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Garlic Bread Smash Burgers

This recipe for Garlic Bread Smash Burgers is simply AMAZING! The savory buttery flavors of the garlic bread pairs perfectly with the juicy cheesy burgers patties and sweet caramelized onions.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

Caramelized Onions 

  • 1 large white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon avocado or preferred oil
  • 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, adjust to preference

Garlic Bread Buns 

  • 2 burger buns, sliced, homemade or store bought, see notes
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 1 heaping tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, adjust to preference, may substitute with (2) garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, adjust to preference
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Burger Patties 

  • 1 pound 80/20 ground beef, divided into 4 equal portions
  • kosher or sea salt, to taste
  • ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 american cheese slices
  • avocado or preferred oil, for the pan

Assembly 

  • burger sauce homemade or store bought, see notes

Instructions

Caramelized Onions 

  • In a large frying pan under medium heat, add the butter and 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Once the butter is melted, add the onions into the pan and mix to coat in the melted butter and oil mixture.
  • Cook the onions stirring frequently until it starts to take on a light golden brown color, about 8 to 10 minutes. At this point, mix in the brown sugar, salt and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Continue to cook the onions while stirring until it becomes richly golden brown and fully softened, about 2 to 3 minutes or longer as needed. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Garlic Bread and Beef Patties 

  • In a small mixing bowl, add and mix together the butter, parmesan cheese, parsley and seasonings (salt, black pepper, and garlic powder).
  • Spread an even layer of the butter mixture, about 1 tablespoon, on the top and bottom halves of the burger buns. Transfer buttered buns to a large plate.
  • Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Toast the buttered burger buns in the pan until lightly golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove the toasted buns from the pan and transfer back to the large plate. Set aside. (If preferred, toasted garlic bread buns can be kept warm in the oven preheated to 200F while the patties are prepared.)
  • Heat up some oil (about 1 to 2 teaspoons) in a frying pan or skillet over medium high heat. In batches of 1 to 2 portions, add the ground beef into the heated pan and use a burger press or large spatula to smash into a flat patty of even thickness.
  • Season the patties with salt and black pepper to taste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or longer depending on your preference.
  • Next, flip the patties, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Top the cooked patties with a slice of cheese. Once the cheese is melted to desired consistency, remove the patties from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack placed over a large baking sheet. You should have (4) cooked cheese patties in total.

Assembly 

  • On a clean work surface or plate, place down a burger bun toasted side down, spread over some burger sauce and top with (2) stacked cheese patties. Add half of the caramelized onions over the patties and drizzle over a generous serving of burger sauce. Lastly, place a bun on top of the assembled burger toasted side facing upwards. Repeat with the remaining ingredients for total of (2) burgers.
  • Serve garlic bread smashed burgers immediately as is or with a serving of fries.

Notes

I used this Homemade Burger Sauce Recipe and I also recommend using my Homemade Brioche Buns Recipe.