Bacon Ranch Smash Burger
The original smash burger on this site is one of the best things on the menu. Which is exactly why this one exists. Because the original smash burger is a great base and a bacon ranch smash burger is what happens when you look at that base and ask what would make it annoying to stop eating.
The answer is ranch on two levels — seasoning in the crust, sauce on the bun — plus crispy bacon and pepper jack cheese that melts over the whole situation while the second side cooks. It takes fifteen minutes. It tastes like a $17 bar burger. The math works in your favor.
Why the Double Ranch Works
Ranch seasoning on the beef and ranch dressing in the sauce sounds like too much. It isn’t. The ranch seasoning goes on the surface of the patty before it hits the pan — it becomes part of the crust, not the interior. It adds a savory, herby depth to the sear rather than tasting like a burger dipped in dressing.
The ranch sauce on the bun is a different thing entirely. It’s ranch mixed with a little mayo — creamy, cool, and rich. It plays against the hot patty and the crispy bacon the same way any good burger sauce does.
Together they create a burger where ranch is the flavor theme, not just a topping. There’s a difference.
The Smash Burger Rules Still Apply
Everything from the original smash burger post applies here — the beef stays cold until it hits the pan, you press hard and hold for ten seconds, you don’t touch it again until the edges are deeply brown and the juices are bubbling through the top. Those rules don’t change because you added ranch.
The one addition: season the top of each patty immediately after smashing with a pinch of ranch seasoning. It goes on the raw side facing up while the crust forms on the bottom. By the time you flip, it’s worked into the surface.
Pepper jack goes on immediately after the flip. One minute is all it needs to melt completely over the patty while the second side finishes. Don’t wait until the burger comes out of the pan — by then it’s too late.
The Bacon Question
Pre-cooked bacon, warmed for 30 seconds in the microwave. That’s it. You don’t need to cook bacon for a smash burger — the whole point of this dinner is fifteen minutes, and frying bacon adds ten of them for no reason. The pre-cooked strips from the grocery store get crispy in the microwave and taste fine. Two strips per burger.
If you have leftover bacon from something else, use it. If you want to fry a fresh batch, no one is stopping you. But it’s not required.
What to Serve With It
Fries are the obvious answer. A bagged coleslaw kit dressed with a little mayo and apple cider vinegar takes three minutes and makes this feel like a full meal. Pickle chips on the side if you want them — though they’re already in the burger.
Leftovers
Smash burger patties reheat better than you’d expect. Skillet over medium heat, two minutes per side. The crust comes back. The cheese re-melts. Don’t microwave them — the bun gets soggy and the patty steams instead of crisping.
Build the burgers fresh and reheat just the patties if you have leftovers. The slaw and the buns stay separate until you’re ready to eat.
Bacon Ranch Smash Burger
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 1 lb ground beef 80/20, cold from the fridge — divided into 4 loose 4-oz balls, do not pack
- 8 strips pre-cooked bacon ready-to-eat
Produce
- 0.5 red onion very thinly sliced
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce
Dairy
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese freshly sliced or pre-sliced
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter for toasting buns
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 4 brioche burger buns split
- 4 tbsp ranch dressing store-bought
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise Hellmanns or Dukes recommended
- 0.25 cup dill pickles thinly sliced
Seasonings & Spices
- 1 tbsp ranch seasoning dry packet or from a jar — Hidden Valley recommended
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Mix the ranch sauce: stir together the ranch dressing and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Set aside in the fridge. Warm the pre-cooked bacon in the microwave for 30 seconds — just enough to crisp it up. Set aside.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or heavy stainless pan over high heat for 2 minutes until very hot. While it heats, toast the buns: melt butter in a separate skillet over medium heat and toast cut-side down until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Season each beef ball lightly with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of ranch seasoning on the outside. Do not mix seasoning into the meat — season the surface only.
- Place two beef balls in the hot skillet. Immediately smash each one flat with a heavy spatula or burger press — press hard and hold for 10 seconds. The patties should be about a quarter-inch thick. Season the top surface with another pinch of ranch seasoning.
- Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until the edges are deeply browned and crispy and juices begin to bubble through the top. Flip once with a firm scrape — the crust should release cleanly. Place a slice of pepper jack cheese on each patty immediately after flipping. Cook for 1 minute more until the cheese is fully melted. Repeat with remaining two patties.
- Spread ranch sauce generously on both cut sides of each toasted bun. Add lettuce to the bottom bun, then a patty, two strips of bacon, sliced red onion, and pickles. Cap with the top bun and serve immediately.
