The Meaty Secret Found In Smashburger's Iconic Burgers

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Try as you might to make an easy smash burger recipe at home, you can taste the difference when you order a burger from Smashburger's Scorchin' Hot smoky menu. These juicy beef patties are delicious for good reason, thanks to a special recipe that evolved from a man with a PhD in flavor and fragrance chemistry — CEO Tom Ryan. There are a few key ingredients that make these burgers so tasty, but one is ground-up triple-roasted chicken skin. Ryan explained to Franchise Times the story behind the unusual addition, saying, "Remember when your mom used to make baked chicken on Sunday and there's that big layer of skin on top? That's what's in there." 

But that's not all that's in Smashburger's drool-inducing burger patties. They are also flavored with a secret seasoning that includes kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic. Tom Ryan has an impressive history of creating fast-food bangers. In his past he created Stuffed Crust Pizza and the McGriddle before he began tinkering with Smashburger's burger recipes. 

Ryan's unique recipe has resulted in juicy patties that are seasoned to perfection and have attracted a devout following of meat lovers. The beef is loosely formed into patties to result in a more flavorful burger that offers both texture and satisfying taste. Frozen buns are sliced and toasted, and once cooked, the burgers at Smashburger are carefully assembled.

If you think about that crispy piece of skin that forms on top of a roasted chicken pulled right out of the oven, you understand the finger-licking flavor that is incorporated into the Smashburger recipes. In addition to this added meaty ingredient, the way in which Smashburger patties are formed helps caramelize the beef into juicy perfection. The exterior of each patty is slightly crunchy, thanks to the Maillard Reaction, and when smashed onto a piping hot surface, the beef cooks in its own juices. Sneaking ground-up chicken skin into the burger meat is such a flavor-enhancer that some chefs have taken Smashburger's secret meaty hack to the next level by enveloping beef patties inside chicken skin to then cook and plate in between burger buns.

While you can find pre-made smash burger seasoning sold in stores (and even on Amazon for a couple of dollars), adding extra meat can certainly take an average burger recipe to new heights. For the meat lovers out there, enhancing your next cookout with the merging of beef and chicken recipes could be the drool-inducing meal that leaves friends asking for second servings.