You’ll love this traditional patty soften recipe with caramelized onions and gooey, melty cheese grilled between slices of rye bread. It’s like a juicy burger meets a grilled cheese!
Like a traditional cheeseburger and my Italian slow-cooker beef sandwiches, this diner-style patty soften recipe is ideal with a aspect of crispy fries.

With caramelized onions, two sorts of melted cheese, and toasty bread, this straightforward stovetop patty soften recipe tastes similar to the sandwiches I’ve eaten at quick meals counters, solely higher as a result of it’s made at dwelling! The entire household loves my do-it-yourself patty melts. I made them not too long ago to serve with some fast air fryer potato wedges, and dinner was on the desk in half-hour.
What Makes This the Final Patty Soften Recipe
- Easy elements. All you actually need to make a patty soften is floor beef, onions, cheese, and bread. The way you put together the elements is the key to the flavour within the completed sandwich.
- A do-it-yourself diner traditional. This patty soften recipe relies on the traditional dish present in diners and burger joints throughout the US. It’s old school consolation meals at its most interesting.
- One skillet. You’ll be able to prepare dinner the bottom beef patties, caramelize the onions, and grill the patty soften all in the identical pan. It’s fast and simple to wash!


What’s a Patty Soften?
A patty soften is sort of a cross between a smash burger and a grilled cheese sandwich. As a substitute of a delicate hamburger bun, this traditional patty soften recipe is a burger patty assembled on toasted rye bread with caramelized onions and cheese. It’s my do-it-yourself spin on the diner favourite!


Collect Your Components
Scroll right down to the printable recipe card after the publish for the complete recipe quantities and step-by-step directions.
For the Beef Patties
- Floor Beef – I like to make use of 80/20 floor chuck, which implies beef that’s 80% lean meat and 20% fats. The fats provides higher taste and juiciness in recipes like burgers and meatballs. Nevertheless, any floor beef works.
- Seasonings – I hold it easy with salt and pepper. You’ll be able to amp up the flavors in your patty any method you’d like, together with your favourite burger seasoning. However I discover there’s already loads of taste from the cheese and onions within the recipe.
For the Soften
- Caramelized Onions – I embody how one can make caramelized onions on the stovetop. Yellow onions are your best option for caramelizing as they don’t flip mushy when cooked. You’ll additionally want butter, salt, and pepper.
- Rye Bread – I make my patty soften recipe with rye bread. Sourdough is an efficient various.
- Mayonnaise – You may as well unfold butter over the bread for grilling.
- Cheese – I exploit Emmental and Provolone cheese. You may make your patty soften with Swiss cheese, cheddar, or American cheese should you want.
Ideas for the Finest Diner-Model Patty Soften (with Variations)
- Select any floor beef you’d like. You may as well make this recipe with floor turkey or rooster for a leaner choice, or floor sausage. I like beef because it’s conventional and packs sufficient taste while not having a lot seasoning.
- Make sure that the patties have cooked by way of. Normally, 3-4 minutes per aspect over medium-high warmth is sufficient for the meat patties to prepare dinner by way of. Remember the fact that the patties will proceed to prepare dinner whereas they relaxation on the plate afterward.
- Don’t rush the method. Caramelizing the onions takes time. It builds the flavors, browns the onions, and brings out their sweetness. Don’t take shortcuts!
- Make a Texas-style patty soften. Make a copycat Whataburger patty soften with sliced jalapeños and melted Monterey Jack cheese between slices of Texas toast. Instead of the well-known Whataburger creamy pepper sauce, strive burger sauce or Thousand Island dressing.
- Vegetarian. Substitute floor beef together with your favourite meatless mince or make your patty soften with mushrooms, chickpea patties, or black bean patties.


