Double Smash Kimchi Burger Recipe The Cheese-Glue Trick That Holds the Stack Together

Divide cold 80/20 beef mince into four 110g balls — two per burger, not one larger 220g ball. Roll each loosely, handling as little as possible, and season the outside with salt and pepper only just before cooking. Keep all four refrigerated until the griddle is fully heated.

Resist the temptation to save time by forming two bigger patties instead of four smaller ones. The entire premise of a double smash is maximising total crust surface area across two thin patties rather than getting one thicker patty with proportionally less sear — using fewer, larger balls defeats the purpose before you’ve even started cooking.

Whisk Kewpie mayo, gochujang, sesame oil and rice vinegar until fully combined and uniform in colour — this batch is scaled up from the classic single-patty build’s ratio to match the extra beef and cheese in this sandwich. Refrigerate until assembly; like the classic version, it improves slightly after a few hours as the flavours meld.

Squeeze excess liquid from the chopped Stage 3 kimchi, then toss with shredded napa cabbage, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sesame seeds. This batch is roughly 30% larger than the classic build’s — enough to balance the extra beef and cheese without burying it, based on side-by-side testing against a fully doubled batch that proved too much.

Heat a cast iron griddle until visibly smoking. Add a small amount of oil, then place two beef balls with enough space between them that smashing won’t merge them together. Press each flat immediately with a heavy spatula for a full 10 seconds, then cook undisturbed for 90 seconds until the edges are dark and lacy — exactly as in the classic single-patty build, just twice.

Working with two patties at once on the same griddle takes a bit more spatial awareness than a single patty. If your griddle isn’t large enough to comfortably fit two patties with smashing room, work in batches of two rather than crowding all four on at once — crowding drops the surface temperature and undermines the crust you’re trying to build.

Flip both patties, and immediately place a slice of American cheese on each. As soon as the cheese is fully melted and glossy — usually 30–45 seconds — lift one cheese-topped patty and stack it directly on top of the other, both still on the hot griddle. Press down gently for a few seconds to help the two melted cheese layers fuse into a single bonding layer between the patties.

This timing is the entire technical difference between a double smash burger that holds together and one that slides apart the moment you bite into it. If the cheese has started to firm up even slightly before you stack, the bond will be noticeably weaker — work quickly and have your spatula ready before the cheese goes on. Repeat the smash, cheese, and stack sequence for the second burger’s patties.

Reduce the griddle to medium heat. Add the butter to the residual beef fat and toast the jumbo brioche buns cut-side down for 60–75 seconds until deep golden. The jumbo size matters structurally here, not just for looks — a standard bun compressed and split under the combined weight and height of the stacked patties and scaled-up toppings in testing.

Spread gochujang mayo on both bun halves to the edges. Place the stacked double patty on the bottom bun, pile the scaled kimchi slaw on top, and scatter spring onion. Cap with the top bun and press down gently for a few seconds to compress the layers slightly before serving.

Serve immediately, and don’t be tempted to add extra kimchi slaw beyond what’s specified — the tested 30% scale-up is deliberately calibrated to keep the sandwich bite-able. More slaw than that, on top of an already-tall stack, makes the burger genuinely difficult to eat in one go.