Cajun Caesar Smash Burger
The flavors and textures of these cajun caesar smash burgers are off the charts delicious! The creamy caesar and crunchy lettuce is so refreshing on top of a double smash burger. The secret to this recipe though was a bun I turned into a cajun crouton! I didn’t make is crazy crispy like a crouton, but I did crisp it up a bit extra for a crouton vibe and it came out even better than I had hoped.
The inspiration for this recipe
I have been saying that salads make great burger toppings for a while. A lot of people are looking for epic savory fatty burger toppings, but I like something fresh to cut through and balance the burger flavors. Don’t get me wrong some caramelized onions or onion rings are great, but a bright pickle is even better! Take the idea of a pickle and expand it to a fresh bright crunchy salad and you have a winner! This fresh caesar salad was just the thing to balance the cajun smash burgers.
Easy Caesar dressing
We whip up this super easy caesar dressing about twice a month in our house. Mayo, salt, pepper, worcestershire, lemon, garlic, and parmesan. I used to do anchovy, then switched to fish sauce, but now I have been loving worcestershire. There is anchovy in worcestershire so it counts!
Cajun crouton buns
I added some cajun seasoning to butter and brushed it on my buns. Make sure to hit it on all sides! Then bake them about 15 minutes and finish under the broiler to crisp up.
Dress the lettuce
Add the caesar dressing to the shredded romaine and toss it together.
Cook the smash burgers
Add the meat balls to the pan and smash as thin as you can!
After you flip the smashed burgers, top with more cajun seasoning, and cheese.
Build the cajun caesar smash burgers
Crispy cajun crouton buns first, then some caesar dressing, and then the double smash burger!
Add as much caesar salad as you can, then top it off with tons of parm. Finally ad the top bun.
Serve the cajun caesar smash burger!
Once you build it, dig in! These are piled up high so they will be messy but so delicious!
Having the bun be slightly crispier than normal was just the right texture contrast these cajun caesar smash burgers needed! And don’t skimp on the parm!
Twists on Cajun Caesar Smash Burgers
You could pop some anchovy’s on here. That would be pretty good I think. You could also add the caesar topping to a more traditional burger patty instead of a smash burger. I used American cheese but other cheeses would also work well, like munster or cheddar or swiss.
If you like the idea of salad burgers, make sure to check out my egg salad burger, potato salad burger, or this Mexican corn salad burger!
Cajun Caesar Smash Burger
Equipment
Ingredients
salad
- 1 cup mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more
- 1 head romaine shredded
Burgers
- 2 potato or brioche buns
- 1/2 stick butter
- 2 tablespoon cajun seasoning plus more
- 3/4 pound ground beef 85% lean
- 4 slices american cheese or your prefered cheese
Instructions
- Mix all the salad ingredients besides the lettuce in a mixing bowl. Pour over the lettuce, rserving about 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Toss the lettuce to fully coat.
- Mix the butter with the cajun seasoning. Preheat oven to 350. Brush the cajun butter all over the buns on all sides. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler and lightly broil on both sides to finish and crisp up. The buns should feel dry and crispy on all the edges but still soft in the center.
- Preheat a cast iron griddle and add some oil. Split the meat into 4 balls. Season with salt. One by one place on the griddle and smash as flat as you can. Once you do all 4, season with the cajun seasoning, flip, add more seasoning, and top with cheese. Make 2 stacks of 2 patties each.
- Put the bottom bun down and spread the reserved dressing on them. Top with a stack of patties, then as much dressed lettuce as you can. Top with grated parm, and then the top bun. Serve.