Breakfast Smash Burgers

A breakfast sandwich should not whisper. It should hit the table with crispy edges, melted cheese, bacon, a runny egg, and enough attitude to make you question why you ever settled for toast.

These Breakfast Smash Burgers are built with crispy smashed sausage patties seasoned with Rub Yer Meat, melty American cheese, bacon, and a fried egg stacked on a toasted brioche bun. No sauce needed. The runny yolk does the heavy lifting, and a few dashes of hot sauce over the top are especially good if you like your breakfast with a little wake-up call.

The key here is texture. The sausage gets smashed thin on a hot griddle so the edges crisp up, the cheese melts right over the patties, and the egg yolk keeps the whole sandwich rich and messy in the best possible way. Without that runny egg, this sandwich can lean a little dry, so don’t cook the life out of it.

What You’ll Need

• 1 pound pork breakfast sausage, divided into 6 equal balls
• Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub
• 3 brioche buns
• 3 large eggs
• 6 to 7 slices thick-cut bacon, cut in half
• 6 slices American cheese
• Avocado oil or neutral cooking oil
• Hot sauce, for topping

Why This Recipe Works

This is basically a full breakfast stacked into one sandwich, but the smash burger method is what makes it special.

Instead of forming thick sausage patties, you roll the sausage into balls and smash them directly onto a hot griddle. That gives you thin patties with crispy, browned edges and a lot more surface area for flavor. Once the patties are smashed, season them with Rub Yer Meat while they cook so the seasoning has a chance to hit the hot sausage and work its way into the crust.

The runny egg matters, too. The yolk acts almost like a sauce, adding richness and moisture to balance the crispy sausage, bacon, and toasted bun. Add hot sauce, and you’ve got breakfast with a little bite.

Step-by-Step: Breakfast Smash Burgers

1. Preheat the griddle

Set your griddle to medium heat and let it preheat for 7 to 10 minutes. You want the surface hot enough to crisp the sausage, but not so hot that the bacon burns before everything else is ready.

While the griddle heats, divide the sausage into 6 equal balls. Cut the bacon slices in half and prep a few squares of parchment paper to use with your burger press.

2. Start the bacon

Lightly oil the griddle, then lay down the bacon. Let it start rendering and crisping while you get the sausage ready.

Flip the bacon as needed so it cooks evenly. Once it’s done, move it to a cooler zone or pull it off and set it aside.

3. Smash the sausage patties

Place the sausage balls on the griddle with enough space between them so they don’t run into each other when smashed.

Lightly spray or oil one side of your parchment paper, place it over a sausage ball, and press straight down with a burger press. Smash each patty thin and firm.

Once smashed, season the top of each sausage patty with Rub Yer Meat. Let the patties cook until the bottoms are browned and crispy.

4. Flip and add cheese

Flip the sausage patties, then add a slice of American cheese on top. Let the cheese melt while the second side finishes cooking.

5. Toast the buns

Place the brioche buns cut-side down on the griddle and toast until golden. This adds flavor and helps the bun hold up once that egg yolk gets involved.

6. Fry the eggs

Crack the eggs onto the griddle and cook them until the whites are set but the yolks are still a little runny.

This is the move. That runny yolk keeps the sandwich from feeling dry and gives you that rich, messy, breakfast-burger bite. If you cook the egg all the way through, the sandwich will still be good, but it won’t have the same feel.

7. Assemble the burgers

Build each burger with two smashed sausage patties, crispy bacon, and a fried egg on a toasted brioche bun.

Finish with hot sauce if you like a little heat. It’s particularly good here because it cuts through the richness of the sausage, bacon, cheese, and egg without needing a heavy sauce.

Serve immediately while everything is hot, melty, crispy, and slightly dangerous to your shirt.

Tips for Better Breakfast Smash Burgers

Prep before you cook

Once the sausage hits the griddle, things move fast. Have the sausage balls, bacon, cheese, eggs, buns, parchment, and Rub Yer Meat ready before you start.

Don’t overwork the sausage

Roll it gently into balls and leave it alone. Overworking sausage can make the patties tough.

Use parchment when smashing

Pork sausage is stickier than ground beef. A lightly oiled square of parchment keeps the patty from tearing when you lift the press.

Season after smashing

Seasoning the sausage with Rub Yer Meat after it has been smashed helps the rub hit the hot surface of the patty and build flavor right into that crispy crust.

Keep the egg runny

The yolk is doing important work here. It adds moisture, richness, and that messy breakfast sandwich magic. Without it, the sandwich can feel a little dry.

Breakfast Smash Burger Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork breakfast sausage, divided into 6 equal balls
• Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub, for seasoning
• 3 brioche buns
• 3 large eggs
• 6 to 7 slices thick-cut bacon, cut in half
• 6 slices American cheese
• Avocado oil or neutral cooking oil, for the griddle
• Hot sauce, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat your griddle to medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes.
2. While the griddle heats, divide the sausage into 6 equal balls. Cut the bacon in half and prepare a few small squares of parchment paper.
3. Lightly oil the griddle and add the bacon. Cook, flipping as needed, until crispy. Move the bacon to a cooler spot or remove it from the griddle.
4. Place the sausage balls on the griddle with space between each one. Put a lightly oiled piece of parchment over each sausage ball and smash firmly with a burger press.
5. Once the patties are smashed, season the tops with Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub. Cook until the bottoms are browned and crispy.
6. Flip the sausage patties and add American cheese to three of the patties. Let the cheese melt while the sausage finishes cooking.
7. Toast the brioche buns cut-side down on the griddle until golden.
8. Crack the eggs onto the griddle and fry until the whites are set and the yolks are still slightly runny.
9. Build each burger with two sausage patties, bacon, and one fried egg on a toasted brioche bun.
10. Top with hot sauce if desired and serve immediately.

Final Thoughts

These Breakfast Smash Burgers are rich, crispy, cheesy, and just messy enough to feel like a proper weekend breakfast.

The Rub Yer Meat seasoning brings the savory BBQ edge, the bacon adds crunch, and the runny egg ties the whole thing together. Add hot sauce, grab a napkin, and don’t schedule anything too serious right after.