When it comes to summer celebrations, Burger Day is a highlight. It’s the perfect excuse to enjoy fresh, juicy burgers in the open air. But if you want to make the most of your outdoor cooking, it pays to have the right techniques, the best recipes, and the right tools for the job.
In this guide, we’ll answer some of the most common outdoor cooking questions, from how to cook smash burgers outdoors to what a smash burger is, while showing you how to make your next burger day unforgettable. We’ll also cover all the equipment that makes cooking outside easier, faster, and more delicious for your friends, family and customers.
Why Outdoor Cooking is Perfect for Burger Day
Cooking outdoors isn’t just about taste, though nothing beats the smoky, charred flavour of a freshly cooked burger. It’s also about atmosphere. The smell of sizzling patties, the sound of food hitting a hot plate, and the laughter of people gathered around create an experience you simply can’t replicate indoors.
Outdoor cooking also gives you flexibility. You can grill, fry, smash, or steam your burgers depending on the equipment you use. With modern outdoor cooking burners, you can create restaurant-quality smash burgers without needing a full outdoor kitchen.
Taking the cooking outside also keeps the mess and heat out of your kitchen. You won’t have to worry about grease splattering on your stovetop, the kitchen getting uncomfortably hot, or the smoke alarm going off. This way, you can focus on creating the best burgers without the stress of a big clean-up later.
Laying the Groundwork for a Great Cookout
Preparation makes the difference between a relaxed, confident service and a chaotic rush. The best outdoor cooks, whether they’re chefs, caterers, or passionate home grillers, know exactly what’s going on the menu, where everything will be, and how the workflow will run before the first flame is lit.
Burger patties should be shaped and chilled, toppings sliced and ready, sauces portioned into squeeze bottles for speed, and serving materials organised. In a professional environment, this might mean trays of prepped ingredients stacked in a fridge ready for the rush. At home, it could be as simple as having your chopping done and condiments within arm’s reach.
It’s also worth deciding on your service style early. If you’re aiming for a more premium presentation, hammered copper plates create a sense of occasion. For fast, casual service, kraft burger trays or compostable boxes keep things moving and help maintain portion control.
How to Cook Outdoors
Cooking outdoors can be as simple or as advanced as you want it to be. At its most basic, you’ll need a heat source, cooking utensils, and good ingredients.
- Choose your heat source – For control and versatility, Cooksmill’s professional-style outdoor cooking burners are ideal.
- Prepare your workspace – Set up a safe cooking station away from strong winds, with your utensils, sauces, and food within reach.
- Pre-heat properly – Outdoor cooking often suffers when the heat is inconsistent. Give your grill plate time to reach cooking temperature before adding food.
- Cook in batches – Especially for larger gatherings, avoid overcrowding your cooking surface to maintain even heat.
- Keep food warm – Use food containers and packaging to keep burgers hot until serving.
Mastering Outdoor Cooking Burners
Not all burners are created equal, and knowing how to use them properly can transform your cooking. From single to triple burners, knowing how to use them correctly can make the difference between a dry, overcooked burger to a soft, juicy burger with the perfect sear.
The single-ring burner uses a manual control valve to adjust the flame. Turning the valve changes the gas flow, giving you a hot, blue flame for fast, even cooking (complete combustion) or a softer, yellow flame for gentler heat (less oxygen).
Our triple-ring burner features three separate rings, each with its own control. You can use just the inner ring for simmering, or fire up all three for maximum heat. This flexibility is perfect for cooking a variety of dishes outdoors, from gentle frying to high-heat searing.
A professional-quality burner makes it easy to switch between cooking methods, whether you’re smashing burgers, caramelising onions, or toasting buns.
What to Cook Outdoors
While burgers are the star of Burger Day, outdoor cooking opens the door to countless possibilities:
- Burgers (beef, chicken, lamb, veggie, or vegan)
- Grilled vegetables
- Flatbreads and wraps
- Fish and seafood
- Breakfast items like bacon, eggs, and hash browns
- Hot dogs and sausages (read our blog on how to make the perfect hot dog)
Outdoor burners paired with large, heavy-duty pots are perfect for making big batches of street food classics. This makes the perfect set-up for cooking hearty curries, warming stews, or even huge pots of mac and cheese. They’re also great for catering large events or market stalls, where you need to prepare food quickly and consistently. You can even use them to make classic pan dishes like paella or stir-fries.
What is a Smash Burger?
