Guy Fieri’s – With barbecue season nearly here, Guy Fieri laid out four practical steps for a “perfect burger,” from 80/20 seasoned ground beef on a very hot pan to American cheese melted under a dome. He also recommended a toasted, buttered brioche bun and his “LTOP” blend
Summer is almost here, and that can only mean one thing: barbecue season. For burger tips, Guy Fieri—calling himself “the Mayor of Flavortown”—keeps the answer grounded in something bigger than just a recipe.
“When asked how to make the perfect burger,” Fieri said the “more complicated” part is that it’s “not just about a burger recipe.” In his telling, it’s “about the execution of the whole deal.” You can “get down with whatever toppings you want,” he said, but “the basics have to be covered.”
Fieri’s first move starts before any topping ever hits the bun. He recommends using seasoned ground beef, specifically “80/20,” meaning 80% lean and 20% fat. He then gets direct about what cooks should do next: “Start with your seasoned ground beef in a ball and place it on the hottest griddle or cast iron pan you can get.”.
Then comes the part that separates a burger you remember from one you forget. “And let it crisp up and get all that delicious caramelization going,” Fieri said after instructing cooks to smash. “You smash it down hard, we’re talking a half-inch thick.”
Once the sides of the patty are crunchy, the next step is timing and flipping. “Flip it over and let the other side brown up. Now it’s time for the cheese.” And for Fieri, the cheese is where the burger can tip from good to great.
“If you’re going to do cheese, try some American slices because they melt really well,” he said. Then he added a trick that sounds simple but has a clear goal: getting the cheese melted without turning the burger into something overcooked. “Put some sort of dome or metal bowl over the top and squirt a little water underneath,” Fieri explained. “That steam will melt your cheese before you overcook your burger.”.
After the cheese is handled, the bun takes center stage. Fieri recommends “a toasted and buttered brioche bun” to build the burger.
Finally, he spelled out what he calls “LTOP”: lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. But he didn’t stop at naming them—he insisted on preparation details. “But you gotta shred that lettuce, slice your tomato, and cut those white onions and pickles so thin that they only have one side,” Fieri said.
The burger, in his view, is a chain: hot pan and a hard smash to build crust, cheese that melts fast without burning the patty, and a bun and toppings that match the same attention to detail.
Guy Fieri Flavortown burger tips barbecue smash burger brioche bun American cheese LTOP lettuce tomato onion pickle
LTOP… I mean I already do that? pickles are non negotiable.
Wait so you squirt water under the dome like that actually helps? I feel like that’ll make it soggy or something. But also Guy Fieri makes everything sound easy lol.
80/20 is the only way right? My uncle says leaner burgers are better but this article is like nah fat is flavor. Also “Mayor of Flavortown” sounds like a real politician 😂
I don’t get the “half-inch thick smash” part, like are we making it thinner or thicker? Half-inch is already kinda thick. And American cheese slices melt faster because they’re probably processed… not judging I guess, just seems like cheat code. Brioche bun too, like why not regular? idk maybe bbq crowd loves fancy.