Smash Burgers

A low FODMAP smash burger with crispy-edged beef patties, cheddar, dill pickles, lettuce, tomato, and a mustard-pickle burger sauce on gluten-free buns.

Prep 15 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Burger sauce

• 1/4 cup (60 g) mayonnaise (with no garlic or onion on the label)
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill pickle
• 1 teaspoon dill pickle brine
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Burgers

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef, 80% lean
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 slices cheddar or American cheese
• 4 gluten-free burger buns (with no inulin, chicory root, honey, or fruit juice concentrate on the label)
• 1 tablespoon butter or garlic-infused olive oil, for the buns

Toppings

• 4 leaves green leaf or iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 medium tomato (65 g), cut into 4 thin slices
• 12 dill pickle chips (about 60 g), from a jar with no garlic in the brine

Instructions

Sauce and buns

1. Stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, chopped pickle, pickle brine, and smoked paprika. Set aside.
2. Divide the beef into 4 loose balls of about 113 g each. Keep them in the fridge until the pan is hot.
3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Brush the cut sides of the buns with the butter or oil and toast them for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden. Set aside.

Smash and cook

1. Raise the heat to high and let the skillet heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until very hot.
2. Place 2 beef balls in the skillet, cover each with a square of parchment, and press down hard with a sturdy metal spatula to about 1/4 inch thick. Peel off the parchment and season the tops with half the salt and pepper.
3. Cook without moving for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges are deep brown and crisp.
4. Scrape under each patty with the spatula, flip, and lay a slice of cheese on top. Cook 1 minute more, until the cheese melts and the beef reaches 160°F (71°C) with no pink inside.
5. Move to a plate and repeat with the remaining 2 patties, salt, and pepper.

Build

1. Spread the sauce on both halves of each bun.
2. Layer lettuce, a patty, a tomato slice, and 3 pickle chips on each bottom bun, then close.

Tips & Substitutions

• Read the pickle label. Many dill pickles are brined with garlic. Look for a jar that lists only cucumbers, vinegar, water, salt, dill, and spices.
• Double patties. Use 8 balls of about 56 g and stack two thin patties with cheese between them.
• Ketchup. Most bottled ketchup contains onion. Use homemade low FODMAP ketchup or the BBQ sauce instead.
• Lettuce wrap. Skip the bun and wrap each patty in 2 large iceberg leaves.
• Serve it with fries. Air fryer french fries keep the meal low FODMAP.

Why This Works

Garlic-free seasoning. Salt, pepper, and a hard sear give the beef its flavor, so there is no need for onion or garlic powder.

Tomato portion. A thin slice per burger adds up to half a medium tomato across 4 burgers, within the 65 g Monash serve.

Pickles at a tested serve. Vinegar-brined dill pickles are low FODMAP at 75 g, and 3 chips per burger is well under that.

Storage

Serve smash burgers fresh. Refrigerate leftover cooked patties for up to 3 days and reheat in a skillet until hot in the center, 165°F (74°C). Keep the sauce covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.