Smash Burgers with Caramelized Purple Onions and Sharp Cheddar
Per serving 768 kcal · 33g protein · 56g carbs · 52g fat
Ingredients
- 240g ground beef
- 2 purple onions, thinly sliced
- 15ml butter (1 tbsp)
- 60g sharp cheddar
- 2 hamburger buns
- 20ml mayonnaise
- 2g salt
- 1g black pepper
Steps
- Slice the 2 purple onions into thin rings. Heat 15ml butter in a large skillet over medium, add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden and caramelized. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then move to a plate.
- While the onions cook, divide the 240g ground beef into 4 equal portions (about 60g each). Form each into a loose ball — do not pack it tight.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high until very hot, about 2 minutes. Add 2 beef balls. With a sturdy spatula, press each down hard into a thin patty (about ¼ inch) for 15 to 20 seconds. Stop pressing and cook undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes, until the underside is deeply browned and crispy.
- Flip each patty and immediately top with 30g sharp cheddar. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese melts and the second side crusts. Move to a plate and repeat with the last 2 balls and 30g cheddar.
- Toast the 2 buns cut-side down in the same hot skillet, 1 to 2 minutes, until golden.
- Spread 10ml mayonnaise on each bottom bun. Stack 2 cheesy patties on each, divide the caramelized onions between them, add the top bun, and serve right away.
That is the whole thing.
No technique, no special equipment. This is what every Eatsë dinner looks like — the app picks it, scales it to your house, and writes the recipe. Two weeks free.
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The trick to a great smash burger is not the beef, it is the heat and the patience. A screaming-hot cast-iron skillet gives you the crust; onions cooked low and slow until they go deep and sweet give you everything else. This version stacks two thin, crispy-edged patties with sharp cheddar and a pile of caramelized purple onions on a toasted bun.
This smash burger recipe takes twenty-five minutes, one skillet, and two burgers. No special equipment beyond a sturdy spatula and a willingness to press down hard.
Leftovers
- The caramelized onions keep for up to 5 days in the fridge and are worth making extra — they go on everything.
- Cooked patties keep 3 days; reheat in a hot skillet, not the microwave, to keep some crust.
- Toast the buns and assemble fresh — a pre-built burger goes soggy.
This is the kind of dinner Eatsë hands you without the thinking: it picks the week's meals, scales each recipe to your household, and builds the grocery list by aisle. This one just happened to be too good not to write down.
More weeknight wins are in the recipe library — the beef and broccoli stir-fry is a good next one to make.
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