Sonic All-American Bacon Smasher Copycat Recipe (Smash Burger)
Make Sonic's All-American Bacon Smasher at home: two smashed patties, American cheese, bacon, ketchup, mayo, lettuce and tomato, weighed and timed.
To make a Sonic All-American Bacon Smasher copycat at home, smash two thin balls of 80/20 ground beef per burger onto a cast-iron skillet heated to 450–500 °F (230–260 °C). Season with salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes until the edges crisp, then flip and add a slice of American cheese to each patty for 30 to 45 seconds. Stack it on a toasted potato bun with crispy bacon, crinkle-cut pickles, diced raw onion, ketchup, mayo, lettuce and tomato. This is my homemade reproduction, not Sonic’s official recipe: Sonic publishes the ingredients but not the weights or the seasoning.
What is on the Sonic All-American Bacon Smasher?
The All-American Bacon SONIC Smasher is two seasoned, smashed Angus beef patties with two slices of melted American cheese, crispy bacon, crinkle-cut pickles, diced onions, ketchup, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato on a soft potato bun. That is the list Sonic gives on its official menu page and in its launch announcement.
Sonic launched the All-American Smasher lineup nationwide at participating US drive-ins on January 12, 2026, according to the Inspire Brands press release and Business Wire. There are four burgers: the All-American SONIC Smasher, the All-American Triple SONIC Smasher, the All-American Bacon SONIC Smasher and the All-American Triple Bacon SONIC Smasher.
Below ‘What is on the Sonic All-American Bacon Smasher?’ (lazy, 1024×625, local: src/assets/sonic-all-american-bacon-smasher-copycat/sonic-drive-in-restaurant-bristol-connecticut.webp). Alt: Sonic Drive-In restaurant in Bristol, Connecticut, the US chain that launched the All-American Smasher lineup on January 12, 2026. Photo from May 2014. (Photo: Mike Mozart (JeepersMedia), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/39160147@N03/14233417555))
Nearly every Sonic Smasher copycat I found online rebuilds the Original and its Smasher sauce. I went for the All-American Bacon instead. It’s the easier one to copy honestly: there is no secret sauce to guess at, because ketchup and mayo are just ketchup and mayo.
All-American Smasher vs. Original Sonic Smasher
The All-American Smasher replaces the Original’s creamy, tangy Smasher sauce with ketchup and mayonnaise, and adds lettuce and tomato. The beef, the cheese, the pickles, the onions and the bun stay the same.
| Original SONIC Smasher | All-American Bacon SONIC Smasher | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | July 29, 2024 (app), August 5, 2024 (nationwide) | January 12, 2026 (nationwide, participating locations) |
| Patties | 2 seasoned, smashed Angus beef | 2 seasoned, smashed Angus beef |
| Cheese | 2 slices American | 2 slices American |
| Sauce | Smasher sauce (creamy, tangy) | Ketchup + mayonnaise |
| Toppings | Crinkle-cut pickles, diced onions | Crinkle-cut pickles, diced onions, lettuce, tomato, bacon |
| Bun | Potato bun | Potato bun |
| Launch price | From $6.49 (Triple from $7.49) | Not confirmed by Sonic |
Sources: QSR Magazine, Business Wire, July 2024 and the 2026 Inspire Brands release, all checked on October 12, 2026.
What is confirmed and what is my estimate
Sonic confirms the ingredient list, but not the patty weight, the seasoning, the bun brand, or which bacon and pickles it uses. The table splits the two, so you can see exactly where this copycat is guessing.
