If you love a little heat like I do, then this is the perfect Fire Smash Burger that is topped with pepper jack cheese, homemade fried jalapenos & hot sauce. This is my go to burger if I’m looking for that juicy, messy burger that is just packed with flavor.
Esman’s Fire Burger Ingredients
Burger Ingredients
- Buns
- 80/20 Ground Beef
- Pepper Jack Cheese
Homemade Hot Sauce Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons of Butter (Full Stick)
- 3 Tablespoons White Vinegar
- 1 1/3 Cup Franks Red Hot Sauce (Original)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Swamp Venom Seasoning by Dizzy Pig (Optional)
Crispy Jalapeno Chips Ingredients
- 2 each – Jalapeno’s
- 1/2 Cup – Drakes Crispy Mix
- Beer – More or less to achieve desired consistency
How to Make the Esman Fire Smash Burger Hot Sauce
Over medium heat start out by melting the butter.
Add the remaining hot sauce ingredients and mix together well.
Keep it on low melting / keep warm heat until the burgers are ready.
How to Cook Jalapenos for the Fire Burger on the Blackstone
Start out with a 1/2 cup of Drakes Crispy Mix.
Add Beer.
Mix together well in which you can add more beer or Drakes to get a good semi liquid consistency.
Cut up the Jalapeno peppers.
Add the jalapeno pepper the Drakes mixture and lightly mix them in.
Set the jalapeno’s on the Blackstone grill on high heat.
Give them a flip.
Pull them when the Drakes breading is cooked.
Once plated, set aside and move along to the smash burgers.
How to Cook Esman’s Fire Smash Burgers on the Blackstone
Make the 80/20 beef into 1/4 pound size balls (larger or smaller depending on how big of a burger patty you want).
Place two burger balls on the Blackstone Griddle with the griddle on high heat.
Place a piece of parchment paper over the burger balls and smash it down. Hold the burger smasher down for a good 10 seconds.
Move along to the second burger patty and repeat the process.
Add the Cow Lick seasoning by Dizzy Pig to both patties (or your favorite burger spice but Cow Lick is a family favorite).
Flip the burgers and cook until they are about done.
Add the cheese on top of the patties to soften / melt.
Oil the Griddle and place the buns face down to get them nice and toasty.
Pull the patties and build your perfect Esman’s Fire Smash Burger. To do this, double stack the patties.
Add a layer of the fried jalapeno’s.
Drizzle the home made hot sauce over the top of the jalapeno’s. Place your sides on the place and enjoy this juicy Esman Fire Smash Burger!
What Are Smash Burgers
Smash burgers are becoming more and more popular, even in restaurants such as popular chains like Culvers. I believe that they were first founded in 2018 and developed by what is now a popular chain called Smashburger.
Smash burgers start out as balls of ground beef. They are then placed on a high heat top, such as a Blackstone Griddle, and then they are simply smashed into a patty.
Once the balled meat is smashed into a patty on the high heat top, it creates a quick sear on the patty. This traps the moisture and completely changes the way it tastes compared to a regular burger on the grill.
Pro tip – use parchment paper between the burger patty and the bacon press. This will prevent the meat from sticking to the press and potentially making a mess of the patty.
Once the patty is pressed out, it is the perfect time to add your favorite seasoning. If you aren’t into these fire burgers I recommend Cow Lick, by Dizzy pig or even some kind of steak seasoning such as Montreal Steak Seasoning.
Once flipped and cooked all the way they are typically dressed with your favorite cheese, stacked and assembled into a delicious sandwich that is ready to eat.
What Is the Best Kind of Meat for Smash Burgers
The short answer is, the best ground beef to buy for a smash burger is a 80% lean / 20% fat mixture also known as ground chuck. It is easy to find and readily available in most grocery stores.
Other popular meat blends that can be used are brisket burger meat. Brisket has a good fat source that blends nicely with chuck. This can also be said about the meat you can pull from a short rib. Both have a nice fat ratio and when ground down and blended with chuck make for an excellent smash burger.
Why Are Smash Burgers Better
It is better described here and in more length, but it is all about the Maillard reaction. As Jessica states, the Maillard reaction occurs in foods when the proteins and amino acids react with the carbohydrates that are formed from the reducing sugars. This not only changes the taste of the burger patty, but also the color and smell of it.
Many will argue, that this is the sole reason why a smash burger is better than a traditional burger. Personally, I’d be on the fence if I had to pick because I also love my burgers cooked over lump charcoal on the Big Green Egg. Both are delicious methods with results that differ so much you could call it two different meals.
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Esman's Fire Burger (Smash Burgers) on the Blackstone
If you love a little heat like I do, then this is the perfect fire smash burger that is topped with pepper jack cheese, homemade fried jalapenos & hot sauce. This is my go to burger if I'm looking for that juicy, messy hot burger!
Ingredients
- Burger Ingredients
- - Buns
- - 80/20 Ground Beef (1 lb for 2-3 people)
- - Pepper Jack Cheese
- Homemade Hot Sauce Ingredients
- - 8 Tablespoons of Butter (Full Stick)
- - 3 Tablespoons White Vinegar
- - 1 1/3 Cup Franks Red Hot Sauce (Original)
- - 1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- - 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
- - 1/2 Teaspoon Swamp Venom Seasoning by Dizzy Pig (Optional)
- Crispy Jalapeno Chips Ingredients
- - 2 each - Jalapeno's
- - 1/2 Cup - Drakes Crispy Mix
- - Beer - More or less to achieve desired consistency
Instructions
Homemade Hot Sauce
- In a sauce pan, start melting butter over medium heat.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients. Place burner on warm/melt mode.
Jalapenos Chips for the Fire Burger
- In a mixing bowl add the Drakes Crispy Mix
- Add about 3/8 of a cup of beer and mix together well. You can add either more beer or more Drake's mix if you don't have a decent liquid consistency.
- Slice the jalapenos, put them in the beer batter & lightly mix.
Esman's Fire Smash Burgers on the Blackstone
- Start out by making 1/4 size balls (larger or smaller depending on how big of a burger patty you want).
- Place two burger balls on the Blackstone griddle with the griddle on high heat.
- Immediately place parchement paper over one of the balls and press down with your burger press and hold for 10 seconds. Move the parchment paper over to the other ball and repeat the process.
- Season with Cow Lick by Dizzy Pig (or your favorite burger spice).
- Flip them over and season them again.
- Once they are done, add the pepperjack cheese to the top and allow it to melt.
- While the cheese is melting, add some extra virgin olive oil off to the side and place the buns face side down on the griddle to get them toasted.
- Pull the buns off, double stack the patties, add the jalapeno's, drizzle some of the home made hot sauce on the top and enjoy!
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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