Classic Patty Melt Recipe

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This mouthwatering Classic Patty Melt combines beef patties grilled to perfection with 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.

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.

As a kid, the patty melt was standard at the local diners 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, sweet potato fries, or chili cheese fries.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

Mayonnaise: I love Duke’s mayo, but you can use your favorite.
Pickle relish: I use sweet pickle relish in this recipe, but you can use dill pickle relish.
Onion: preferably a sweet yellow onion or a Vidalia onion
Ground beef: Use ground beef with a bit of fat. Fat gives the patty flavor.
Bread: Use bakery-quality sourdough bread, rye bread, or Texas toast
Swiss cheese: Thick slices of baby Swiss are the best, but it’s your sandwich. If you don’t like Swiss Cheese, try provolone, cheddar, or American cheese.

How to Make a Patty Melt

This is the summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.

Grab a good-sized skillet and melt a few tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over the heat, stirring every few minutes. However, do not stir them constantly; 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. Shape the ground beef into four burger patties and add to the skillet by scooting the onions over. Cook those patties over medium-high heat until they are nicely browned on both sides and cooked through.

Some of the steps to making a paty melt. Caramelize the onions and cook the patties. Assembled the patty melts and brown on both sides.

To assemble the melts, spread each slice of bread with a little bit of Thousand Island dressing. Top each slice 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. Bring the slices of bread together to form four sandwiches. Butter the tops of the sandwiches and place them butter side down in the preheated skillet over medium/low heat. Butter the tops of the sandwiches and cover the pan with aluminum foil, but stay close by to check on them. Once browned on the bottom, flip and brown the other side.

A close up view of a patty melt with onions and cheese in a skillet.

Preparation Tips for Success

If you have a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, patty melts cook great in it.
Stir the onions but not too frequently. Every few minutes or so will do the trick, as you want the onions to soften and brown on the edges. The process can take 30-40 minutes.
To save time, use your favorite bottled Thousand Island dressing.
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.

A grilled patty melt on a single serving plate.

What to Serve with a Patty Melt

Potatoes: fried potatoes, potatoes O’Brien, or air-fried potato wedges
Slaw: creamy coleslaw or vinegar coleslaw
Salad: Southern potato salad, dill pickle pasta salad, creamy pea salad, broccoli bacon salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a patty melt and a cheeseburger?

A cheeseburger is a cooked patty topped with cheese and placed between a soft bun that may or may not be toasted. It may also have toppings like bacon, pickles, tomatoes, or lettuce. A patty melt is a cooked patty topped with onions and cheese on rye or sourdough bread, and toasted on a griddle to melted perfection.

What bread is best for patty melts?

My two favorites are sourdough and rye bread. However, many types of bread are hearty enough for this sandwich, and they grill up well. You might like ciabatta, multigrain, whole wheat, pumpernickel, Texas toast, or white sandwich bread.

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