| Element | Status | What this recipe uses |
|---|---|---|
| Two smashed Angus beef patties | Confirmed by Sonic | 80/20 ground beef, smashed thin |
| Patty weight | Not published | Estimate: 75 g (2.6 oz) per ball, 300 g (10.6 oz) for 2 burgers |
| Seasoning (“seasoned”) | Not published | Salt and black pepper, an assumption |
| Two slices of American cheese | Confirmed | 4 slices for 2 burgers |
| Crispy bacon | Confirmed (type and thickness not published) | 2 slices per burger |
| Crinkle-cut pickles | Confirmed (dill or sweet not published) | Crinkle-cut pickles of your choice |
| Diced raw onions | Confirmed | White onion, finely diced |
| Ketchup, mayo, lettuce, tomato | Confirmed | As listed |
| Potato bun | Confirmed (brand not published) | Store-bought potato buns |
| Griddle temperature | Not published | 450–500 °F (230–260 °C) |
Sonic doesn’t publish the 75 g figure. It’s my estimate, worked back from someone else’s scale. Eat This, Not That! weighed a whole Original Triple Smasher, bun included, at 10.9 oz (about 309 g). Third-party nutrition data gives the double All-American Bacon version 39 g of protein. A thin smash patty of 70–80 g fits both numbers. Still, treat it as a kitchen estimate, dated October 12, 2026.
Ingredients for 2 burgers
This copycat makes 2 double bacon smash burgers from 300 g (10.6 oz) of 80/20 ground beef, 4 slices of American cheese, 4 slices of bacon and 2 potato buns. The sauce and topping amounts are my own proportions, not Sonic’s.
- 300 g (10.6 oz) ground beef, 80/20 (20% fat), divided into 4 balls of 75 g (2.6 oz)
- 4 slices American cheese
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 potato buns
- 1 tbsp ketchup per burger (2 tbsp total)
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise per burger (2 tbsp total)
- 2 leaves iceberg or green leaf lettuce
- 2 tomato slices
- 6 to 8 crinkle-cut pickle chips
- 2 tbsp finely diced white onion
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp butter for toasting the buns (optional)
Equipment: a cast-iron skillet or a flat griddle, a stiff metal spatula, a second spatula or a burger press, parchment paper and an infrared or instant-read thermometer.
Which beef to use for a smash burger
Use ground beef with about 20% fat for a smash burger, and never go below 15%. The fat renders onto the hot pan and fries the thin edges until they turn lacy and crisp. CopyKat’s Sonic Double Smasher and Directo al Paladar’s smash burger method both start from the same base.
Sonic says its patties are Angus beef, so 80/20 ground Angus is the closest match if your store has it. Keep the balls in the fridge until the last moment. Cold fat holds together under the spatula; warm fat smears.
Step by step
The whole burger takes about 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking. The patties take under 3 minutes, so get every topping ready before the beef goes down.
1. Prep the toppings
Finely dice the onion, slice the tomato, wash and dry the lettuce and drain the crinkle-cut pickles. Line them up next to the stove. The patties go from raw to done in about 3 minutes, and you won’t have time to slice a tomato then.
2. Cook the bacon
Lay the 4 bacon slices in the cold cast-iron skillet, then cook over medium heat, turning them, until they are crisp and the fat has rendered. Drain on paper towels and pour off most of the fat, leaving a thin film in the pan. I keep that film on purpose, because the beef picks up a little smoke from it.
Step 2 ‘Cook the bacon’ (lazy, 1024×664, local: src/assets/sonic-all-american-bacon-smasher-copycat/bacon-cooking-cast-iron-skillet.webp). Alt: Bacon slices crisping in a cast-iron skillet, the first step before smashing the patties in the same pan. (Photo: JamesCohen, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/31599292@N00/6253775335))
3. Portion the beef
Weigh the beef into 4 loose balls of 75 g (2.6 oz) each. Don’t pack them tight and don’t season them yet. Back in the fridge they go until the pan is hot.
4. Toast the buns
Split the potato buns and toast the cut sides in the skillet over medium heat, with a little butter if you like, until golden. Set them aside cut side up.
5. Heat the skillet to smash temperature
Turn the heat to high and bring the skillet surface to 450–500 °F (230–260 °C). Check it with an infrared thermometer. That is hotter than most home cooks dare. It is also what builds the crust that testers found missing in the restaurant version.
6. Smash and season the patties
Place 2 beef balls in the skillet, cover each with a square of parchment and press down hard right away with a stiff spatula until each patty is very thin. Peel off the parchment, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes without touching them. The edges should be brown and crisp.
