blend for your favorite burger, taco, meatloaf, meatball, and other ground meat recipes!
To be considered a "blend," mushrooms need to make up a minimum of 25% of the mixture. Not only does this add tons of flavor and keep the meat nice and juicy, but it's also a nutrition power-up that is easy and affordable!
Today's recipe is all about the SMASH burger. I'm sure you are familiar with these.....because this is how burgers are made at many of our favorite fast food restaurants! Think Shake Shack, In-And-Out, Smashburger, Freddy's.....the list goes on and it's making me hungry.
Basically, a smash burger is an easy type of burger you can make in your kitchen WITHOUT a grill. This is a totally necessary recipe to have because there are so many of us who don't have grills! You can make a smash burger in any type of heavy-bottomed skillet, but my favorite kind is a cast-iron skillet. Ready to learn how to make one? Here's what you need to know...
Video
Ingredients
- Lean ground beef - try and buy a mixture that is 90/10 or 93/7 lean ground beef. The ground mushrooms that are added to the beef not only increase the volume of your burger mixture but help retain juices while cooking.
- Mushrooms - any blend of mushrooms will work for this recipe! White button, baby bella, crimini, portabella - all are great options! Be sure to wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel as opposed to running them under water. This will keep them from getting soggy and help them brown better. The mushrooms you add to your ground beef should be chopped to the consistency of ground meat.
- Seasonings - I like to enhance the flavor of the beef with some Worcestershire sauce and Montreal steak seasoning. Feel free to use the seasonings that sound good to you!
- Cheese - baby Swiss cheese has smaller holes, which I find easy to work with when melting the cheese on top of a burger patty.
- Brioche Buns - I love a good brioche bun! It's buttery, rich, and oh-so-delicious.
- Arugula - this type of green lends a nice peppery bite to the burger and complements the mushrooms really well.
My favorite ground beef:
I absolutely love and highly recommend 1 Source Beef for all your ground beef needs! Every pound of ground beef is 100% traceable to a single animal on a U.S. family farm. The ground beef is made from premium U.S. Black Angus cuts of ribeye, brisket, chuck, and sirloin with a flavor and quality that are unparalleled!
If you'd like to try 1 Source Beef, get 10% off your first order with the promo code SWEET10 OR get 20% off five 1-pound packages with the code SWEET2O. I know you are going to love this beef!
Instructions
Step 1: Brown some mushrooms slices in a bit of butter and oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, about 4-5 minutes. Do not overcrowd the skillet, as the mushrooms will not brown. Transfer to a plate and cover with a piece of foil. Keep warm on the stove while you make the burgers.
Step 2: Make your burger blend. Carefully fold the finely chopped mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings into the ground beef.
Step 3: Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add a bit of avocado oil to the bottom. Drop the burger blend in ½ cup portions onto the hot skillet.
Step 4: Use a flat spatula to immediately "smash" the mounds of beef into a patty that is as thin as possible, about ½-inch thick. Cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes before flipping and smashing again.
Step 5: Once you flip the burgers, add slices of Swiss cheese to melt on top while they cook 3 minutes more.
Top tips
Use a light hand when blending your meat mixture - the key to making a tender and juicy smash burger is not to overwork the ground beef. Use light strokes to fold in the mushrooms and seasonings into the ground beef.
Divide the meat into loose mounds - once the beef mixture is ready, use a 4-ounce scoop or clean hands to divide into four shaggy/loose mounds. The shaggier the mound, the better, as you will have nice brown bits that form around the outside of the patty as it cooks.
Cook with cast iron - a well-seasoned, preheated cast iron skillet is a great substitute for a grill when you want to cook delicious burgers and steaks. And you can cook with cast iron any time of year in any weather!
Use a sturdy spatula for smashing - a good offset metal spatula should get the job done nicely. Use firm pressure when you smash - you want the end result to be about ½ inch thick Don't worry about smashing all of the juices out. You only smash on one side and the mushrooms keep the meat mixture nice and juicy.
Melty cheese is a must! I used baby Swiss for this recipe so I wouldn't be dealing with the large holes in regular Swiss. Other great options include pepper Jack, Colby Jack, thinly sliced cheddar, or old-school American. The cheese is placed on the patty once it's flipped to the second side so it has plenty of time to melt.
Similar recipes
If you love burgers as much as I do, be sure to check out this recipe for the Best Homemade Hamburger and these Jalapeno Cream Cheese Sliders with Strawberry Jam.
Are you ready to try these Mushroom Swiss Smash Burgers? I’m so excited for you to try this recipe.
Once you get the chance to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment and rate the recipe below. This will help me with the creation of future recipes!
I’d also love to feature your creation in my monthly newsletter, so you can upload a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured! Quick and easy recipes can be found on my YouTube channel, and menu inspiration on my Pinterest boards.
Recipe
Mushroom Swiss Smash Burgers
Ingredients
For the burges:
- 6 ounces baby bella mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound lean ground beef (93/7)
- Oil (avocado or canola) and butter
- 4 whole brioche hamburger buns
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- Arugula
For the mushrooms:
- 1 tablespoon Oli (avocado or canola)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 ounces bella mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp paper towel and sliced
- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the smash burgers:
- Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Place in a food processor and pulse in 2 second increments 8-10 times until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The mushrooms should look like minced garlic.
- Transfer the mushrooms to a large bowl. Add the steak seasoning, worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add the ground beef and gently fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Carefully divide the mixture into four loose mounds - each should be about the size of a baseball. Try to handle the meat as little as possible - the shaggier/looser the mixture, the better! Set aside.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add a drizzle of oil and a dab of butter. Toast the burger buns face side down in this mixture for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
- Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and shallots, along with a drizzle of olive oil and a dab of butter. Saute until the mixture is golden brown. Add the fresh thyme, worcestershire, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to heat through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Wipe the skillet dry with a paper towel (as needea)nd return to medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil. Carefully transfer two mound of the beef mixture to the sillet. Smash each mound firmly with a metal spatula to a thickness of about ½ inch. Cook for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp around the edges (internal temperature should reach 155 °F for medium-well). Once you flip the patty to the second side, add a slice of Swiss cheese to melt and cook an additional 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil. Repeat this process with the other two mounds of beef.
- To assemble the burgers, place a smashburger patty on a toasted bun. Top with some of the mushroom mixture and fresh arugula. Enjoy hot!
