Onion Burger

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 1 burger
  • Total: 15 min
  • Active: 15 min
This is an Oklahoma-style smashed double burger, fried with a crazy amount of onions which cook under the burger until they become sweet. The dish is said to date back to the Depression when burger joints were trying to use less beef and so substituted onions. They are still on menus today, usually at historic state diners.
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Ingredients

8 ounces 80/20 ground beef

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons salted butter

1/2 medium white onion, sliced very thin

2 slices American cheese

1 potato bun

To Serve:

Ketchup

Mustard

2 green leaf lettuce leaves

2 tomato slices

4 to 5 pickles

Directions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Divide the beef into two 4-ounce balls, then season all over with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  3. Add the butter to the skillet, allow to melt and then add the first ball of beef. With a flat spatula immediately smash the patty as thin as possible while still holding its shape. Repeat with the second ball. Add half of the onions to the top of each patty and smash the onions into the top of the patties, flattening them further. Let cook undisturbed to allow the beef to get a nice crust, 2 minutes.
  4. Flip the patties and onions, so the onions are now under the patties. Cook until the onions brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add a slice of the American cheese to the top of each patty. Stack the patties and remove them to a plate.
  5. Toast the bun in the skillet until golden, 20 to 30 seconds. Remove, top the bottom bun with the patties and arrange the other half of the bun on top. Serve the burger with the ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and pickles on the side.

Let's Get Cooking!

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hallockg

This recipe reminds me of the onion burger I had at a diner while traveling through Oklahoma a couple years ago. One important thing….just when you think you’ve added enough onions, double it. The onions need to be a patty on par with the beef. Trust me it’s not too much or overpowering.

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