Mile Marker Smash Burger Stack
Where the highway ends and the hunger stops.
A gloriously messy, diner-style smash burger built for the open road — two thin, crispy-edged beef patties smashed on a griddle, layered with tangy "comeback" sauce, bread-and-butter pickles, and a fried egg for that bleary-eyed, dawn-shift diner energy. The whole thing is nestled in a toasted, butter-glossed brioche bun dusted with a pinch of smoked paprika, nodding to the smoky highway horizon. It's nostalgic, unapologetic, and deeply satisfying — just like pulling off at the perfect roadside stop.
Ingredients
- 2 brioche burger buns
- 400g (14oz) 80/20 ground beef, divided into 4 x 100g balls
- 4 slices American cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (plus extra for bun toasting)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 8 bread-and-butter pickle slices
- 1 small white onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (for egg)
- For the Comeback Sauce: 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp hot sauce (e.g. Frank's RedHot)
- 1 tsp sweet relish
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Make the comeback sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, sweet relish, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Taste and adjust heat if desired. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prep the buns: Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place the buns cut-side down and toast until deeply golden, about 1–2 minutes. Set aside. Dust the top bun lightly with smoked paprika straight from the pan.
- Heat the griddle: Crank a cast-iron skillet or flat griddle to high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add 1 tbsp butter and let it foam.
- Smash the patties: Place two 100g beef balls onto the hot skillet, scatter a few onion slices on top of each, then immediately press down HARD with a heavy spatula or burger press until each patty is thin and wide (about 4–5mm thick). Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Cook the first side: Leave undisturbed for 2–2.5 minutes until the edges are deeply browned and lacy. Do NOT press again.
- Flip and cheese: Flip each patty in one swift motion. Immediately lay one slice of American cheese on each. Cook for 60 seconds more. Stack one patty on top of the other (cheese sides facing each other) to form a double-cheese smash stack. Repeat for the second burger.
- Fry the egg: In a separate small pan over medium heat, add the neutral oil. Crack in the eggs and fry sunny-side up until the whites are just set but the yolk is still runny, about 2–3 minutes. Season lightly.
- Assemble the burger: Spread a generous layer of comeback sauce on both the top and bottom buns. On the bottom bun, layer the pickles, then the double smash patty stack, then the fried egg (let the yolk break slightly over the edge for full diner drama). Cap with the smoked-paprika top bun.
- Serve immediately with crinkle-cut fries or onion rings and extra comeback sauce on the side for dipping.