Start by shredding the iceberg lettuce, slicing the tomato into rounds, thinly slicing the onion, and preparing the dill pickle slices—set all vegetables aside on separate plates. In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to create your seasoning blend; set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and dill pickle juice until smooth and well combined—this is your burger sauce. Having everything prepped and ready ensures you can work quickly once the cooking begins.

Divide the 1.6 lb ground beef into 8 equal balls (about 3.2 oz each) and place them on a plate. Refrigerate the beef balls while you toast the buns—this keeps them cold for better smashing. Butter the cut sides of all 4 brioche buns and place them cut-side down on a medium heat griddle or skillet for 1-2 minutes until golden and toasted. I like to toast the buns first so they're ready to assemble while the burgers are still hot. Set the toasted buns aside on a clean surface.

Increase the griddle heat to medium-high and let it get very hot for about 2 minutes. Place all 8 beef balls directly on the hot griddle, leaving space between each one. Immediately place a piece of parchment paper over the patties and press down firmly with a spatula or flat metal press for 30-45 seconds, applying steady pressure to create thin, flat patties with crispy, browned edges. Remove the parchment paper carefully and season the cooked top side with your seasoning blend from Step 1. Cook undisturbed for another 30-45 seconds until deeply golden.

Flip each patty carefully and cook the second side for about 1 minute until it develops color. Immediately place a slice of sharp cheddar cheese on 4 of the patties (these will be your bottom patties). I like to remove the griddle from heat briefly at this point so the cheese melts gently from residual heat rather than melting too quickly. Once the cheese begins to soften, take the remaining 4 patties and stack them cheese-side down onto the 4 cheese-topped patties, creating 4 double-stacked smash burgers.

Spread burger sauce from Step 1 on both the top and bottom of each toasted bun from Step 2. Layer the sauce-coated bottom bun with dill pickle slices, shredded lettuce, and tomato slices. Carefully transfer each stacked smash burger patty onto the vegetable layer and top with a few slices of raw onion. Crown with the top bun and serve immediately while the burgers are still hot and the cheese is melted.