Sam’s Club’s New Frozen Burgers Taste Just Like Your Favorite Fast Food Restaurant’s

During these summer months filled with backyard barbecues and weekends spent on the grill, most of our fridges and freezers are stocked with much of the same: hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salads, and icebox desserts.

When you’re firing up the grill as often as I am, it can feel like the kitchen is a revolving door of new hamburger patties, toppings, buns, and side dishes. Because of that, I like to switch it up every so often.

Typically, I’ll buy whatever burgers are on sale at the time. However, when I find a favorite—like the Wahlburgers’ patties at Aldi—or something brand new—like retired footballer Terry Bradshaw’s Angus beef burgers—I’ll add those to my shopping cart instead. That’s why when I saw the new frozen Miami Beef Smashed Burgers at Sam’s Club on my latest shopping trip, I knew I had to try them. 

Sam's Club's New Frozen Smash Burgers

Smash burgers have been having a real moment lately, thanks to their combination of a flavorfully caramelized exterior with a juicy center. They were popularized by a few fast food restaurants—like Smashburger and In-N-Out—and have since become a staple at backyard barbecues (including Allrecipes’ latest cover star Al Roker’s).

While they’re super simple to make at home if you have the right tools, this was the first time I’d seen pre-smashed burgers sold in stores.

Sam’s Miami Beef Smashed Burgers are made of 100% pure double-ground beef that’s smashed into a thin patty for cooking up quickly on the grill. The 20-pack of burgers sells for $19.48, making them less than $1 per burger—something you can’t even find at your favorite fast food restaurant.

I gave the raw, frozen beef patties a go at a recent family gathering, and here's what I thought.

My Honest Review

When I took the patties out of the bag, I was surprised at just how flat, yet large they were. They’re smashed incredibly thin but have enough surface area that I wasn’t afraid of them shrinking up to nothing on the grill.

While they did, of course, shrivel when they cooked, they still fit a traditional burger bun with a small amount of overhang.

Because they’re so thin, they take mere minutes to cook up—meaning you can’t walk away from them once you start grilling. Even when making multiple double cheeseburgers—since that’s the smash burger specialty—I still had everything on the table in less than 10 minutes.

I did make the burgers on a charcoal grill, which I would not recommend. They stuck to the grates and even slipped through a few times when I tried to flip them. They’re definitely best suited for a Blackstone or griddle to get the perfect exterior.

Flavor-wise, no one was really blown away by these burgers. To give them a true chance as is, I didn’t season them before grilling, but they need it. A little burger seasoning and maybe some thinly sliced onions pressed into the patties to caramelize alongside them would do the trick.

All in all, for those looking to recreate that ideal fast food burger at home with minimal work, Sam’s new smashed burgers are definitely an easy choice. I think with a little seasoning—and a flat-top griddle—you could master Cameron Diaz’s favorite burger or an old-fashioned Oklahoma fried onion burger this summer.