7. Flip and add the cheese
Scrape under each patty with the edge of the spatula to keep the crust intact, flip, and lay a slice of American cheese on each one. Cook 30 to 45 seconds until the cheese melts, then stack one patty on the other. A patty this thin cooks through fast; if you want to check, the USDA safe minimum for ground beef is 160 °F (71 °C). Repeat with the last 2 balls.
8. Assemble the All-American stack
Spread 1 tablespoon of mayo on the top bun and 1 tablespoon of ketchup on the bottom bun. Build from the bottom: the double cheese patty, 2 slices of bacon, pickles, diced onion, tomato, lettuce, then the top bun. Sonic doesn’t publish its stacking order, so this one is mine. I put the lettuce right under the top bun because it shields the mayo from the tomato juice.
How to smash a patty in a cast-iron skillet
You can make a smash burger in a regular cast-iron skillet: heat it empty on high to 450–500 °F (230–260 °C), smash each cold ball within seconds of it hitting the pan, and leave it alone for 2 minutes. You don’t need a griddle.
Replaces the writer’s 4-panel step-grid placeholder and sits under ‘How to smash a patty in a cast-iron skillet’ (lazy, 1024×1024, local: src/assets/sonic-all-american-bacon-smasher-copycat/smash-burger-patties-on-griddle.webp). Alt: Smash burger patties pressed thin on a hot griddle at 450–500 °F (230–260 °C), edges starting to crisp. Flag: original 4-panel step photos still needed (75 g balls on a scale, smashing under parchment, flip, cheese melt). (Photo: J Wynia, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/73451168@N00/49978037281))
- Smash once, early. Press in the first seconds, while the beef is still cold. Pressing later squeezes out the juices.
- Use parchment. A square between the beef and the spatula stops the meat from sticking.
- Two at a time. In a 12-inch skillet, cook 2 patties at once so the pan temperature does not crash.
- Scrape, don’t lift. The brown crust sticks to the iron. Slide a sharp-edged spatula under it to bring it along.
- Go easy on the salt. Customers quoted by Mashed found the restaurant version too salty. Bacon, pickles and American cheese all bring salt of their own.
How close this copycat gets to Sonic’s burger
This copycat uses every component Sonic lists, with the same two patties and two cheese slices per burger, cooked with the smash technique the name promises. The All-American’s flavor comes from ketchup and mayo against raw onion and crinkle-cut pickles. No secret sauce is involved.
- Same build. Two smashed beef patties, two American cheese slices, bacon, crinkle-cut pickles, diced onions, ketchup, mayo, lettuce, tomato and a potato bun. Nothing on Sonic’s list is missing.
- Same texture goal. Sonic promises crispy edges and a juicy center. A 75 g ball smashed thin on a very hot pan delivers both.
- Same bun type. A soft potato bun squashes around the patties instead of fighting them.
- Where it may differ. Sonic’s seasoning blend, bun brand and bacon style are not public. Salt and pepper is my assumption.
Reviews of the restaurant burger are split. Taryn Pire at Mashed reports that some customers find the patties too thin and overcooked, while others praise the crispy edges and tender center. Eat This, Not That! found no real sear on the Original Triple. That’s where cooking it at home wins: a skillet you’ve checked with a thermometer gives you the crust every time.
Replaces the cross-section placeholder under ‘Why this recipe tastes like the original’ (lazy, 2267×2267, local: src/assets/sonic-all-american-bacon-smasher-copycat/smash-burger-crispy-crust-close-up.webp). Alt: Close-up of a smash burger showing the browned, crispy crust that a 450–500 °F skillet builds and testers missed at Sonic. Flag: original cross-section of the homemade bacon version still needed. (Photo: Daderot, CC0 1.0 (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smash\_burger\_-\_Cambridge,\_MA.jpg))
My advice: skip the Triple at home. A third patty means a third batch in a 12-inch skillet, and the first patty is lukewarm by the time you assemble. The double with bacon is the right size for a home stove.
More Sonic and bacon copycats
Burger Breton has another Sonic copycat and several chain bacon burgers, all with weighed ingredients like this one. Browse all of them on the Burger Breton recipes hub.
