Classic Patty Melt

When I go to a diner, I almost always order a classic patty melt. There are a few variations on this sandwich, but the version I made here is what I consider the most authentic diner-worthy version.

A good, classic patty melt has a crispy crunchy bread, melted cheese, a thin beef patty, and salty and slightly sweet onions. It’s a perfect flavor and texture combo!

It’s a hearty sandwich, for sure, and is pure comfort food in my opinion.

It’s one of those sandwiches that I don’t really consider making at home very often, but then when I do make it I ask myself why I don’t make it more often?! It’s just absolutely delicious and the perfect mix of a grilled cheese and a good burger.

What Is a Patty Melt?

In its most basic form, a patty melt is a thin beef patty cooked between two pieces of toasted bread with cheese and onions. I suppose the onions are optional, but I consider them pretty important to a true patty melt experience.

What Makes a Good Patty Melt?

You might think it’s the beef patty that makes a good patty melt. It’s important, for sure—otherwise, you’d just have a grilled cheese. But it’s the caramelized onions that make a patty melt special.

To make caramelized onions, you have to cook them slowly until the sugars breakdown causing the onions to brown and the sweetness to intensify. I like to add a splash of apple cider vinegar to my onions to help brighten the flavor.

This deep onion sweetness gives a patty melt a crave-worthy complex flavor. Without them, you would basically have a cheeseburger on toast but the onions add a delicious sweet and tangy layer.

If you make extra caramelized onions you can freeze the cooked onions in ice cube trays and save them for another day. This way the next time a patty melt craving strikes, you will already have the caramelized onions ready saving you valuable time.

How to Make a Patty Melt

For a simple sandwich, the cook time might seem like a long time, but it’s worth it! You cook a patty melt in three phases. First, the onions. As I said, they take some time—25 minutes on the low end—but it might take longer, and you could definitely cook them down more.

After the onions are cooked, you make and cook the patties. This goes pretty quickly because the patties are very thin. If you wanted to speed up the cooking process (and dirty an extra skillet) you can absolutely cook the patties while the onions are caramelizing.

Finally, you sandwich everything together and grill the sandwich in the skillet!

What Is the Best Bread for a Patty Melt?

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