Free recipe American

Patty Melt

Name: Patty Melt
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided, softened; 2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced; 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided; 1 1/4 lb ground chuck, 80 percent lean; 1 tsp worcestershire sauce; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 8 rye bread, slices; 4 swiss cheese, slices; 4 american cheese, slices; 2 tbsp mayonnaise; 1 tbsp water, as needed

Juicy beef patties, deeply caramelized onions and melted Swiss and American cheese griddled between slices of crisp rye bread.

By Marisol Vance, Founder & Head of Recipe Development Published April 26, 2025

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Prep: 15 min
Cook: 55 min
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Servings: 4
Level: Medium

The patty melt sits somewhere between a burger and a grilled cheese, and it takes the best of both. A thin, well-seasoned beef patty is shaped to fit the bread, then tucked between slices of rye with sweet caramelized onions and two kinds of cheese.

Take your time with the onions. Cooked slowly in butter until jammy and deep brown, they add a sweetness that balances the rich beef and the caraway in the rye. They can be made a day ahead, which turns this into a quick dinner.

Searing the patties first and then griddling the assembled sandwich gives you a crusty burger inside a crisp, buttery shell. Serve with fries, a pickle and a little ketchup or spicy mustard on the side.

Slow caramelized onions
Crisp griddled rye
Burger meets grilled cheese

Directions

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep cooking, stirring every few minutes and adding a splash of water if they stick, until the onions are jammy and deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl.
Gently mix the ground chuck with the worcestershire sauce and divide it into 4 portions. Shape each into a thin oval patty about the size and shape of a bread slice and 1/3 inch thick.
Season the patties on both sides with the remaining 1 tsp salt and the pepper.
Wipe out the skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Sear the patties until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate. Wipe out the skillet again.
Mix the remaining 3 tbsp softened butter with the mayonnaise and spread it on one side of each bread slice.
Flip 4 slices over and top each with 1 slice Swiss, a patty, a quarter of the onions and 1 slice American cheese. Close with the remaining bread, buttered side out.
Heat the skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the sandwiches, pressing gently with a spatula, until the bread is deep golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.
Flip and cook until the second side is golden and both cheeses are melted, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Rest for 1 minute, then slice in half and serve hot.

Test-kitchen tips

Caramelized onions keep for 5 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer, so make a double batch and use the rest on pizza or grilled cheese.
Shape the patties slightly larger than the bread since they shrink as they cook, and keep them thin so the sandwich heats through quickly.
Try sharp cheddar in place of the Swiss, or add a few sauteed mushrooms with the onions for a steakhouse twist.