- My Sonic Jalapeño Double Cheeseburger copycat is the other Sonic recipe on the site. It uses heavier balls of about 113 g (4 oz), smashed to 6 mm instead of paper-thin, with pickled jalapeños and a spicy mayo.
- For another copycat bacon burger, try the homemade Wendy’s Son of Baconator or the Burger King Bacon King copycat.
- To taste a restaurant smash burger, read our review of Junk Smash Burgers in Paris.
- Sonic comes from Oklahoma, but its drive-ins are a fixture across Texas. Our guide to the best burgers in Dallas covers that local scene.
Section ‘More Sonic and bacon copycats’ (lazy, 1024×683, local: src/assets/sonic-all-american-bacon-smasher-copycat/texas-bacon-cheeseburger-white-leghorn-cafe.webp). Alt: Bacon cheeseburger at the White Leghorn Cafe in Westhoff, Texas, a reminder of the Texas burger culture Sonic grew out of. (Photo: Ken (Brave Sir Robin), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/7600439@N05/4481338193))
FAQ
What’s on the All-American Smasher?
The All-American SONIC Smasher has two seasoned, smashed Angus beef patties, two slices of American cheese, crinkle-cut pickles, diced onions, ketchup, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato on a potato bun. The Bacon version adds crispy bacon, according to Sonic’s menu page and its January 12, 2026 launch release.
How many calories are in the Sonic All-American Bacon Smasher?
The double All-American Bacon Smasher has 670 calories, 42 g of fat and 39 g of protein, according to FastFoodNutrition, with matching figures from Mashed. The Triple Bacon version has 860 calories, 57 g of fat and 52 g of protein. These figures come from third parties, not from Sonic’s own nutrition page.
Bar chart in the FAQ calories answer (SVG, inline, 800×400 viewBox): calories, fat and protein. All-American Smasher 610 kcal / 37 g / 35 g; All-American Bacon Smasher 670 kcal / 42 g / 39 g; Triple Bacon 860 kcal / 57 g / 52 g. Alt: Sonic All-American Bacon Smasher calories compared: 610, 670 and 860 calories. Third-party data, not Sonic’s. (Chart: Burger Breton, data from FastFoodNutrition (https://fastfoodnutrition.org/sonic/all-american-smasher, checked 2026-10-14))
How many calories are in the All-American Smasher without bacon?
The All-American Smasher without bacon has 610 calories, 37 g of fat, 32 g of carbohydrates, 8 g of sugar and 35 g of protein, according to Mashed (September 22, 2026). The bacon adds about 60 calories and 4 g of protein.
What is the difference between the All-American Smasher and the Original Sonic Smasher?
The Original Sonic Smasher uses a creamy, tangy Smasher sauce and has no lettuce, tomato, ketchup or mayo. The All-American swaps the sauce for ketchup and mayo and adds lettuce and tomato. Both have two Angus patties, two slices of American cheese, crinkle-cut pickles, diced onions and a potato bun.
Is the All-American Bacon Smasher part of the $6 meal?
No. The $6 All-American Smasher Meal, launched January 12, 2026 for a limited time, includes an All-American SONIC Smasher, medium tots or Groovy Fries and a medium drink or iced tea, but its fine print reads “Not valid on Triple or Bacon.” Sonic does not publish a single price for the Bacon version, and prices vary by location.
Is the All-American Smasher still available at Sonic?
It launched as a limited-time offer, and Mashed reported it was still on the menu in September 2026. Sonic’s official menu page wouldn’t load when I checked on October 12, 2026, so confirm with your local drive-in or the Sonic app.
Can I make a smash burger without a griddle?
Yes. A cast-iron skillet heated empty on high to 450–500 °F (230–260 °C) works as well as a griddle for 2 patties at a time. Avoid nonstick pans: they are not designed for that heat and they will not build the same crust.
What fat percentage should ground beef have for a smash burger?
Use 80/20 ground beef, meaning 20% fat, and do not go below 15%. Leaner beef dries out when smashed this thin and does not crisp at the edges.
