Our Smash Burger Sauce, aka smash sauce, is as simple as can be and absolutely perfect. A harmony of two types of mustard and mayonnaise is all you need to turn a crispy, craggy-edges smash burger into a masterpiece.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
A smash burger with all the fixings? How could anyone resist. One of those essential toppings is some kind of burger sauce or condiment. We aren’t here to hate of mustard or ketchup, but for the ultimate smash burger we wanted to come up with a sauce that no other could rival.
What we came up with is stupidly simple, but also so much tastier than more smash sauces made with a laundry list of ingredients. Our smash sauce—made with just 3 ingredients—is tangy, savory and perfectly decadent.
Ingredient Notes
Prepared Yellow Mustard
We love yellow mustard on just about everything. And smash burgers are no exception. Prepared yellow mustard, with its potent tang, is ideal for cutting through the fatty meat and dose of mayonnaise in the sauce.
Whole Grain Mustard
For some mild horseradish-esque tang, we add a dollop of whole grain mustard (also called whole-grain Dijon). We like Boetje’s or Maille.
Mayonnaise
The addition of some mayonnaise to this sauce is absolutely stellar. It mellows out the boldness of the mustard while also adding a bit of decadence. We like to use olive oil mayonnaise, but as we always say, the best mayonnaise is the one you like best
test kitchen Tips
- Many recipes for smash burgers will have you spread the sauce on just the bottom bun—it’s so good that we prefer to put it on both the top and bottom bun.
- To ensure the buns don’t get soggy before placing the thin patty on top, we recommend toasting the buns. Just a minute on a hot griddle or cast-iron skillet is all a brioche hamburger bun needs to become perfectly toasted.
Variations on Smash Sauce
- Add a splash of Worcestershire for an added note of savoriness.
- If you love a horseradish kick, add a heaping teaspoon of prepared horseradish to the sauce.
- We love a little minced onion on our burgers. If you do too, add some to the sauce.
- In keeping with traditional smash burger sauces, add some minced pickles and pickle juice to the sauce.
- Add a little spice by dropping in a few dashes of hot sauce. We recommend Tabasco or Frank’s.
- For a dose of tomato flavor, add a squeeze of Ketchup. We love Organicville or Hunts.
- Try adding some minced fresh garlic or garlic powder for an add flavor boost.
FAQs
Traditionally, smash burger smash sauce is made with mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice and minced pickles. Since we already load up our smash burgers with sliced pickles, onion slices, iceberg lettuce, and American cheese, we found the addition of pickles in the sauce unnecessary—the burger is already flavorful enough.
Since it’s only made with long-lasting condiments, this sauce will last for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container.
We love to use this smash burger sauce on all kinds of burgers (try our Salmon Burger Recipe or Shrimp Burger Recipe) sandwiches including classic deli-style sandwiches, grilled cheese and even brats or hotdogs. We also love to serve it as a fry sauce with French fries or our crispy Polenta Fries.
We find the mustard to be salty enough so you can skip adding any salt. As for black pepper, add it to taste if you prefer!
Smash Burger Sauce
Description
Ingredients
- ¼ cup prepared yellow mustard
- ¼ cup whole grain Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together mustards and mayo. Use as desired on Smash Burgers.
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