Few burger styles have captured the public’s imagination like the smash burger. It’s a thin, crispy-edged burger made by pressing (or “smashing”) a ball of ground beef onto a hot cooking surface. The pressure increases contact between the meat and the surface, creating the Maillard reaction (the browning that gives food its rich, savoury flavour).
Smash burgers are cooked quickly, usually no more than a couple of minutes per side, resulting in a juicy centre and crispy crust. They’re perfect for outdoor cooking because they require high heat and short cooking times, which a quality burner delivers with ease.
For commercial settings like food trucks or festivals, smash burgers are particularly popular due to their speed and consistent quality. Their thin shape means they cook incredibly fast, allowing you to serve a high volume of customers without sacrificing flavour. This efficiency, combined with the high-quality feel of a perfectly seared patty, makes them the go-to choice for professional outdoor chefs.
One key thing to remember is that you can’t make a smash burger on a traditional BBQ grate. A grill’s open flame and uneven surface won’t give you the consistent, high-contact heat needed for that signature crispy crust. This is where an outdoor burner paired with a flat griddle or heavy pan is essential. The flat surface ensures maximum contact, creating a perfect crispy exterior and juicy interior.
How to Make a Smash Burger
- Preheat your cooking surface – Use a flat griddle or heavy pan over your outdoor burner.
- Form loose meatballs – About 85–100g each. Do not compact the meat too much.
- Smash with force – Place the meat on the hot surface and press down firmly using a steak weight or heavy spatula.
- Season generously – Salt and pepper right after smashing.
- Flip once – After 1–2 minutes, flip the patty with a perforated hamburger turner and cook for another minute.
- Add cheese and steam – Place a slice of cheese on the patty, cover with an aluminium burger cover to melt evenly.
- Butter and toast the bun - For even coverage, use a butter roller and toast the bun on your cooking surface.
- Assemble the burger - Add the patty to the bun and top with condiments and toppings of your choice.
How to Make Burger Sauce
A great burger sauce can make the difference between a good burger and a great one. Here’s a quick recipe you can make in minutes:
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp American mustard
- 1 tbsp finely diced pickles or relish
- Pinch of smoked paprika
Method:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl or directly into a squeeze bottle for easy dispensing. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
How to Keep Flies Away When Cooking Outdoors
Outdoor cooking isn’t just about food; it’s about managing the environment. Nothing puts people off quicker than flies landing on food. Here are a few tips to keep flies and insects to a minimum:
- Keeping dishes covered until serving is the simplest prevention.
- Burger covers double up here, protecting food from both insects and heat loss.
- Fresh herbs like mint or basil placed around prep stations can act as natural deterrents, and citrus slices work too.
- In semi-enclosed spaces like market stalls or home marquees, insect curtains can give you an extra layer of protection.
- Dispose of rubbish quickly to avoid attracting insects,
- Position your cooking area upwind from where people are eating
Essential Outdoor Burger Day Kit
A perfectly grilled burger on a sunny day is a simple pleasure. But to elevate your outdoor cooking from a simple cookout to a truly great one, you need the right tools. With a little bit of preparation and the right gear, you can take your burgers to the next level. Here’s the gear that can transform your outdoor cooking experience:
- Outdoor cooking burner – The heart of your setup.
- Butter roller – Perfect for evenly buttering buns.
- Steak weight – Essential for smash burgers.
- Hamburger turner – Easy flipping and draining excess grease.
- Burger cover – For melting cheese and steaming.
- Squeeze bottles – Quick sauce application.
- Serving trays and boxes – Keep food warm, tidy, and attractive.
Scroll to the bottom of this blog to see our most popular burger-making products.
Bonus Tips for a Successful Burger Day
Throwing a successful burger day is all about planning ahead. While the gear you have is important, a great burger day is about more than just the equipment. These final tips will help ensure your outdoor feast goes off without a hitch, so you can focus on what really matters: great food and good company.
- Prep as much as possible before guests arrive.
- Keep safety in mind — especially with gas burners.
- Experiment with toppings and sauces to give guests variety.
- Have a vegetarian or vegan option to cater for all.
- Enjoy the process — outdoor cooking is as much about the experience as the food.
With the right gear, recipes, and a bit of planning, you can create burgers that rival the best restaurants while enjoying the fresh air and the company of friends.
Browse Cooksmill’s outdoor cooking range and be ready to make this Burger Day your best yet.
