RecipesMD
Plays on YouTube · loads when you press play

← Recipes from creators

North American · J. Kenji López-Alt

Smash burgers

From the video “First Person Cooking: Ultra-Smashed Burgers” by J. Kenji López-Alt. RecipesMD is not affiliated with J. Kenji López-Alt. Steps are in our own words.

Machine-read from the video · not yet checked by a personEasyGreat weeknight pick
Not spicy
Total time
~20 min
est.
Serves
~1
est.
Cost
~$2.28*
per serving, Ontario (~2 portions assumed)save ~$13.72* vs ordering out
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients
6

Ingredients

  • No pork

May contain gluten, dairy

Read from the ingredient list. Check packaging if you have an allergy.

The video doesn’t say how many this serves, so amounts are shown as made in the video.

Ontario grocery estimate*

~$4.56*for the batch in the video
~$2.28*per serving

You save about ~$13.72* per serving (86% less*) than ordering it out — ~$27.44* for ~2 portions.

Order out = a typical Ontario burger, before delivery fees, tax and tip.

1 ingredient priced from Ontario averages · 3 predicted from typical costs · not priced: cheese slice

* Estimate, not a quote: predicted from the ingredient list: 1 line(s) priced from Ontario averages, the rest filled with typical costs for their type; the video doesn't state how many it serves, so 2 portions were assumed; restaurant comparison is a typical Ontario burger at ~$16, before delivery fees, tax and tip. Prices: Ontario averages (StatCan 2026-07) + RecipesMD estimates, pro-rated, staples excluded.

  • shown
  • estimated
  • estimated
  • shown
  • shown
  • estimated

stated said or written in the video · shown seen in the video · estimated our guess (3 here)

Nutrition & health

Rough estimate: the video gives few amounts, so 67% of the weight below uses typical amounts.

Nutrition per serving486 kcal · 24% of 2,000
Fat24 g30%
Saturated fat10 g51%
Sodium707 mg31%
Carbohydrate27 g10%
Fiber0.9 g3%
Total sugars4.3 gno daily value
Added sugars0 g0%
Protein39 g78%

Estimate from the ingredient list — not dietary advice. % Daily Value uses FDA reference amounts; 5% or less is low, 20% or more is high. Added sugars are counted from sweeteners and sweet sauces in the list.

Health indexMiddle of the road
  • Starting point60
  • Protein+20 of 20
  • Fiber+3 of 20
  • Saturated fat−20 of 20
  • Sodium−13 of 20
  • Added sugars (estimate)0 of 20

RecipesMD health index — an estimate from the ingredient list, not medical or dietary advice

From 3 of 3 ingredient lines (100% of the measured weight), divided into 1 serving (estimated: model estimate (no quantities to work from)). Typical amounts assumed for ground beef, because the video doesn’t say how much. Not counted because the video gives no amount: salt, pepper, sauce. Source: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy (2018-04, public domain) + 4 Branded Foods records.

Equipment

  • griddle
  • spatula
  • plate
  • cutting board

What the video didn’t say

  • servings unknown
  • total time unknown
  • exact ingredient amounts unknown
  • type of cheese unknown
  • type of sauce unknown
Cook it this week →Watch on YouTube ↗Markdown

Read from the public video by gemini-3.5-flash-lite on 2026-10-01. Thumbnail and video are J. Kenji López-Alt’s, shown through YouTube’s official embed.

Same dish, other creators

Other versions of smash burgers

Compare side by sideSmash burgers: 3 versions3 creator versions · from ~$2.28*/servingBrian LagerstromJ. Kenji López-AltSAM THE COOKING GUY

More from J. Kenji López-Alt

Also from this channel

All from J. Kenji López-Alt →

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about Smash burgers

What makes J. Kenji López-Alt's Smash burgers recipe and technique special?

J. Kenji López-Alt's take on Smash burgers focuses on home kitchen precision, balancing North American flavors with an estimated under 30 minutes total preparation time. Crucial step: Pressing too hard or too light ruins crust and juiciness. Every step is timestamped to the exact second in the video so you can follow along hands-free.

How much does it cost to make Smash burgers at Ontario grocery prices?

Based on Statistics Canada benchmark consumer food pricing, this Smash burgers recipe costs approximately economical home-cooked pricing per serving (yielding 2 to 4 portions). Home cooking saves an estimated 60% to 75% compared to ordering takeout at a restaurant.

Can I make Smash burgers ahead of time or store leftovers?

Yes. Leftover Smash burgers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. If the recipe contains delicate leafy greens or dressed ingredients, keep the dressing separate until ready to serve to maintain crisp texture.

What substitutions can I make in J. Kenji López-Alt's Smash burgers?

This recipe utilizes approximately 6 ingredients across 5 steps. For gluten-free adaptations, swap regular soy sauce or flour with tamari or cornstarch. For vegetarian adaptations, replace meat proteins with extra-firm tofu, mushrooms, or legumes while preserving the aromatics.

Where can I watch the video tutorial for Smash burgers?

The official cooking video by J. Kenji López-Alt is embedded directly on RecipesMD, featuring video timeline scrubbing that jumps directly to each step, adjustable playback speeds, and Kitchen Mode.