8 Burger Chains That Don't Actually Grill Their Burgers
To grill, or not to grill? When it comes to the perfect burger, many people love that flame-grilled taste—but the most popular fast-food outlet in the United States (McDonalds) doesn't grill burgers, instead relying on an electric flat-top grill, also known as a griddle. While cooking over a flame will give the burger more char and a deeper flavor, many burger fanatics (that's pretty much all of us, right?) can't get enough of that crispy, caramelized smashburger taste and texture. It comes down to a personal preference, so if you're team smashburger rather than team flame, here are 8 burger chains where the meat is cooked on a flat-topped griddle.
Shake Shack
Shake Shack's burgers are made from 100% fresh, never frozen beef, and cooked on a flat-top grill. The burgers are smashed flat onto the grill, letting the fat from the burger caramelize the meat instead of using cooking oil. "What you're looking for is that sweet spot," Shake Shack Culinary Director Mark Rosati tells Epicurious. "You want enough fat to get that juiciness, but not so much that the patty is going to shrink down to nothing when you cook it." The burgers are not flipped but "scraped" off the grill.
McDonalds
McDonald's is the most popular burger chain in the U.S., and the Big Mac, introduced in 1967, is still one of their best-selling burgers. McDonald's burgers are cooked on a special electric grill where it takes less than a minute for the patties to cook. "Our burgers are made only with 100% USDA inspected beef. There are no preservatives or fillers in our patties and the only thing ever added is a touch of salt and pepper on the grill," McDonald's says.
Steak n Shake
Home of "America's Original Steakburger", Steak n Shake uses a flat-top grill to create perfectly juicy, delicious smashburgers. The chain also has a "different" way of smashing burgers, waiting 20-30 seconds after the puck of meat hits the griddle to smash it. "As someone who worked there for 8 years, you pre sear the puck so it doesn't stick to the spat and when you do 52 or more pucks at one time you must do this. If you don't it tears the meat up and destroys the patty," one helpful Redditor shared.
Smashburger
Smashburger doesn't mess around when it comes to making amazing burgers. The chain uses a "signature proprietary burger smasher" to make the perfect burger every time. "Using our customized, metal smasher, designed to perfectly fit our patty size (fancy, right?), every burger is freshly smashed onto a hot buttered, seasoned grill to caramelize the patty creating the most flavorful, crave-able, juicy sear," the restaurant says.
In-N-Out
In-N-Out takes a different approach to Smashburger in that they smash the patties flat before they hit the grill. The burgers are so thin they only take four minutes to cook on the grill, as per Mashed, and are seasoned with salt and pepper, unless it's animal style in which case mustard is used as the patties are cooking. The burger chain has a cult following for good reason—no flames, no problem.
White Castle
White Castle burgers have a very distinct texture and taste, the result of a unique cooking method where the burger patties are steamed on top of the grill by being placed on finely-chopped onions. The burgers each have five holes in the patty so they can steam quicker without any need for flipping, according to CBS News.
Wendy's
Wendy's is the second most popular burger chain in the U.S. after McDonalds, and also uses a special clamshell two-sided grill to make each fresh, never frozen sandwich. "Square beef patties make it easy to know you're enjoying the very best hamburger for your buck: fresh, never frozen and made from 100% real beef. Our signature square hamburger patties have no fillers or additives, because we know the beef is what matters when it comes to making the best hamburger in the game," Wendy's says.
Red Robin
Red Robin uses flat-top grills for every one of their gourmet burgers. "Our new cooking and searing method coaxes out flavor you never thought possible. It traps in seasoning, crisps and caramelizes your patty, and creates even heat distribution for consistent Yummm every time. Throw in our proprietary blend of all-natural beef and seasonings and you have something you absolutely can't make at home. And isn't that the point?" the company says.
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