Alabama White Smash Burgers

Apr 16, 2025 • Tom Jackson

Sink your teeth into juicy, crispy-edged Alabama White Smash Burgers, bursting with bold Southern flavor. These burgers feature Creekstone Farms Brisket Blend patties smashed on a searing-hot cast iron griddle using the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill, delivering that perfect crust. Topped with melty white American cheese, tangy garlic dill pickles, and a zesty homemade Alabama White Sauce, each bite offers a rich balance of creamy, savory, and smoky notes. Whether you're cooking for a crowd or crafting the ultimate weeknight indulgence, this recipe transforms classic smash burgers into a crave-worthy grilling masterpiece.

What You'll Love

The salted onion prep is not optional. Massaging the sliced onion with kosher salt and squeezing out the liquid before pressing it into the patty keeps the smash from steaming instead of searing — wet onions on a griddle kill the crust.
Creekstone Farms Brisket Blend earns its spot. The fat content and grind of a brisket blend produces a wider, lacier crust when smashed than standard 80/20 — more surface contact, more Maillard reaction, better burger.
Meat Church Blanco goes on after the smash. Seasoning after pressing means the rub hits the exposed meat surface directly rather than getting trapped under the parchment and steaming off — it stays on the crust where it belongs.
The Alabama White Sauce is the whole point. Mayo, apple cider vinegar, horseradish, Cattleman's Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce, honey, and Blanco — tangy, creamy, and sharp in a way that cuts through the richness of two stacked patties and melted American cheese. It goes on the bottom bun and smothers the top, not just one or the other.

Alabama White Smash Burgers

Tom Jackson

Rated 4.9 stars by 8 users

Cuisine

American

Servings

4

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Calories

540

Crispy, cheesy, and dripping with tangy Alabama White Sauce, these smash burgers are packed with Southern-style flavor. Made on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill, they’re a guaranteed hit for any backyard cookout.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
2 tsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
4 each 1/4 lb Creekstone Farms Brisket Blend Burger Pucks
Meat Church Blanco Seasoning
Cornhusker Kitchen Spray Duck Fat
4 slices white American cheese
2 potato buns
4 Holme’s Made Dad’s Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles, spiced horizontally in half

For the Alabama White Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp prepared horseradish
2 tsp Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce
1 tsp Reida Farm Wildflower Honey
1/2 tsp Meat Church Blanco Seasoning

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Directions

Place the sliced onions in a bowl and season with the salt. Massage the salt into the onions and let sit for an hour. Then place in a thin cloth and squeeze to remove the liquid.
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 400ºF with the Yoder Smokers Cast Iron Griddle installed on the left side and the diffuser plate installed, as well.
Combine all ingredients for the Alabama White Sauce in a bowl and whisk to combine. Refrigerate for up to one week.
Spray the preheated griddle with Cornhusker Kitchen Spray Duck Fat. Place the burger pucks on the griddle, one by one, topping with a small piece of parchment and press very thin with a burger press or sturdy spatula.
Remove the parchment and season with Meat Church Blanco Seasoning. Place the onions on top and press them into the patty.
When the bottom is seared, flip and top with the cheese. Add a little water to the skillet to steam the cheese and close the lid. Cook until the bottom is seared and the cheese is melted.
At the same time, wrap the buns in damp towels and place on the indirect side of the grill to steam just until softened.
To assemble the burgers, spread the bottom bun with a layer of Alabama White Sauce. Top with four slices of pickles, then stack two of the onion burger smash patties. Smother with more Alabama White Sauce and then the top bun.

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

Why salt the onions before pressing them into the patty?

Salting draws moisture out of the raw onion — after an hour and a squeeze through a cloth, you're left with dry, pliable onion slices that press flat against the patty and caramelize against the griddle rather than steaming it. Wet onions on a 400°F surface create steam, which drops the griddle temperature and prevents the sear from developing. The salt step takes five minutes of active work and makes a significant difference in how the burger crust forms.

Can I make the Alabama White Sauce ahead of time?

Yes — it actually improves after a few hours in the refrigerator as the flavors meld. Whisk together the mayo, apple cider vinegar, horseradish, Cattleman's Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce, honey, and Blanco seasoning, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. It keeps well for up to a week. Make a double batch — it's excellent on grilled chicken, as a dipping sauce for fries, or spooned over smoked vegetables.

What's the right technique for getting a good smash burger crust?

Three things matter: a screaming hot griddle (400°F minimum), duck fat spray for a higher smoke point and better browning, and pressing hard through parchment paper in one firm motion immediately after the puck hits the surface. Press hard and hold — don't lift and re-smash. The crust forms in the first 90 seconds of contact; lifting the press early interrupts that process. When the edges go from pink to gray-brown and the crust releases cleanly from the griddle, it's ready to flip.

Why two patties instead of one?

Each smashed patty is a quarter pound pressed very thin — a single patty at that weight would be too lean to eat as a standalone burger. Stacking two gives you the crust of a smash burger twice over, with the cheese melting between the layers and on top. The double-stack also holds up structurally under the Alabama White Sauce and pickles better than a single thin patty would.

Can I make these indoors?

Indoor cooking rating: 4 out of 5 — Great in the kitchen, better on the grill. A cast iron skillet or griddle pan on a high-heat burner replicates the smash technique very well — the crust, the cheese steam, the bun steam all work identically indoors. What you lose is any ambient pellet smoke and the large flat cooking surface of the YS640s griddle, which makes cooking multiple patties simultaneously easier. Indoors, work in batches of two.

Recipe Highlights

Duck Fat Over Butter or Oil: Cornhusker Kitchen Spray Duck Fat has a higher smoke point than butter and a richer flavor than neutral oil — it browns the patty exterior faster and contributes a subtle savory depth that vegetable spray can't replicate. Spray the griddle right before each puck goes on, not during preheat, so it doesn't burn off before the beef hits the surface.
Parchment Between Press and Patty: The parchment prevents the meat from tearing when you lift the press, keeps the seasoning from sticking to the press surface, and lets you apply full force without the patty buckling at the edges. Use a fresh square for each patty — reusing a greasy piece reduces the friction needed to press effectively.
Cheese Steam Is the Finishing Move: After flipping, top with white American cheese and add a splash of water to the griddle, then close the lid. The steam melts the cheese in about 30 seconds without overcooking the patty — faster and more even than relying on residual heat alone. American cheese is the right call here; it melts completely and evenly where other cheeses separate or pool.
Sauce on Bottom and Top: Alabama White Sauce goes on the bottom bun first, then the pickles sit in it, then the double-stacked patties, then a generous pour of sauce over the top before the crown bun goes on. Sauce only on the bottom leaves the top half of the burger dry; sauce only on top runs off during the first bite. Both sides keeps the flavor ratio consistent through the whole eat.