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Two double smash burgers with melted cheese and masala sauce beside the cast-iron pan
A double smash burger with a dark lacy crust – masala sauce dripping over the edge of a toasted bun.

Smash Burgers with Masala Sauce

Thin patties with a dark crust, seasoned on the outside only, stacked two high with a mango-chutney burger sauce.

Prep
15 mins
Cook
15 mins
Total
30 mins
Makes
4 burgers
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Kitchen roadmap

Before you cook

The details that make or break this dish, mapped to the exact step where they matter.

  1. Avoid thisKeep the balls loose
  2. Make sureThe pan must be extremely hot
  3. Make sureSmash once, immediately
  4. Watch forWait for the dark crust

Ingredients

  • Patties
  • Sauce
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Method

9 steps

  1. Mix the sauce ingredients and refrigerate.

  2. Divide the mince into eight loose balls.

    Do not tightly compress them.

  3. Heat a cast-iron or heavy frying pan until extremely hot.

  4. Place the mince balls in the pan and immediately smash them into thin patties.

    A loose ball of beef being pressed into a very thin smash burger patty on a hot cast-iron pan

  5. Sprinkle lightly with AL Mix.

    Season the outside rather than mixing it through the beef, which is what keeps smash patties tender.

  6. Cook for approximately 90 seconds until a dark crust forms.

    Thin smash burger patties with dark lacy crusts and crisp irregular edges lifting from cast iron

  7. Flip, add cheese and cook for another minute.

  8. Stack two patties per burger.

  9. Toast the buns and assemble with sauce, sliced onions and optional pickles.

If it does not come out right

The faults this dish actually has. Open one for the fix.

How much spice blend per person?

Allow 4 g of an all-purpose South Asian spice blend per person for a curry – about one level teaspoon – which is 16 g for a family of four, or roughly 2 g for every 100 g of raw meat or vegetables.

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Authentic Lahori All Purpose Mix pouch

Make it with the Authentic Lahori mix

One blend for karahi, curries, marinades, chips and everyday cooking.

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