Breakfast Burger on Blackstone: Egg, Bacon, and Smash Technique

The breakfast burger is the best argument for owning a Blackstone. On a stovetop you’re juggling a skillet for bacon, another for eggs, and the broiler for cheese — and everything gets cold while you work. On the flat-top, all of it cooks at once: smash the patty on one zone, run bacon on another, crack the egg next to it, toast the bun on the edge. Everything comes off hot and hits the plate at the same time.

This is a smash-style patty with a fried egg, crispy bacon, American cheese, and a simple breakfast sauce on a toasted brioche bun.

Prep time: 10 minutes · Cook time: 10 minutes · Serves: 2

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Ingredients

Patties:

• 8 oz ground beef (80/20), divided into two 4 oz balls
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 slices American cheese (or cheddar)

Toppings:

• 4 strips thick-cut bacon
• 2 large eggs
• 2 brioche buns, split
• Butter for bun toasting

Breakfast Sauce:

• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• ½ tsp smoked paprika

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Instructions

Step 1: Make the sauce. Mix mayo, ketchup, hot sauce, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step 2: Cook the bacon first. Preheat Blackstone to medium (350–375°F). Lay bacon strips flat on the griddle. Cook 4–5 minutes per side until crispy. Move to a low-heat zone to hold while you cook everything else.

Step 3: Smash the patties. Increase one zone to medium-high (400–425°F). Add a small drizzle of oil. Place a 4 oz ball of beef on the hot zone and immediately press it flat with a burger press or stiff spatula — press hard and hold for 10 seconds. Season generously with salt and pepper. Repeat with the second ball. Cook 2–3 minutes until the edges look brown and crispy.

Step 4: Flip and cheese. Flip the patties using a thin, stiff spatula. Immediately place a slice of cheese on each. Cover with a basting dome for 60 seconds to melt the cheese.

Step 5: Cook the eggs. While the patties finish, drop the heat on a clean zone to medium-low (300°F). Add butter and crack one egg per burger onto the surface. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 2–3 minutes for a runny yolk (sunny side up). Cover with the dome for 60 seconds if you want the top set. Slide off the griddle and place directly on top of the cheesed patty.

Step 6: Toast the buns. Press the bun halves cut-side down on the griddle with a bit of butter. Toast 60–90 seconds until golden.

Step 7: Build. Sauce the bottom bun. Stack: patty with cheese and egg, bacon strips (fold or break to fit), top bun. Serve immediately.

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Tips

Smash fast. The smash has to happen in the first 30 seconds on the griddle, before the exterior sets. Once you’ve got a crust forming, pressing won’t help — you’ll just squeeze out the juices.

80/20 is non-negotiable. Leaner beef makes dry, fragile smash patties. The fat is what creates the crispy, lacy edges that define the style.

Let the egg yolk run into the patty. Cut the burger so the yolk breaks and runs down through the cheese and beef. That’s the whole point of the runny yolk on a breakfast burger.

Two-zone the griddle. Keep one zone hot for the beef, one at medium for the eggs, one low for toasting. The Blackstone’s size makes this easy — don’t try to do everything at the same temp.

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Variations

Chorizo Breakfast Burger: Replace one of the beef patties with a thin chorizo patty. Press and cook the same way. The fat renders out and crisps the edges better than beef.

Double smash: Use a 3 oz ball instead of 4 oz for each patty and stack two patties per burger. Thinner smash patties get crispier edges. Total cook time is the same.

Green chile: Add a tablespoon of roasted green chile (Hatch or Anaheim) on top of the cheese before doming. Goes especially well with the egg.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature should a Blackstone be for a breakfast burger? Medium-high (400–425°F) for the smash patty to get a proper crust. Drop to medium-low (300°F) for the egg. Use two zones simultaneously — the Blackstone handles both at once.

Can you cook the egg and the burger at the same time on a Blackstone? Yes — that’s exactly the point. Run the patty on a hot zone and crack the egg on a cooler zone at the same time. Both finish in roughly 3–4 minutes. Coordinate the flip so both are done together.

How do you keep the egg yolk runny on a breakfast burger? Cook the egg sunny side up at medium-low heat. 2–3 minutes without flipping leaves the yolk runny. Use a basting dome for 60 seconds to set the white on top without overcooking the yolk.

Do you need a smash burger press for a breakfast burger? Not strictly, but a burger press makes it easier to get even pressure across the whole patty. A heavy stiff spatula and your body weight work fine as an alternative — the key is pressing hard and fast within the first 30 seconds.