This is the burger I build when I want every bite stacked with savory depth instead of just salt and char. It's got miso, Worcestershire, aged cheddar, shiitake, and a finishing handful of bonito flakes — five different sources of umami working together instead of leaning on just one.
I start by salting sliced onions and wringing out the moisture so they caramelize fast on the griddle instead of steaming. The patties get a Worcestershire coating and a Lone Star and shiitake seasoning mix before they're smashed paper-thin in wagyu tallow, which gives them a lacy, crispy edge you don't get from a thicker patty.
What You'll Love
- Five sources of umami in one burger. Worcestershire, miso, shiitake, aged cheddar, and bonito flakes all stack together instead of relying on just salt and beef flavor.
- Paper-thin smashed patties for maximum crust. Pressing the beef very thin against the hot tallow-coated griddle builds a lacy, crispy edge on every patty.
- Salted and drained onions caramelize instead of steam. Drawing moisture out of the onions before they hit the griddle means they brown fast instead of turning soggy.
- Wagyu tallow for extra richness. Using wagyu beef tallow instead of butter or oil to toast the buns and cook the patties adds a deeper, beefier flavor throughout.
- A genuinely different burger sauce. Whisking miso and Triple Crunch mustard into Kewpie mayo gives you something savory and tangy instead of a standard burger sauce.
Double Smashed Umami Cheeseburger
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Burgers
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Calories
960
Double-smashed patties loaded with aged cheddar, bonito flakes, and a miso-Kewpie sauce for a burger built entirely around umami flavor.
Ingredients
-
2 yellow onions, thin sliced
-
1 tsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Salt
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1 lb (80/20) ground beef, divided into 8 (2 oz) portions
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3 tbsp Bear & Burton's W Sauce (Worcestershire)
-
2 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-Tip Seasoning
-
1 tbsp dried shiitake mushroom powder
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1/2 cup Cornhusker Kitchen Wagyu Beef Tallow, for the griddle
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3 cups (1 lb) 1776 aged cheddar, grated
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1/4 cup Katsuobushi (dried skipjack), chopped
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6 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
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2 tsp white miso
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2 tsp Kozlik's Triple Crunch Mustard
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4 brioche buns
For the Onions
For the Patties
For the Sauce
To Assemble
Directions
Salt the Onions
I place the thin-sliced onions in a bowl and add the Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Salt, massaging it in by hand so every slice gets coated. I let that rest for 30 minutes to draw moisture out of the onions, then transfer them to cheesecloth and wring out as much liquid as I can, discarding the liquid. This step is what lets the onions caramelize quickly on the griddle instead of steaming.
Make the Sauce
While the onions rest, I whisk together the Kewpie mayonnaise, white miso, and Kozlik's Triple Crunch Mustard until fully combined. Set this aside until it's time to build the burgers.
Season the Patties
I preheat my Yoder Smokers YS640s to 450°F with the cast iron griddle installed over the firebox. I coat the discs of ground beef with the Bear & Burton's W Sauce, then season them with a mix of the California Tri-Tip Seasoning and shiitake mushroom powder.
Toast the Buns
I melt one tablespoon of the wagyu tallow on the hot griddle, then place the buns cut side down directly on the melted tallow and toast until browned. I pull them off and hold them covered to keep warm while I work on the patties.
Smash and Sear
I melt a second tablespoon of tallow on the griddle, then place the seasoned beef discs on top. I top each one with a portion of the drained onions, then press them very thin with a grill press, flattening everything together. I let them cook just until seared, then flip.
Melt the Cheese
Once flipped, I top the patties with the grated cheddar and sprinkle the chopped Katsuobushi over the cheese. I cover the griddle with a lid just long enough to melt the cheese through, then remove the lid.
Stack and Serve
I stack the patties together, spread the toasted buns with the miso-Kewpie sauce, then build the burger — patties on the bottom bun, sauce-side top bun to close it out. Serve immediately while everything's hot and the cheese is still melted.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
What does salting and draining the onions actually do?
Drawing moisture out of the onions before they hit the griddle means they caramelize and brown quickly instead of releasing water and steaming, which keeps them from turning soggy under the patties.
Can I substitute a different beef tallow?
Yes — a standard beef tallow will work if you don't have the wagyu version, though you'll lose a bit of the extra richness it adds to the patties and toasted buns.
What if I can't find Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)?
You can leave them out, though they add a distinct smoky, savory depth that's part of what makes this burger "umami" in the first place. Japanese or specialty grocery stores are the most reliable source if you want to track them down.
Can I make the sauce ahead of time?
Yes, the miso-Kewpie sauce keeps well in the fridge in a sealed container for several days, so it's easy to make ahead of time.
Can I make this recipe indoors?
Yes — I'd rate this a 5 out of 5 for indoor cooking. Everything here happens on a flat griddle surface, so a stovetop griddle or large cast iron skillet will give you the same result inside.
Recipe Highlights & Insights
This burger layers umami from five different sources. Worcestershire, miso, shiitake powder, aged cheddar, and bonito flakes each bring their own savory depth, so the final flavor is more complex than any single ingredient could deliver on its own.
Salting and wringing the onions is a small step with a big payoff. It's an extra 30 minutes of waiting, but it's the difference between onions that caramelize properly and onions that steam and turn gray on the griddle.
Smashing thin is what builds the crust. Pressing the patties very thin against the hot, tallow-coated griddle maximizes surface contact, which is what creates that lacy, crispy edge smash burgers are known for.
Wagyu tallow touches almost every component. Using it to toast the buns and cook the patties means the richness carries through the whole burger instead of being isolated to just the beef.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 1 Double-Patty Burger
- per serving
- Calories
- 960
- Fat
- 70 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 32 grams
- Cholesterol
- 190 milligrams
- Sodium
- 1450 milligrams
- Carbs
- 30 grams
- Fiber
- 1 grams
- Sugar
- 5 grams
- Protein
- 52 grams
