Patty Melt Recipe
on May 29, 2018, Updated Oct 15, 2021
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What is a Patty Melt? Patty Melts are one of those rare culinary gifts that give you maximal taste and satisfaction in return for minimal ingredients and effort.
Made famous by little mom and pop diners across our land, this is one American classic that you can easily make at home in your kitchen. It’s one of our many easy ground meat recipes.
Table of Contents
How to Make a Patty Melt
This recipe for Patty Melts could not be any easier or more delicious.
Using just a few ingredients, a full and satisfying meal can be at your fingertips and on your table in no time at all.
Caramelizing onions takes a little time but the process elevates their taste to gourmet status, and all you need is just a part of butter and a hot skillet.
Mixed in with some pan-fried ground beef and a couple of slices of Swiss cheese, these Patty Melts take on a sweet and juicy character all of their own.
The patty melt is ultimately sandwiched together by two slices of grilled rye bread.
Here are some great tips for when it comes to caramelizing onions, from Bon Appeit
What’s in a Patty Melt?
- Butter
- Onions
- Ground Beef
- Swiss Cheese
- Rye Bread
Not Your Typical Hamburger Patty Melt Recipe
The burger patty transforms ordinary ingredients into an ooey, gooey, sweet and salty caramelized delight.
Talk about comfort and taste; these melt burgers deliver both of these things and so much more.
Substitutions and Variations
This Patty Melt can also be made into a great leftover beef sandwich! Using leftover prime rib, or leftover chuck roast, or beef brisket, you can slice and sear the meat from any of these instead of using hamburger. The results are always mouthwatering!
Try some of our other hamburger recipes form Platter Talk!
Prep ahead for this Patty Melt!
- Making the caramelized onions for this melt burger is the longest part of the process. You can easily do your onions a day ahead of time, then store them in an airtight container until ready to use. Just reheat in the pan, and you’re good to go!
- By the same token, you can form the hamburger patties up to 8 hours ahead of time. Wrap them up nice and tight and keep in the fridge until your hot skillet is ready for them.
This may be the best hamburger patty recipe you’ve ever tasted!
Do you have a secret hamburger patty recipe? We would love to know about it!
Also, everyone has a favorite hamburger joint, what’s yours? We want to know!
Give this rye bread sandwich a try and please, let us know what you think of it!
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Patty Melts
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef, minimimum 20% fat content
- 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 8 slices rye bread
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To caramelize the onions, start by melting 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy skillet, over high heat. When butter foams, stir in the onions and add a sprinkle of salt. Allow onions to sit in pan for about a minute, without stirring. After a minute or so, stir over high heat for about five minutes until the onions become soft and translucent.
- Lower the heat to medium, and continue to cook while stirring, for about 30 to 40 minutes until the onions take on a golden brown color and are fully melted. Then, remove onions from skillet and set them aside.
- To cook the burgers, begin by adding the remaining butter to the skillet, over medium heat. Divide the beef into four equal portions and flatten slightly to form patties that approximately the same size as the bread. Generously with salt and pepper.
- Increase skillet heat to high and place patties into the skillet. Be sure to leave plenty of space between them and allow to cook for 3 minutes without turning. Use a spatula to flip each patty and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and allow to rest.
- Lower heat to medium and place four slices of rye bread into the skillet, using the butter and fat to grill the bread. Place a slice of cheese on each piece of bread, add one of the cooked patties, top with caramelized onions, another slice of cheese, and then another slice of bread. Press down on the patties, using a spatula. After about 2 minutes, turn each patty over and grill the other side. (It might be necessary to and a couple more tablespoons of butter to the skillet at this point.) Cook another couple of minutes until the bread is brown and crispy and the cheese is fully melted. Cut each patty in half and then serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love love love patty melts but confess I’m not a fan of rye bread, far prefer them in white bread instead! Your onions look particularly fine!
Oh my goodness. This is like the world’s most perfect patty melt! From the onions to the perfectly toasted bread, it looks amazing!
Thanks so much, Elizabeth; one of these will make just about anything right!
I’m drooling! I don’t think any other sandwich can beat a patty melt, especially with those caramelized onions!
Meg, I think you may be right! Thanks so much for the kind comments.
Oh my, I just want to stick my hand in the picture and eat this sandwich now – totally yummy!
Go for it; we promise not to judge!
I loved how you have added caramelized onions into your sandwich. I saw this and a light went off in my head. I make sandwiches for my son everyday. I’m going to try this onion idea.
Thanks for the comments, your son will love this one!
wow this melt is packed with flavor and so much yumminess, I love caramelized onions so this is a must try!
We hope you try these patty melts, soon!
Love a good patty melt and this looks divine! Hubby would love this too!
I love patty melts and oh my gosh that first photo is mouthwatering. I actually don’t like rye bread so I usually sub challah or a semolina bread – heresy, I know, but they’re still so delicious! Mmmm.
Looks like such a tasty dish with all those layers. Caramalised onions,when done perfectly are a delicious additon to meals.
Whoa, that sandwich looks so good! I love caramelized onions and the combination with the cheese and ground beef sounds yummy.