Make Restaurant-Worthy Smash Burgers With This Underrated Cooking Fat

When it comes to smash burgers versus regular burgers, folks who prefer the former love the crispy edges, intensely seared flavor, and how your cooking fat of choice seeps into every part of the patty. But if you want something that makes all those merits even better, you should seriously consider cooking with duck fat.

Most people prize duck fat for its silky mouthfeel and deep, savory richness. While more commonly used to add umami to vegetables, its 375-degree Fahrenheit smoke point makes it great for developing the perfect crust on a smash burger patty. It's especially helpful for beginner cooks who may not know the exact portions of seasonings to use, or anyone who may be working with less-than-flavorful meat. Just a dollop can completely transform the flavor profile, and while the fat has a lot of flavor, it still pairs well with just about any seasoning.

The best beef blend for smash burgers hovers around 20% to 25% fat, so you can even use duck fat to amend your protein for better patties. This is particularly important when working with anything other than beef, like lean turkey or black beans, as they might crumble apart before they're finished. It may take a few tries to dial in exactly how much you want to use — some recipes recommend a tablespoon for a subtle boost, and some go up to a cup of fat per pound of protein for a confit-style fry.

Duck fat is a forgiving ingredient, so provided you don't burn it, there are few wrong answers when using it for smash burgers. Plus, you can melt it into a golden liquid or chill it into a scoopable, cream-like state, so you can mix it directly into your protein or just use it to fry up your patties.

For a normal burger, fat usually just hovers at the edges, flavoring exterior bites but being all but unnoticeable toward the center. With smash burgers, however, it can penetrate all the way to the center, infusing it with great flavor. This makes duck fat perfect for making smash burgers in a pan indoors, but you may need to be careful with your heat. Direct contact with hot metal is the easiest way to burn any fat, but even if you do char it, you can always just wipe your pan clean between patties and reapply as needed.

If you decide to mix it directly into your patties, you may be better off letting it sit at room temperature to melt a bit. Too hot, and you'll turn the meat gray, but too cold, and you'll end up with fatty chunks. While this guarantees a thorough and even distribution of flavor, you'll want to observe one of the most important rules for grilling burgers like a pro: Don't overwork the meat! This gives it a sausage-like consistency and robs it of any tenderness, creating something snappy and chewy rather than tender and crumbly.