This mouthwatering good Classic Patty Melt combines beef patties grilled to perfection with plenty of sweet melt-in-your-mouth caramelized onions, homemade thousand island dressing, and plenty of melted Swiss cheese. The flavor is even better than the old diners and dives that your parents took you to.
When I was a kid, the patty melt was a standard at the local dinners Mom and Dad took us to. I remember the sweet smell of the onions and beef searing on the grill. This recipe will bring back all kinds of wonderful memories and good times. You are going to love every ounce of this sandwich. You can prepare it with or without onions, but the true classic always comes with grilled onions. For even more fun diner nostalgia, serve with Beer Battered Onion Rings or Easy Baked Sweet Potato Fries.
How do you make a Classic Patty Melt?
Start by slicing some sweet onions. Next, grab a good-sized skillet and, over medium to medium-low heat, melt a few tablespoons of butter. Now add those onions and cook over the heat stirring every couple of minutes or so. However, do not stir them all the time, as you want them to brown up a bit. Once cooked to a golden brown and caramelized, remove them from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, mix a little Worcestershire Sauce, salt, and pepper into the ground beef. Next, shape the beef into four burger patties and add to the skillet by scooting the onions over. Now cook those patties over medium-high heat until they are nicely browned on both sides and cooked through.
Then assemble the sandwiches to be grilled. First, spread each slice of bread with a little bit of thousand island dressing. Top each of the pieces of bread with a slice of Swiss cheese and position the cooked patties in the middle. Then add a heaping spoonful of the cooked onions to each patty. Next, bring the slices of bread together to form four sandwiches. Butter the tops of the sandwiches and place butter side down in the preheated skillet over medium/low heat. Now butter the tops of the sandwiches and cover the pan with aluminum foil but stay close by to check on them. Finally, once browned on the bottom, flip and brown the other side.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- Use bakery-quality sourdough bread, rye bread, or Texas toast.
- If you have a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, these melts cook up great in them.
- Stir the onions but not too frequently. Every few minutes or so will do the trick, as you want those onions to soften and brown on the edges. It can take up to 30-40 minutes to caramelize onions.
- Are you under time constraints? If so, use your favorite bottled thousand island dressing.
- If you don’t like Swiss Cheese, try cheddar cheese or American cheese.
- Preheat the pan before adding the hamburger patty and sear those juices in.
- The melts are best served right out of the pan or off the grill while the cheese is melted, and the bread is warm, buttery, and toasty.
What is the difference between a cheeseburger and a patty melt?
A cheeseburger is a cooked patty that is topped with cheese and placed between a soft bun that may or may not be toasted. It may also be loaded with toppings like bacon, pickles, tomatoes, or lettuce. While a patty melt is a cooked patty that is topped with onions and cheese on rye bread, and then it is toasted on a griddle to melted perfection.
What bread is best for patty melts?
My two favorites are sourdough bread and rye bread. However, there are many more types of bread that are hearty enough for this sandwich, and they grill up well. You might like ciabatta, multigrain, whole wheat, pumpernickel, or white sandwich bread.
More ground beef recipes you will love!
Classic Patty Melt
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise I like Dukes
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 large onion cut in half and then sliced
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 8 slices rye bread or sourdough
- 8 thick slices Swiss cheese preferably Baby Swiss
- Butter
- Pickles optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, grated onion, pickle relish, and paprika.
- Place 2 tablespoons butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown, approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Plate the onions and cover to keep warm. For more caramelization, cook longer.
- Mix ground beef, Worcestershire Sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Divide into four equal portions and form patties. Preheat the skillet and cook over medium heat until golden brown and cooked through, flipping halfway through the cooking process.
- Spread a little more than 1 tablespoon of dressing on each slice of bread. Place a piece of Swiss Cheese on each slice of bread. Add browned onions and one beef patty to four of the slices. Top with the remaining slices to form four sandwiches.
- Butter the top side of the bread and place butter side down in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook until golden brown. Butter the other side of the bread before flipping. Flip and brown the other side until golden brown and the cheese is melted. It is helpful to cover the skillet with aluminum foil while it is browning.
Notes
- Use bakery-quality sourdough bread, rye bread, or Texas toast.
- If you have a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, these melts cook up great in them.
- Stir the onions but not too frequently. Every few minutes or so will do the trick, as you want those onions to soften and brown on the edges. It can take up to 30-40 minutes to caramelize onions.
- Are you under time constraints? If so, use your favorite bottled thousand island dressing.
- If you don’t like Swiss Cheese, try cheddar cheese or American cheese.
- Preheat the pan before adding the hamburger patty and sear those juices in.
- The melts are best served right out of the pan or off the grill while the cheese is melted and the bread is warm, buttery, and toasty.
Nutrition
On the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
wilhelmina
This is one of my favorite sandwiches! Something about the combination of toasty bread and buttery onions with the hamburger just makes my heart go pitter patter!
Beth Pierce
Mine too!
Bryan Carey
Patty melts are one of my most commonly ordered sandwiches when I go out to eat. I like that your recipe doesn’t add mushrooms and sticks with the more classic patty melt ingredients.
Sonia T
You inspire me so much. All these dishes are amazing. And this melt is no different. I love how it looks and that its easy to make. Perfect for breakfast.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sonia! I hope you enjoy as much as we do!
Kimberley
This patty melt recipe looks delicious and reminds me of classic diner food. I can almost taste the juicy beef patty, melted cheese, and caramelized onions! Can’t wait to try making this at home and enjoy it with some crispy fries. Yum!
Nyxie
This looks amazing! I would kill for something like this right now. I’ve just told my husband it’s time to make dinner and then this pops up, and I don’t believe it’s a conincidence.
Linda
This was excellent! Thank you for sharing your recipe. We loved it.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Linda!
Stacy Lane
This was so delicious!!!!! Best sandwich I have ever made.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stacy! I am happy that you loved it!
Meyia
Amazing! All 5 of my kids loved their patty melts! Ages 19-3yo! Thanks 😉
Beth Pierce
Awesome. So glad to hear it! It can be difficult to please some kids.
Tweenselmom
This was soo yum! My kids would loved this classic patty melt 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe.
Rose Ann Sales
Wow! This was absolutely delicious! This is the best patty melt I have had in quite some time.
Bryan
Patty melts are one of my favorite sandwiches! Next to burgers, this is what I order most frequently when I dine out
Tonya
This is the best homemade thousand island I’ve ever eaten.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tonya! So happy that you like it.
jill goebel
Yes it was the best.. My family of 6 loved it.. Best sauce ever!!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Jill!
Grammasue
I make Patty Melts all the time (or.. rather… once every three months..) I love them. I have not made your homemade Thousand Island sauce yet but will next time.
Beth Pierce
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
So delicious! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Kim Guzman
Tried this last night. Those onions were such a temptation. I snuck some of them before I had a chance to put the sandwich together. Of course, I tried with Swiss cheese first but I look forward to trying again with other cheeses to try different tastes. Thank you for the tasty recipe!
Chenée
Haven’t had a patty melt in forever! I can’t wait to make this — it looks like the the ultimate classic comfort meal.
Toni
This was SO good!! My kids really loved it! Thank you for the recipe!