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Make the patties. Season the bottom beef with salt and pepper. Form the meat into two patties, attempting to imitate the form of your bread slices.
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Prepare dinner the patties. Warmth oil in a skillet over medium-high warmth. Add the patties and prepare dinner for 3-4 minutes per aspect or till cooked by way of. Take away the patties from the skillet and put aside, coated on a plate to gather the meat juices.
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Put together the onions and butter. Peel and thinly slice the onions into half-moons. Soften the butter in a big skillet over medium-high warmth.
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Caramelize the onions. Season the onions with salt and pepper, and prepare dinner for five minutes. Then cut back the warmth to medium and prepare dinner the onions, stirring, till they begin to change colour. At this level, add some water to forestall burning. Scrape down any browned bits. Proceed to prepare dinner the onions for 20 minutes, including water as wanted. Lastly, stir any meat juices into the onions. Take away the onions from the skillet and put aside.
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Get able to assemble. Unfold mayonnaise over one aspect of the bread slices. Add the bread slices to the skillet, mayonnaise aspect down. Place the skillet on the range over medium-high warmth.
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Assemble the sandwiches and prepare dinner. Add 2 slices of Provolone cheese on high of a slice of bread, adopted by half of the onions and a cooked patty. Add the Emmental cheese on high of the meat patty, and shut the sandwich with one other piece of bread, mayonnaise aspect up. Prepare dinner for 2-3 minutes per aspect or till the bread is browned and the cheese is melted. Repeat the identical with the second sandwich.
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Serve. Slice the patty soften in half and serve.
- Floor meat choices. You need to use any sort of floor beef or floor meat.
- The seasonings are easy on this recipe as a result of different elements, like onions and cheese, give sufficient taste. You’ll be able to add a few of your favourite spices, however generally it’s best to maintain issues easy.
- As a substitute of mayonnaise, you possibly can unfold butter over the bread.
- Cheese choices. I used Emmental and Provolone cheese as a result of I just like the combo of salty, nutty, and candy notes from each cheeses. You may as well use Swiss cheese, Monterey Jack, or American cheese if you would like.
Energy: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 18g | Fats: 31g | Saturated Fats: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 5g | Monounsaturated Fats: 12g | Trans Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 384mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 2mg
Dietary data is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values might range in accordance with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
How one can Make a Patty Soften at Dwelling
Primarily, we’re making a grilled cheese with a burger patty, caramelized onions, and cheese! I like to recommend a big cast-iron skillet for grilling the patties and cooking the onions. Right here’s how one can put together this patty soften recipe, step-by-step:




- Form and prepare dinner the patties. For this skillet patty soften recipe, you’ll season the bottom beef with salt and pepper, then form the meat into two patties. Attempt to make the patties as shut in measurement to your bread slices as potential. Afterward, prepare dinner the patties in a skillet with oil for 3-4 minutes per aspect.




- Subsequent, caramelize the onions. Peel and thinly slice your onions, and add them to a skillet with butter, salt, and pepper. Sear the onions over medium-high warmth, then decrease the warmth and allow them to caramelize for 20 minutes till they’re candy and golden, deglazing the pan with water to forestall the onions from burning. Lastly, stir any meat juices from the patties into the onions and switch them to a plate.




- Assemble the sandwich. Now, unfold one bread slice with mayonnaise, and place it into the skillet, mayo aspect down. Set the pan over medium-high warmth. Layer 2 slices of Provolone on high of the bread, then add the caramelized onions and a cooked beef patty. Place the Emmental cheese on high of the patty, and shut the sandwich with a second bread slice, this time mayo aspect up.
- Grill till golden. Toast the sandwich within the skillet, grilled cheese-style, for 2-3 minutes per aspect till the bread is a pleasant, golden brown. As soon as cooked, slice the grilled patty soften in half and serve!


Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate individually. Retailer any leftover patties and caramelized onions in separate containers. Leftovers will final within the fridge for 3-4 days. I don’t prefer to retailer the assembled sandwiches, because it tends to make the bread soggy.
- Reheat. Heat the meat patties and onions within the microwave or on the stovetop, after which assemble and grill the patty soften on slices of rye bread as directed.
- Freeze. You’ll be able to freeze the cooked patties and leftover caramelized onions for as much as 2 months. Thaw them within the fridge earlier than reheating.