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There are a lot of ways to cook a burger. Grills tend to get most of the attention when making burgers but aren’t always our favorite method for getting the job done. While sure, the grill marks look nice. When using a grill or a grill pan heat only reaches the meat through grill grates leaving most of the burger untouched. 

A hot skillet gives you full contact, steady heat, and the kind of crust that’s hard to get any other way. That crust is really the whole point. Burgers are one of the clearest examples of the Maillard reaction in action, the browning process that happens when proteins and sugars hit high heat and develop deep savory flavor.

Cast iron excels here because every inch of the burger touches the pan. Instead of heat only reaching the meat through grill grates, the entire surface browns at once. More contact means more crust, more caramelization, and ultimately more flavor.

It’s also why we’ve never been especially interested in grill pans.

And the best part is that the same principles apply whether you’re cooking a classic steakhouse burger, smash burgers, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, or the plant-based patties you grabbed on a Tuesday night because dinner needed to happen fast.

The key is understanding that each style wants something slightly different.

Some burgers thrive on aggressive heat. Others need gentler cooking and a little more patience. Some need fat. Some need help holding together.

But nearly all of them benefit from the same thing: A properly preheated pan.

Background

Burger types

Why cast iron works so well for burgers

Burgers are really a heat-transfer problem. You’re trying to brown the outside deeply while keeping the internal temperature where you want it.

Cast iron excels here because it stores and holds heat so well. Once fully preheated, the skillet doesn’t cool dramatically when the burger hits the surface. That means better browning, better crust development, and more control overall.

It also gives you something grills can’t always promise: Full contact. Every inch of the burger touches the pan, which means more caramelization and more flavor.

Start with the pan

No matter what kind of burger you’re making, the process usually starts the same way.

  1. Preheat properly – Cast iron heats slowly. Give the skillet at least 5 minutes over medium or medium-high heat before cooking. If you add food too early, the burger steams instead of sears.

  2. Use enough fat – Especially while your seasoning is still developing. Fat can come in two ways – how much fat is actually in the meat and how much fat you are addinf to the pan. For fattier meats like ground beef (we opt for 80/20 fat ratio or higher) you will need less fat in the pan versus a ground turkey which tends to be much leaner and benefits from more fat. 

  3. Don’t move it too early – This applies to almost every burger on this list. If it’s sticking hard, it usually means the crust hasn’t formed yet and it’s not ready to flip. Give it another minute.

Smash Burgers

These are the thin, crispy-edged burgers that feel like your local burger spot. If there’s one burger style that feels tailor-made for cast iron, it’s the smash burger.

The entire goal of the smash burger is maximizing surface contact. You start with a loosely formed ball of beef, place it onto a ripping hot skillet, then smash it thin so every bit of meat can brown directly against the pan.

The result is crispy edges, deep caramelization, and a burger that cooks in just a few minutes.

We love this recipe or this one for a crowd.

Just be sure to use 80/20 ground beef—or even 70/30 if you can find it. Too lean and the burgers dry out before they crisp.

Quick skillet setup

  • No.16 or the Long Griddle for cooking multiple burgers at once.

  • Medium-high to high heat. We especially love setting the skillet directly over the grill.

  • A thin layer of neutral oil or beef tallow helps encourage even browning.

  • Cook just just 60-90 seconds a side 

Field Notes

  • Smash burgers are thin, you only want about 2-3oz of meat per patty 

  • Only smash these burgers once. Don’t keep pressing—you want the juices to stay in the patty.

  • A stiff spatula like the Griddle Turner or a burger press helps tremendously here. If you don’t have either, we use a second cast iron skillet to press the burgers down

  • We like to keep toppings classic: American cheese, thousand island sauce, pickles, and occasionally caramelized onions.

  • Our bun of choice is almost always a Martin’s Potato Roll, toasted directly in the rendered beef fat.

Pressing a raw burger patty in a cast iron skillet over a gas grill with a metal spatula

Thick Steakhouse/Bar Burgers

Thicker patties with a hard sear and a juicy center. 

The classic burger is closer to 6oz a patty and asks for a different approach than a smash burger. Instead of maximizing crispy edges, you’re trying to build a dark crust while keeping the center medium-rare to medium.

That means slightly lower heat, a thicker patty, and a little more restraint.

We tend to just wing it when making these burgers but, if you need a recipe, try this one. 

Again, 80/20 ground beef is hard to beat here. But if you want to learn more steakhouse, brisket blends or chuck-short rib blends work especially well.

Best skillet setup

  • No.8 or No.10 skillet

  • Medium-high heat.  Enough heat to build a crust without scorching the outside before the center catches up.

  • A quick baste of butter at the end if you want to lean steakhouse

Field Notes

  • These burgers are thick and juicy. We keep them between 6-8oz a patty.

  • Form the patties gently. Overworking the meat makes burgers dense.

  • We like to press a slight divot into the center before cooking, which helps the burger stay flatter as it cooks as opposed to doming up. 

  • Flip it only once if possible, then let the burger rest for a couple minutes before serving to lock in all the juices 

  • Rest for a couple minutes before serving.

  • Our preferred bun here is brioche. Soft enough to compress slightly, sturdy enough to hold everything together.

 

Turkey Burgers

A gentler approach Turkey burgers benefit from cast iron for almost the opposite reason as smash burgers. Instead of aggressive heat and maximum crust, you’re usually trying to preserve moisture and help a softer mixture hold together.

