Mississippi Smash Burgers – A Simple Burger With Amazing Flavor!

If you are a fan of Mississippi Pot Roast, then you are going to love these simple smash burgers! They feature all the same amazing flavors of its pot roast cousin but in a simple-to-make burger form. Once you’ve tried these, it will be hard to go back to eating plain old burgers again!

I love traditional Mississippi pot roast. It’s a simple grab-and-dump recipe that can easily be put together in just a few minutes in the morning. By the late afternoon, you have a delicious home-cooked meal that is definitely not lacking in flavor. My favorite is when you drown homemade mashed potatoes with it. It’s definitely a cold-weather comfort meal like no other!

However, sometimes I’m just not in the mood for a huge pot roast or a big fancy meal. This is especially the case when the temperatures are still relatively warm outside. In addition, roasts typically aren’t as high up on my kids’ favorite food lists.

Now burgers – that’s a whole other story! Who doesn’t like a good ol’ juicy burger straight from the grill? Combine my family’s love for burgers and the amazing flavors of Mississippi Pot Roast and you have yourself a true winner!

The best part is that you can tweak the flavors a bit to make them more to your family’s liking. If you prefer a bit more heat, use hot pepperoncini peppers. If not, go for the medium or mild ones like we do. You really can’t go wrong with this simple recipe! Just don’t forget to try the pepperoncini mayo while you are at it!

How To Make Mississippi Smash Burgers

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe, including exact measurements and amounts. You can also print out the instructions. I go into a bit more detail about the recipe here first, just in case you need it.

Ingredients

The burgers themselves only take 4 simple ingredients: beef, dry ranch dressing seasoning mix, au jus gravy mix, and some juice from a jar of pepperoncini peppers. (Technically, the bun makes it five but the burgers themselves only take four.)

We like to start with two pounds of ground beef. You can cut the recipe in half if you have a smaller family. However, when we buy our locally raised beef in bulk, we always get ground beef frozen in two-pound packages and this is the perfect amount for us. The burgers will end up being either quarter or third-pound patties, depending on how you divide the beef.

For the dry ranch seasoning mix, the Hidden Valley seasoning mix is our go-to. You can also use homemade ranch seasoning as well. The key is to make sure you are using the seasoning mix as opposed to the creamy ranch dressing. (Product Link: Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning)

The same goes with the au jus mix. We always use the McCormick Au Jus Gravy mix, and one packet will be enough for the two pounds of meat (with a little leftover even). (Product Link: McCormick Au Jus Gravy Mix)

There are a bunch of different jarred pepperoncini pepper brands you can use. The one we typically use has a “medium” heat level but there is also “hot” as well as a “mild” if you can find it. I am not much for spicy foods at all and the medium seems to be about perfect for our family.

For the pepperoncini mayo, you only need three ingredients: mayonnaise, pepperoncini juice, and black pepper (to taste). Or, you can skip the pepperoncini mayo and just use regular mayo if you prefer. I like the added flavor the pepperoncini mayo gives.

Instructions For Mississippi Smash Burgers

First, start by placing your ground beef into a large bowl. Add in your dry ranch dressing seasoning mix, the au juice gravy mix, and the pepperoncini juice. Mix all of the ingredients together until they are well combined.

This is actually where I like to get my hands (or the kids’) dirty and mix the meat by hand. It just seems like you can combine everything better than when you only use a spoon.

Once combined, it’s time to divide the beef. As mentioned earlier, we like to eat these as either quarter-pound or third-pound burgers. This means we have to split the beef into either 6 or 8 equal portions, respectively.

An easy way to do this is to flatten out the meat in your bowl so the top is as even as possible. Divide the beef into half, using your fingers to lightly “score” the meat. Then, divide each half into either thirds or fourths.

You can then scoop out the meat one portion at a time. While It doesn’t make the portions exact, it gets them pretty close. Shape each portion into a tight ball and set aside.

Cooking The Burgers

Now it’s time to heat up whatever you are going to use for cooking. I’ve used both a stovetop griddle as well as a large cast iron skillet to make these. You can also use a flat top griddle if you have one of those as well (like a Blackstone).

Make sure to season the cook top with a bit of fat so the burgers don’t stick. I save the grease from whenever we cook bacon and like to use a bit of that, but you can use whatever fat you prefer.

Once the cooktop is all nice and hot and your burgers are formed, it’s time for cooking. Place one of the beef portions onto the cooking surface at a time. Space additional burgers far apart, keeping in mind that you will be smashing them so they will spread out some. If using a skillet, you will have to cook them in batches.

Allow the meat to cook for about a minute. Then, take a piece of parchment paper and place it on top of one of the burgers. Using a burger press, push down on the ball until the patty is nice and smashed (hence the “smash burger” name!). Repeat for all of the other burgers. The parchment paper helps keep the meat from sticking to the press. (I love using the unbleached parchment paper.) (Product Links: Lodge Grill Press and Reynolds Kitchen Unbleached Parchment Paper)

Allow the burgers to cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, then flip. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and reaches an internal temperature of 160º Fahrenheit.

Make The Mayo & Toast The Buns

Meanwhile, prepare your pepperoncini mayo. Mix the mayo with the pepperoncini juice. You can also finely chop up a few peppers if you want even more heat. I typically just use the juice and save the peppers for topping the burger since they can be a bit spicier than the juice alone and that way people can adjust the heat accordingly.

Add a bit of pepper to taste (which is just a small pinch for us). Keep the mayo cool in the refrigerator until the burgers are done.

We also like to toast our hamburger buns for a minute or two on the griddle while the meat finishes cooking. This just provides even more flavor and texture to the finished burger. (These burgers are amazing with homemade buns, too!)

Assemble The Mississippi Smash Burgers

Once all of the beef is cooked, it’s time to assemble the burgers. On the bottom half of your burger, slather on the pepperoncini mayo. Add a Mississippi Smash Burger patty on top of the mayo.

Next, I like to place a few sliced pepperoncini peppers for even more flavor and texture. This is optional and an addition that my kids usually skip (hey, more for me!). Add the top toasted bun and your burger is complete!

Some people like to add cheese or other toppings, but I find the seasoning of the burgers combined with the pepperoncini mayo is plenty to make this burger great on its own. You do you, as always!

I hope you enjoy this simple yet flavor-packed burger recipe!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

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