Can Smash Burgers Be Pink, Or Does That Defeat The Purpose?

Juicy with some pink in the middle is generally the description you want when talking about a high-quality burger. However, in the case of a thin, crispy smash burger it might not be. Whether you enjoy your burgers rare or well done is a matter of personal preference, but when it comes to a burger with such a specific cooking method like the smash burger, there's not much room for debate. When making a perfect smash burger, you want the edges crispy. To avoid drying it out, it should only be flipped once the majority of the pink color has vanished.

When it comes to any other style of burger, pressing down and cooking until there's no pink would be a big mistake. Smash burgers, on the other hand, are cooked at a high heat so the edges crisp, the burger caramelizes, and is generally ready much faster. A smash burger patty is usually only about ¼-inch thick, so having any pink in the center would likely mean it wasn't made correctly.

The smash burger's quick cook time and overall doneness are a driving part of what makes this style of burger so well-suited to the fast food business. Fast food chains, as the name suggests, have to serve up orders in a timely fashion. And when there are five cars in the drive-thru lane, there's no time to check whether or not the temperature of the patty is too rare.

There's also no time to ask each and every customer whether they prefer their smash burger medium or medium rare. Five Guys, known for its smash burger style, doesn't ask its customers how they'd like their burger cooked. The chain doesn't need to because all of its burgers are seared and crisp on their edges.

Smash burgers are unique in their preparation, and the lack of pink in the middle only further shows how this style of burger stands out from the rest. Not all fast food chains specialize in this type of burger, but the ones that do are known for bringing an old-school cooking method into the modern day.