I’ve always made my own Cajun seasoning at home. I don’t really know what it is about Cajun seasoning that I love so much, but I really love it. It’s got this weird, savory, spicy thing going on that somehow works on just about everything. Eggs. Chicken. Fries. Burgers. You name it.
I’ve been making my own Cajun seasoning for a few years now, and when I stopped into Roosters and met up with Javan, we had one of those ideas that instantly felt right:
What if we took my Cajun seasoning and turned it into a burger sauce?
Not just any burger, but a smash burger.
The Eat Local New York Cajun Smash Burger
So that’s exactly what we did. For Valentine’s Week, Roosters is rolling out the Eat Local New York Cajun Smash Burger, and it checks every box of what a smash burger should be.
It starts with a double smash patty, cooked hard on the flat top until the edges are crispy and caramelized. Each patty gets American cheese, because smash burgers don’t need fancy cheese, they need melt.
Then comes a thick slice of onion, smashed and cooked directly into the beef until it’s soft, sweet, and just a little jammy.
And then- the star of the show- a double dose of my Cajun burger sauce.
The Cajun Burger Sauce
When I went out to Roosters, I whipped up a fresh batch of my Cajun seasoning and turned it into a sauce built specifically for smash burgers.
The base:
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Mayonnaise
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Mustard
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Ketchup
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Vinegar
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Pickle juice
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Chopped dill pickles
Then it gets hit with a healthy amount of my Cajun seasoning.
The result is creamy, slightly spicy, salty, tangy, and perfect for a burger that’s meant to be thin and crispy rather than thick and juicy.
Why Smash Burgers Need More Sauce
I hear this argument all the time:
“Smash burgers aren’t good because you smash all the juices out of them.”
And to that I say–exactly.
That’s why a smash burger should have more sauces and extras than a thick burger.
A great smash burger should be:
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Thin and crispy
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Layered with multiple patties for beefiness
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Well-seasoned and salty
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Loaded with enough sauce to make up for the lack of juiciness in the beef
That’s what this burger is.
It’s crispy. It’s messy. It’s balanced. And it eats exactly how a smash burger should eat.
Valentine’s Week Special
For Valentine’s Week, Roosters is making it even easier to share.
You can get:
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Two double Cajun smash burgers
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One large fry
All for $26.
Whether you’re splitting it with your significant other or just really hungry, it’s a solid excuse to get out, eat something indulgent, and try something a little different.
Go Get One
If you love smash burgers, Cajun seasoning, or just food that doesn’t overthink itself, head to Roosters in Utica this week and grab the Eat Local New York Cajun Smash Burger.
Fair warning: once you start putting Cajun seasoning in burger sauce, it’s hard to go back.
📍51 N Genesee St., Utica, NY 👉 Follow them on Facebook
