Name: Double-Stack Smash Burger Alfresco
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup finely chopped dill pickles; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 2 Tbsp. ketchup; 2 Tbsp. sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more; 1 1/2 lb. ground beef (20% percent fat); 4 potato rolls; 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, leaves separated, torn into pieces about the size of the buns; 1 white onion, very thinly sliced into rings on a mandoline; 4 thin tomato slices (optional); 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil; 8 slices American cheese

A double cheeseburger on a sesame seed bun with dripping special sauce.

Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

Like most everyone else, we can’t seem to get enough of the smash burger, with a lacy griddled patty (or two, actually, to maximize that crispy exterior). But, like drinking an Aperol spritz, cooking it is best done outside. Our grilled version won’t smoke out your kitchen, blanket your stove with grease, or ask you to spend even one more minute of this sweet summer night indoors. We found that a three-ounce patty hits the sweet spot: big enough to fill out the bun when smashed but small enough that two patties aren’t overkill.

Recipe notes

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