Unlike beef burgers, turkey burgers often rely on binders like breadcrumbs, eggs, ricotta or even mayo to create structure and prevent the patties from drying out. Think of it like a meatball! Ground turkey simply doesn’t have the same fat content or protein structure that allows beef burgers to hold together naturally.

That changes the cooking approach entirely.Instead of ripping hot heat, we like medium heat and a little patience. Cast iron works especially well here because it maintains steady heat without dramatic temperature swings that can dry the burgers out before the center cooks through.

A little more oil than you think you need also helps, especially if using lean turkey breast. That said, when given the option, we always prefer dark meat or thigh meat as it tends to stay juicier, tastes better and is generally more forgiving.

 Here is a recipe we love. 

Best skillet setup

  • No.8 or No.10 skillet

  • Medium heat

  • A little more oil than you think you need

  • A lid can also help the centers cook through more gently without overbrowning the exterior.

Field Notes

  • Don’t press turkey burgers while cooking.

  • Thigh meat stays juicier than breast meat.

  • If you’re unsure about doneness, a thermometer helps tremendously here. You’re looking for 165°F internally.

  • Let the skillet do the work slowly.

  • We often skip the bun entirely here and go lettuce wrapped with avocado, tomato, and something sharp or pickled to brighten everything up.


Salmon Burgers

Crisp outside, tender center Salmon burgers are really closer to crab cakes than beef burgers.

Similar to the turkey burger, they’re delicate. 99.99% of salmon burgers are binder-based, and benefit more from careful handling than aggressive searing. The goal isn’t a dense patty, it’s something tender that still crisps properly on the outside.

This is where cast iron shines. The skillet gives you enough direct heat to develop a golden crust quickly while keeping the inside soft and almost custardy. This is our go-to recipe. 

Medium heat tends to work best here, along with a generous amount of oil and a thin fish spatula for flipping.

Best skillet setup

Field Notes

  • We strongly recommend chilling salmon patties before cooking. It helps them firm up and makes flipping dramatically easier.

  • Don’t rush the flip. Like crab cakes, these release naturally once the crust is ready.

  • A squeeze of lemon at the end goes a long way.

  • We tend to like these on brioche or seeded buns with something creamy nearby—aioli, tartar sauce, or even cream cheese.

 

Veggie Burgers

The style that might benefit most from cast iron

Veggie burgers are often at their best in a skillet because they almost always need structural help.

Beans, grains, mushrooms, lentils, nuts—none of them naturally behave like ground beef. Most veggie burgers rely heavily on binders like eggs, breadcrumbs, oats, rice, or mashed beans to hold everything together.

That means technique matters.

Unlike beef burgers, where fat does much of the work, veggie burgers need time to develop a crust before they’re sturdy enough to flip.

This is why cast iron works so well. The skillet gives the burgers full support and even browning, helping them firm up gradually instead of drying out or falling through grill grates.

Medium heat and a thin coating of oil are usually all you need.

Truthfully, this is also one category where we’re perfectly happy reaching for a good store-bought veggie burger. Homemade veggie burgers can be surprisingly time consuming, and there’s a very fine line between too crumbly and too gummy.

When we do make them from scratch, we tend to come back to Kenji López-Alt’s black bean burger recipe. It leans into texture instead of trying too hard to imitate beef, and it develops an especially good crust in cast iron.

Best skillet setup

  • Any size Field Skillet 

  • Medium heat 

  • A well-preheated skillet is especially important here. 

  • A thin coating of oil, just enough to encourage browning without making the burgers greasy.

Field Notes

  • Chilling patties before cooking helps tremendously.

  • Moisture is generally the enemy of crust, so if your mixture feels very wet, it’s worth taking the extra minute to firm it up before cooking.

  • And don’t force the flip. Veggie burgers usually tell you when they’re ready.

  • We love these on sesame seed buns with plenty of pickles and something crunchy for texture.


Plant-Based / Faux Meat Burgers

Closer to beef than you think

Modern plant-based burgers like Impossible or Beyond Meat behave surprisingly similarly to beef. Many contain enough fat to sear aggressively and develop a proper crust, which makes cast iron one of the best ways to cook them.

We approach how to cook a plant based burger almost exactly the same way as a smash burger: high heat, plenty of surface contact, and enough room in the pan for proper browning.

If possible, we recommend buying loose plant-based “meat” instead of the preformed patties. The premade versions are often too thin and tend to dry out quickly, even when cooked correctly.

Best skillet setup

  • No.10 or No.12 Field Skillet 

  • Medium-high heat

  • Lightly oiled skillet 

  • Keep enough room in the pan to avoid steaming 

  • Ventilation helps as these can smoke more than expected

Field Notes

  • Most package directions tend to overcook faux meat burgers, which is why they often end up dry. We prefer cooking them more like a medium-rare beef burger: about 2–3 minutes per side depending on thickness, or until the internal temperature reaches around 125–130°F.

  • These often brown faster than expected, so keep an eye on them.

  • Cheese melts beautifully on them.

  • Martin’s Potato Rolls remain undefeated here.

The best burger style is usually the one that fits the night. Sometimes that’s a thin smash burger cooked in two minutes flat. Sometimes it’s a thicker steakhouse burger with onions slowly caramelizing nearby. Sometimes it’s whatever you pulled out of the freezer at 6:30.

Cast iron handles all of it. That’s part of what makes it so good. One pan. Different techniques. Different ingredients. Same steady heat underneath.