Homemade Patty Melt Recipe (2024)

If Patty Melt is on the menu, it’s almost always going to show up on my plate! A tender juicy beef patty, caramelized onions, cheese, and dressing all tucked between slices of pan-grilled rye bread.

This diner classic is easy to create at home with a few simple ingredients; ground beef, onions, and cheese!

Homemade Patty Melt Recipe (1)

An Easy Classic

Everyone loves a messy, juicy burger! The best patty melt is filled with all the good stuff but depending on what region you’re in, a patty melt recipe can be made with different kinds of cheese and on different kinds of bread and a great patty melt sauce (thousand island dressing)!

So, what is a Patty Melt? It’s almost like a smashup of a perfect grilled cheese sandwich melded with a juicy burger. In fact, the difference between a patty melt & burger is really just the grilling of the bread. They were invented sometime in the 1940’s and almost every restaurant has their own twist on it.

What’s on a Patty Melt?

Since a patty melt recipe is fairly simple and doesn’t contain many ingredients, using good quality ingredients is key!

  • Bread: Quality sourdough or rye bread will hold up against a juicy hamburger patty, cheese, and onions.
  • Onions: Caramelized Onions add tons of flavor and shouldn’t be skipped. (I make big batches in my crockpot and freeze them for recipes like this one and for Homemade French Onion Soup).
  • Beef: You want lean beef but not extra lean (80/20 should be good). A little bit of fat adds great flavor, keeps it juicy and is also great in the pan for grilling the bread!
  • Cheese: Swiss, cheddar, or American are great choices for a patty melt but really, any cheese goes! Add your favorite or layer a few for extra yum!

Optional additions: The sky’s the limit… Sauteed Mushrooms with Garlic, grainy-style mustard for dipping, pickles, sauerkraut. Get creative!

Homemade Patty Melt Recipe (2)

How to Make a Patty Melt

A patty melt is super easy to make but does take a little bit of time. Caramelized onions add so much to the flavor of this sandwich, it’s worth the extra time!

  • Caramelize onions.
  • Cook burger patties.
  • Add cheese to the bread, and cook in butter in a skillet.

Talk about easy!

Homemade Patty Melt Recipe (3)

What to Serve with a Patty Melt

These juicy burgers go great with a handful of potato chips and dill pickles of course!

  • The Best Potato Salad Recipe (Easy) – Classic recipe
  • Baked French Fries (Oven Fries) – Easy and crispy
  • Easy Pasta Salad – Make ahead
  • Broccoli Salad– Crowd favorite
  • The Best Coleslaw Recipe– Simple and fresh!

Homemade Patty Melt Recipe (4)

5 from 30 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Homemade Patty Melt Recipe

A juicy beef patty, caramelized onions, cheese and sauce sandwiched between two slices of butter grilled bread.

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Homemade Patty Melt Recipe (5)

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Homemade Patty Melt Recipe (7)

Author Holly Nilsson

Ingredients

  • 2 small onions sliced
  • 4 tablespoons butter divided
  • 8 slices sour dough (or rye bread)
  • 16 slices swiss cheese or cheddar
  • ¼ cup thousand island dressing optional
  • grainy mustard (optional)

Beef Patties

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Combine sliced onions and 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan. Cook over low heat until onions are golden, about 20-25 minutes Meanwhile, prepare remaining ingredients.

  • Combine beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper. Divide into 4 patties shaped similar to the bread.

  • Add 1 tablespoon butter to a pan over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 3-4 minutes on each side or to desired doneness.

  • Lightly butter both sides of the bread slices. Place the bread buttered side down on a griddle or in a skillet.

  • Add dressing and mustard. Top with cheese, onions and beef patty.

  • Add the second slice of bread on top and grill on each side until hot and melted and bread is lightly toasted.

5 from 30 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 1013 | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 929mg | Potassium: 607mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1325IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 975mg | Iron: 4.8mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Homemade Patty Melt Recipe (8) Course Main Course

Homemade Patty Melt Recipe (9) Cuisine American

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

Categories:

Beef, Lunch, Main Dishes

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About the author

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Homemade Patty Melt Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is patty melt sauce made of? ›

Many fast food and sit down restaurants serve burgers, fries, and patty melts with a "secret sauce". Secret sauce is usually a variation of thousand island dressing. The base is made with mayonnaise and ketchup, with other flavors added like mustard, paprika and garlic.

What is a classic patty melt made of? ›

In its most basic form, a patty melt is a thin beef patty cooked between two pieces of toasted bread with cheese and onions.

What does a patty melt contain? ›

The sandwich consists of a ground beef patty topped with melted cheese (traditionally Swiss cheese) and usually with caramelized onions between two slices of griddled bread (typically caraway-seeded rye or marbled rye, though sourdough or Texas toast are sometimes substituted in some regions, including the Southern ...

What makes a patty melt different than a burger? ›

Like burgers, patty melts include ground beef, cheese, and onions, but instead of a circular bun, patty melts are typically made using toasted rye bread. Two more key differences are that a patty melt's meat is square shaped, and while burgers can go crazy with toppings, a patty melt's magic is in its simplicity.

What is Bobby Flay's burger sauce? ›

Horseradish Mustard Mayonnaise:

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, and horseradish in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. The sauce can be prepared 1 day in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.

What is McDonald's burger sauce made of? ›

Our Big Mac® sauce does contain many of the same ingredients as mayonnaise, including vegetable oil, eggs and vinegar.

What is a Whataburger patty melt? ›

Two cheesy burger patties are topped with caramelized onions and signature sauce, served on crunchy Texas toast.

What is a Waffle House patty melt? ›

'Angus Beef Quarter Pound Hamburger with Grilled Onions, served on Texas Toast with Two Slices of Melted American Cheese'

Is a patty melt a Southern thing? ›

Although the blueprint for the patty melt is widely thought to have been invented in the 1950s at William “Tiny” Naylor's drive-in restaurants in Los Angeles, it has an honorary home in classic New York diners like Odessa, Shopsin's, and Kellogg's Diner.

Why is it called a patty melt? ›

The origin of the patty melt, however, is somewhat better documented, with most sources agreeing that the hamburger patty (or patties) with cheese, served in rye bread slices rather than a bun, first appeared on menus in 1940s California at Tiny Naylor's eponymous restaurants.

Which cheese melts for burgers? ›

Monterey Jack

Jack cheese is one of the best for melting, which makes it perfect for a gooey cheeseburger.

What is the yellow sauce in burgers called? ›

Yellow mustard – I'm talking the garish yellow stuff, sometimes labelled “American mustard”. (Caution: Don't accidentally use the other bright yellow mustard, Hot English Mustard, which is spicy!) Creamy burger sauce (this recipe) – A mayonnaise-based savoury burger sauce, usually with little bits of gherkins in it.

What is special burger sauce made of? ›

Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, relish, ketchup, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended.

What is on the patty melt at Whataburger? ›

Two cheesy burger patties are topped with caramelized onions and signature sauce, served on crunchy Texas toast.

Is burger sauce made of ketchup and mayo? ›

Burger Sauce Ingredients

Condiments: A flavorful mixture of ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard is the base. Seasonings: This burger sauce recipe is seasoned with dried minced onion, dried minced garlic, and seasoned pepper.

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