This mouthwatering Classic Patty Melt combines perfectly grilled beef patties 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.
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.
- Whisk the ingredients for the patty melt sauce.
- Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the onions until golden brown.
- Mix the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper, then shape the mixture into patties.
- Cook the patties until browned and cooked through.
- Assemble the melts and grill the sandwiches until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown and toasted.
Preparation Tips for Success
- If you have a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, patty melts cook great in them.
- 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.
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.
More Ground Beef Recipes
- Hamburger Stew
- Frito Pie
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Hamburger Soup
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Cowboy Beans
Patty Melt Recipe
One of our favorite sandwich recipes brings back old-world diner charm with grilled onions, Swiss Cheese, and a homemade Thousand Island dressing.
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Servings: 4 sandwiches
Calories: 859kcal
Ingredients
Patty Melt Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
Patty Melt
- 1 large onion cut in half and then sliced
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 8 slices rye bread or sourdough
- 8 thick slices Swiss cheese
- 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 the 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 of the bread, place it 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. Cover the skillet with aluminum foil while it browns.
Video
Notes
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
Calories: 859kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1442mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 8mg
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Jennifer L Prince
That bread makes the whole thing look so delicious! It’s a much better upgrade than just a classic bun. Yum!
Ntensibe Edgar
This is the exact meal I wanna have for my lunch today. A melt like this is what we need for special days. Thanks for the recipe.
Brianna
I’m saving this, it looks sooo good!!! I haven’t had a patty melt in years!
Alita Pacio
This is a 10 out of 10 recipe. Best patty melt I have ever had!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Alita! So glad that you enjoyed it!
Elise Ho
You can never go wrong with a classic. Plus you can even give the classics a modern twist.
Monidipa
I love how your Classic Patty Melt recipe takes a simple sandwich to the next level with the perfect combination of flavors and textures. The melted Swiss cheese and caramelized onions are a game-changer!
Beth Pierce
I could not agree more!
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.