Griddle Patty Melt
A Griddle Patty Melt is a classic diner food served on toasted bread with a seasoned beef patty topped with cheese and grilled onions. The type of bread and cheese is hotly debated, but ultimately whatever you have on hand will work for the amped up cousin to a cheeseburger.
Griddle Patty Melt Recipe
I consider the Patty Melt to be kind of an iconic recipe. I'm not sure if it was popular where and when you were growing up, but in my neck of the woods it was like a super fancy diner cheeseburger that only the most adulty adults ever ordered because DUH. Piles of grilled onions.
Back in the day, onions were not my friend. Not even the rehydrated McDonald's burger onions.
Times have changed, thankfully, and I even have a couple of kids that'll get down with a big pile of grilled onions, so I guess we're doing something right.
Why You'll Love This Dish
- Real Diner-Style Crust - Smashed patties on a hot griddle get that deep browning.
- Simple Ingredients, Big Payoff - Beef, onions, cheese, bread. That's the magic.
- Fast Weeknight Dinner - Cook and build four sandwiches quickly.
- Great Texture - Crisp bread, melty cheese, juicy beef, and tender onions.
- Easy To Customize - Swap bread, cheese, and add sauces to fit your taste.
Recipe Shopping List
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ground Beef (85/15) - Juicy enough for flavor, lean enough to sear well; 80/20 works if you want it richer.
- Salt And Pepper - Classic seasoning that lets the beef shine; add garlic powder if you like extra savory flavor.
- Onion - Sweet, browned flavor that makes it a patty melt; yellow onion is perfect here.
- Oil - Helps onions brown without sticking; avocado, canola, or vegetable oil work well.
- Swiss Cheese - Nutty, classic melt; provolone or American are solid swaps.
- Bread (Rye Or Sourdough) - Sturdy slices that toast crisp and hold the juicy patty; thicker slices work best.
How To Make This Recipe
This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat: Heat griddle or cast iron skillet over medium-high.
- Cook Onions: Add oil, then onions. Cook, turning often, until browned and tender. Remove and set aside.
- Form And Season Patties: Shape beef into four elongated patties and season with salt and pepper (and garlic powder if using).
- Smash And Sear: Place patties on the hot griddle and smash. Cook 2-3 minutes until a dark crust forms. Flip.
- Melt Cheese And Build: Top patties with Swiss and cover to melt. Toast bread lightly, then assemble with onions and serve hot.
Try our Smashburger!
Recipe FAQ
What a patty melt is made from is a common question. It is traditionally a beef patty piled with cooked onions (which can be fried, grilled, sauteed, or griddled), covered with cheese and then sandwiched between bread.
Typically, you'll see this on Rye bread or sometimes sourdough.
Since I don't have either of those today and neither do any of the grocery stores, what you're seeing here is a white bread patty melt.
A cheeseburger and a patty melt are more similar than they are different, really, but the main differences are:
- Cheeseburgers are served on buns, and are typically round, where patty melts are served on bread and are rectangle-shaped.
- Cheeseburgers typically get no onions or raw onions. Patty melts get cooked onions.
We have (and love) gas griddles around here. The electric versions are okay for pancakes, but that's about it. If that's the only griddle you've worked with, your mind is about to be blown.
If you don't have a griddle, your best bet to make a killer patty melt will be well-seasoned cast iron pans on the stovetop. Just follow the general instructions for cooking on a griddle, but your griddle is your pan. It will likely take a little longer, and won't be exactly the same, but it'll be a close approximation and still delicious.
Flat top griddles are so versatile! Make pancakes for an army, or the best hibachi fried rice you've ever had. Reverse sear a steak, whip up some smash burgers, or cook basically anything you could cook in a pan that doesn't require a sauce. You need this!
How to RE-SEASON your Blackstone
Recipe Tips
It took me a long time to figure this out. Way too long, since I worked in restaurants for so long, in fact. But I digress. The secret to making restaurant-quality food in a lot of cases is a GREAT gas griddle.
Diner cooks are MASTERS at making their griddle do exactly what they want it to do. It is perfectly seasoned and non-stick. They know every square inch and how hot it is. They know exactly how long it takes to cook an egg over-easy, and when it'll firm up that yolk so much they have to toss it.
Griddles connect with every bit of the available surface of the food, and they get blazing hot. There's really no substitute or way to replicate it on a stove with a pan, even if you have a good cast iron skillet (though that would be the closest).
Love burgers? Try my Smoked Stuffed Burger!
Serve This With
Patty melts are super flexible, so you can serve whatever you want along with it if you want. I like a soup and/or salad to go along with a sandwich if I'm serving this for lunch.
If we're having Patty Melts for dinner I might throw in some more robust sides like a pasta, potato, or rice.
Soups
Salads
Hearty Sides
Pin For Later
Griddle Patty Melt
Homemade Patty Melts that are just as good as your local diner's are not only possible, but pretty simple too thanks to a gas griddle!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef (85/15 is ideal)
- salt and pepper
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 8 slices bread (rye or sourdough is ideal)
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Instructions
- Preheat your gas griddle or your cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Slice the onion, and set aside. Place the oil onto the griddle and let heat up. Toss the onions on and cook, turning frequently, until the onions are cooked and browned and tender (but not mushy). Set aside and scrape off the griddle.
- Portion the ground beef into four patties that are elongated. You'll be smashing them down when they get on the griddle for that perfect diner-style crust. You want them in the shape of a fat hot dog, essentially.
- Season the patties with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place onto the grill and smash down with a press or a sturdy griddle spatula.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, or until there is a dark brown crust.
- Flip once, and top with cheese. Cover with a melting lid (see recommended products below) and let the cheese melt.
- Lightly toast your bread, and place the patty on top. Serve hot!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 968Total Fat: 57gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 228mgSodium: 638mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 75g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate.
