Juicy Low Carb Smash Burgers
Published March 2, 2020 • Updated March 11, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
I smash my burgers thin on a screaming hot surface and that crisped, crunchy edge is the whole reason these low carb smash burgers exist. Juicy 80/20 beef, loose-packed and smashed flat, with a crust that makes the bun completely optional.
I started smashing burgers a few years ago and I have not gone back to thick patties since. The technique is simple but the result is completely different from a regular burger. You take loosely formed balls of 80/20 ground beef, press them flat on a hot surface, and the fat renders out against the heat to create a crust that almost crackles when you bite into it. That crisped edge is the whole point. The bun just gets in the way of it.
The key is how you handle the meat. I don’t pack my burger balls tight. I want the strands loose, barely holding together, because that’s what gives you a juicy interior once it hits the heat. If you compress the beef like you’re making a meatball, you lose the texture that separates these from regular thick patties. Loose strands, hot surface, one hard press. That’s it.
I’ve made these on the grill and in cast iron, and both work. On the grill at 450-500 degrees, you get great char and a little smokiness. In a cast iron skillet, the crust comes out darker and crispier because the flat surface gives you full contact. I go back and forth depending on the weather, but cast iron has become my default for weeknight dinners. If you like cooking over fire, my grilled keto burger uses a thicker patty with horseradish sauce, and the grilled dry aged tomahawk steak is what I pull out when I want to go all out on the grill.
For seasoning, I keep it to steak seasoning and salt. Nothing fancy. The beef does the work. I season both sides after smashing, not before, so the spices hit the surface right where the crust forms. If you want a solid low carb burger recipe that takes ten minutes and tastes like you put in real effort, this is it.
We eat these without buns most of the time. I’ll pile them on a plate with pickles, mustard, sliced cheddar, and sometimes a few avocado slices. My son ate two patties straight off the pan without asking for bread once. If you want a bun option, that works too. I also love pairing grilled nights with keto grilled pork chops or throwing a keto grilled pizza on alongside for variety.
For meal prep, I roll the balls and freeze them raw. Pull them out the night before, thaw in the fridge, and smash fresh from cold onto a screaming hot pan. Pre-smashing kills the crust. You want that cold ball hitting hot metal so the fat sears on contact. I usually get a week’s worth of lunches out of a double batch.
How to Make Smash Burgers in Cast Iron
If you don’t have a grill or just prefer cooking indoors, cast iron is my preferred method. Heat your skillet over high heat for at least 5 minutes until it’s smoking. Drop a cold, loosely packed ball of beef onto the dry pan and press down hard with a sturdy spatula or burger press. One firm press, then don’t touch it. Let the crust develop for about 2-3 minutes before flipping. The bottom should release cleanly when it’s ready.
I don’t oil the pan. The 80/20 fat content handles it. Season after smashing so the steak seasoning and salt sit right on the cooking surface. Flip once, add cheese if you want it, and pull them after another minute or two. The whole cook takes under 5 minutes per burger. If you like the smash-and-sear technique, my grilled flank steak uses the same screaming-hot approach, and my low carb smashed dumpling tacos take the press-and-crisp idea in a completely different direction.
Explore 687+ keto recipe videos with step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to make keto easy.
Ingredients
2 pounds 80/20 ground beef -
2 tablespoons steak seasoning
-
1 teaspoon salt, optional
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat grill
Preheat grill to 450 to 500 degrees F. Divide ground beef into 6 equal portions.
Form burger balls
Grab one portion of ground beef at a time and loosely form it into a ball. Do not firmly pack it into a ball. You want the strands to still be loose for the juiciest burger. Set aside on a flat surface or parchment paper. Repeat with other portions of hamburger meat.
Smash burgers
Place a piece of parchment paper over the patties. Then give each patty a wack with the palm of your hand, smashing the burger down. Remove the parchment paper. See instructions below for cooking burger patties in a cast iron skillet on the grill.
Season with salt
Sprinkle each side of the patties with steak seasoning and salt.
Grill
Spray the grill with cooking oil spray or wipe the grate with a paper towel dipped in oil. Use tongs to wipe the grate with the oiled paper towel. Place patties on the grill and grill over direct heat. Cook until desired level of doneness. Rare – cook for about 4 minutes (125 F); Medium-rare – cook for 5 minutes (135 F); Medium – cook for 6 to 7 minutes (145 F); Well-done – cook for 8 to 9 minutes (160 F). Flip the burgers halfway through cooking. If desired, add cheese when you have about 1 minute left of cooking.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
Your Macros. Your Recipes. Calculated in 60 Seconds.
Get personalized keto macros and instantly see which recipes fit your targets. No more guessing what to eat.
Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these in a cast iron skillet instead of on a grill?
