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Make a delicious classic patty melt at home in minutes!
This patty melt recipe combines the best of a grilled cheese sandwich and burger, topped with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese for a diner classic at home.
A patty melt is different from a good ol’ cheeseburger as the beef patty is topped with caramelized onions between two slices of bread. It’s cooked ‘grilled-cheese-style’ for a perfect bite.
Why We’re Obsessed with This Patty Melt Recipe …
- A classic patty melt is a comforting cross between a melty grilled cheese sandwich and a juicy burger with retro-style flavor.
- You can make them with simple ingredients that are likely already on hand.
- It tastes delicious with a seasoned beef patty, caramelized onions, and Swiss cheese.
- They’re a perfect last-minute dinner; swap out frozen beef patties for easy prep.
What You’ll Need to Make a Patty Melt
Ground Beef: Use an 80/20 blend of ground beef; it has enough fat to make the burger patties juicy without being too fatty. You can replace it with frozen beef patties cooked according to package directions. I keep the seasonings simple in this recipe but feel free to add garlic powder or your favorite seasonings.
Onions: Use any variety of onions. Caramelizing onions is best when its done very low and slow.
Cheese: I love a slice of Swiss cheese on a patty melt, but feel free to use cheddar cheese, American cheese, or your favorite variety.
Bread: Patty melts generally replace the buns with thick slices of bread. Use a hearty bread like sourdough, marble rye, or even Texas toast. Thicker pieces of bread work best.
Sauce: Sauces are optional, but I love Thousand Island dressing or burger sauce. You can add ketchup, relish, or mustard, or just serve them on the side for dipping.
Variations: Customize patty melts with strips of cooked bacon, pickle slices, sautéed mushrooms, creamy coleslaw, or sauerkraut.
How to Make a Patty Melt
Make this delicious diner classic at home in minutes!
- Caramelize the onions and set aside. (See recipe below.)
- Cook patties to the desired doneness.
- Layer beef patty, cheese, onions, and sauce between buttered bread slices.
- Grill until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is heated through.
Patty Melt Tips & Tricks
- Shape the patty to the size of the bread so a little bit of everything gets into every bite!
- For the best, less soggy patty melts, let the beef patties drain on clean paper towels before assembling.
- Make patty melts in advance and wrap them in aluminum foil before refrigerating for 3-4 days. Pop them in the toaster to warm them up again or reheat in the air fryer.
What to Serve with Patty Melt
Did your family love this Patty Melt Recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Patty Melt
Equipment
Ingredients
Onions
- 2 small yellow onions sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
Beef Patties
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound lean ground beef 80/20
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
Sandwich
- 8 slices sourdough bread or rye bread
- 2 tablespoon butter or as needed
- 6 ounces Swiss cheese or cheddar, sliced
- ¼ cup thousand island dressing or burger sauce, optional
- whole grain dijon mustard optional
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, combine sliced onions and 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook over low heat until onions are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, combine beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper. Form the beef mixture into four thin patties shaped similar to the bread.
- In a cast iron skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or to desired doneness. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Top each slice of bread with the dressing and mustard if using. Add a slice of cheese, onions, and beef patty. Top with the remaining slice of bread.
- In a clean skillet or on an electric griddle, melt 2 tableespoons of butter. Add the patty melts and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown.
- With a spatula, flip each sandwich over and grill on the other side, adding more butter as needed, until the cheese ismelted and the bread is lightly toasted.
Notes
- Beef patties may be made ahead and refrigerated in an air-tight container for 3 days.
- Frozen beef patties can be used in place of fresh beef. Season to taste and prepare according to package directions.
- Store leftover beef patties for up to 4 months by foil wrapping, followed by plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer bag.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Lunch, Main Course, Sandwich
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.
delicious, can also have on rye/pumpernickle bread .. with pickles
Just how a melt should be made! This is how I remember them from my Jersey childhood. I made them tonight for my 53rd anniversary dinner, . My husband loved them. Thanks for sharing.
So happy you love this recipe, Janet!
Looks good, but 4 slices of cheese per sandwich is just too much.
Omg this looks delicious. Where did you get the bread in the picture? It looks amazing.
I got it at a local bakery, it’s called marbled rye.
I have tried this amazing patty melt recipe and i found this recipe really an amazing recipe. Thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us.
I love patty melts at restaurants, but I’ve never made them my self…for some reason. I’m going to try your recipe tonight. The only change I’d make is how to stack ingredients. Like the ruebens I make, I go bread, cheese, sauce, meat, onions, more sauce, more cheese, then bread. My mouth is watering.
That sounds delicious Brent! Hope you enjoyed them.
Yum! I don’t make sandwiches all that often and your post has DEF inspired me to get my sandwich game on big time!!! Thanks so much for sharing :).
You are very welcome Daniela! Enjoy!