I actually prefer cast iron now. Heat the skillet over high for at least 5 minutes until it's smoking, then drop a cold ball of beef right onto the dry surface and press flat. The crust comes out darker and crispier than anything I've gotten on the grill because you get full, flat contact with the cooking surface. The 80/20 fat renders enough that you don't need oil. I flip once after about 2-3 minutes and they're done in under 5. This is my go-to keto burger method on weeknights.
What cheese works best on these?
I use cheddar most of the time. It melts fast in that last minute of cooking and has enough flavor to stand up to the crust. American cheese works if you want that diner-style melt. I've also done pepper jack when I want some heat. The trick is adding it right after you flip so it gets about 60 seconds of direct heat to melt down over the edges.
Can I prep the patties ahead of time or freeze them for meal prep?
I roll the balls and freeze them raw, then thaw them in the fridge overnight before cooking. Don't pre-smash them. Pressing a cold ball onto a screaming hot surface is what creates that seared crust. If you flatten them ahead of time, the meat warms up and you lose the contrast between cold beef and hot metal. I get a full week of lunches out of a double batch this way.
How do I smash them without the meat sticking?
I lay a piece of parchment paper over the ball and press down with my palm or a flat spatula. The parchment keeps the meat from grabbing onto whatever you're pressing with. Some people use a burger press, but my hand works fine. One firm push straight down, then peel the parchment off. Don't press more than once or you'll squeeze out the juices.
What's the best way to serve these without a bun?
I pile my patties on a plate with pickles, mustard, sliced cheddar, and avocado. No wrap, no lettuce cup, just fork and knife. My son eats them straight off the plate and doesn't miss the bread at all. If you want something to hold, butter lettuce works as a wrap. I also like these alongside my keto hamburger helper when I want a more complete plate.
What can I use instead of steak seasoning?
I mix garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper when I'm out of my usual steak seasoning. About a teaspoon of each for two pounds of beef. I've also gone with just coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper when I want the beef flavor front and center. The simpler the seasoning, the more the crust does the talking.
How do I reheat leftovers?
I throw them back in a hot cast iron skillet for about a minute per side. The crust crisps right back up, which is the whole advantage of thin patties over thick ones. Microwaving works in a pinch but you lose that crunch. I store mine in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the steak seasoning holds up through reheating better than most burger seasonings I've tried.
The best hamburger is a smash burger. Smashing your burgers right before cooking creates a beautiful brown crust on the surface thanks to the Maillard Reaction while maintaining a juicy interior. When you’re eating a bunless burger, that juicy patty is the star of the show.
Burgers are an easy go-to dinner you can make any night of the week. Of course, they are especially popular when the weather gets warmer and it’s grill season. Now that you have the best burger recipe, you just need to make
The key to making a good smash burger is to keep the meat loose. The more you mold it and pack it together, the more you will end up with a solid piece of grilled meatloaf. Grab a handful of ground beef and lightly form it into a ball. You want loose strands of ground beef.
There is no need to round off or mold in the edges of the burger. Those loose ends get crispy and are delicious!
If you are using a grill to cook your smash burgers, we like to smash our burgers before they hit the grill. That way the loose bits of ground beef don’t fall into the grill and you get delicate, melt in your mouth, juicy burgers.
We smash our burgers by giving each ball of hamburger a whack with the palm of the hand. Place the balls in between two pieces of parchment paper. Smash each one down with the palm of your hand. Then season them with steak seasoning and salt.
If you don’t have access to a grill or want to cook your burgers on a cast iron skillet, you can smash your burgers once they are in the pan. Use a spatula or 
You can’t go wrong with just plain old salt. But I like to add steak seasoning to my burgers. My favorite is by 
Whether you are enjoying a bunless burger or using a hamburger bun, my favorite burger toppings are mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, pickle, tomato and red onion. Occasionally, I like to top my burgers with a fried egg.
If you want a premade hamburger bun, try these ones by 
I've made probably four or five keto smash burger recipes trying to get a real crispy crust and none of them delivered. Always came out soft and kind of bleh. The screaming hot grill and smashing them flat is what I was missing. Edges caramelized and had this crunch I wasn't expecting, and I kept sneaking bites while assembling. Zero net carbs and a crust that actually works. Don't know why I messed with the other recipes so long.
Sneaking bites while assembling. That's the tell. Temperature is the one thing every other recipe skips over.
Tried smash burgers twice before on a cast iron and they were never worth the cleanup. The grill at 450 with the parchment paper smash gets a crust on the edges I haven't managed any other way. This is the one.
Mixed a splash of Worcestershire into the beef before forming the balls and honestly that extra kick on the seared crust is SO worth it. Tiny change but you notice it immediately. Steak seasoning alone is great, I just can't go back now.
I've had a cast iron smash burger method I've been using for two years and this just replaced it. The crust you get at 500 degrees on the grill is different from what I was getting on the stovetop, more even browning across the whole patty instead of just the center contact points. Loose-packing matters more than I thought. Not going back.
The grill wraps it. Cast iron is direct contact, so the center always outruns the edges. That's what you were fighting.
The loose-pack method genuinely changes the crust situation (way more contact, way more crunch). One thing worth passing on: parchment paper started scorching at 500 degrees, so I switched to pressing with a bare spatula and it held up better. Everything else landed exactly how I wanted.
Yeah, parchment at 500 scorches. Good catch. Bare spatula works as long as you press straight down without dragging.
I kept wanting to pack the meat tighter because loose felt wrong, but I went with it. That crisped edge was the payoff. First time doing smash burgers (had to read the smashing step twice before I felt okay doing it) and mine came out a little uneven but the seasoning and crunchy crust were there. 500 degrees and a parchment square and now I get why people swear by this. Back at it this weekend.
Loose pack is the one thing most people fight. Uneven shapes don't matter - crust is the same either way. Weekend batch will be faster once your hands know the smash pressure.
I've been making smash burgers at home for a couple years, tried everything from cast iron to a flat top attachment, and kept getting something that was fine but never had that diner-style crust I was actually after. Found this a few weeks ago, made it on the grill at 500, and there it was. The crust you get from that heat is just not what I was getting inside on a flat surface. Something about the grates at that temperature, the edges get this almost char-y caramelized crunch that makes the bun feel beside the point. The loose ball smash technique I'd been skipping too, convinced it didn't matter. It does. The texture inside is different. These are the smash burgers I've been trying to make. Not going back.
500 on grates does something flat surfaces just can't reach. That edge char is different. I still default to cast iron for weeknights but that grill version is the one I keep thinking about.
First time making smash burgers and I kept second-guessing the loose packing (every instinct said to pack it tight). The crust on those edges made it worth the experiment. Do you do a double press or just the one smash per patty?
So I laid a slice of American cheese on the parchment before smashing (rogue move, I know) and now I can't make these any other way. The cheese fuses right into that crust as it hits the hot grate, renders into those lacy edges instead of sitting on top and melting off, and the bottom of the patty ends up with this caramelized cheese-beef crust situation I was not ready for. I have been making smash burgers for years and this is something else entirely. One caveat: the grate has to be screaming hot, like the full 500, because at lower temps the cheese just sticks to the parchment and tears -- that's exactly what happened my first attempt before I figured out the timing. First spring cookout last weekend, made a double batch, and even going a little lighter on the steak seasoning than the recipe calls for (I had been heavy-handed my first run), these were so good that I'm just docking the one star for my own early mistakes. Worth the experiment.
Never thought to put the cheese under the patty on grates but that fused edge situation makes total sense at 500. Have to try it.
Made a double batch Sunday for lunches. Smashed patties reheat so much better than thick burgers, no dry center to work through. Throw them back in a hot cast iron for about a minute. Crisp right back up. The steak seasoning holds up through reheating too, which is usually my whole complaint with leftover burgers. Four stars since I'm still dialing in my grill temp, but these are in the weekly rotation for sure.
Cast iron reheat works. For grill temp I aim for 450-500, fully preheated, but every grill runs different. Couple more runs and you'll have it locked.
First time making these and now I totally get the smash burger obsession. Do you use parchment paper on a flat top, or just straight on the grill?
Parchment goes over the ball, not under it. I lay a piece on top before I press so the spatula doesn't drag the beef apart. Flat top, grill, cast iron, same thing.
First time making smash burgers and I wasn't expecting that crispy edge to be the whole point. Made mine with steak seasoning and 80/20 and I finally get the hype. Do you smash them all at once or one at a time so they don't overlap?
One at a time if you're in a skillet. On a griddle you can do a few, just keep them a couple inches apart. Once you smash, they're done moving.
Third or fourth time making these and I finally tried cast iron instead of the grill (too cold outside). Crust came out darker and crispier than any batch I've done outside. Staying with cast iron.
Same conclusion I came to. Skillet contact is more even than grates and you're not losing heat between bars.
My son has demanded a bun on every burger he's ever eaten. Made these Sunday and he ate two patties straight, no questions asked. Something about that smashed, crisped edge makes the bun thing irrelevant.
Ha. That crisped edge is the whole point. The bun just gets in the way of it.
We do Sunday meal prep to survive busy weeknights without ordering pizza, and smash burgers seem like a perfect fit. Can I roll the balls ahead of time and just smash them on demand through the week, or does the meat need to be fresh for the texture to work?
Roll and freeze the balls. Pull them out the night before, thaw in the fridge, smash fresh from cold onto a screaming hot pan. Pre-smashing kills the crust.