The Best Patty Melt Recipe
Making a homemade patty melt is about achieving perfection. A nostalgic sandwich like this is about reaching back into your memory banks to recreate that patty melt you always ordered at the diner near your grandparents house. A fast-food patty melt might let you down, but our patty melt recipe just might measure up. Caramelized Onions are the key, as is the homemade patty melt sauce. Sauce is the key to all great sandwiches, as proven by our perfect Burger Sauce, Thousand Island Dressing, and smoky Chipotle Mayonnaise. For even more beefy recipe ideas, check out our Beef Empanadas, Meatball Sub Sandwiches, Sloppy Joes and don’t miss our round up of the 30 Best Ground Beef Recipes.
Homemade Patty Melt Ingredients
Butter
Mayonnaise
Ground beef
Seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Worcestershire sauce
Sourdough bread. The only patty melt bread, as far as we’re concerned.
Swiss cheese
How To Make A Patty Melt
- Make caramelized onions. You’ll need a good skillet and about an hour of time, but the best patty melt relies on a few really good ingredients, and you can’t skip the onions. You make them a day or two ahead of time and store them in the fridge, if need be.
- Season the beef, then form it into ¼ pound patties.
- Cook the patties! In a large pan, until it’s cooked to your preferred level of doneness.
- Mix together the softened butter and mayo in a small bowl, and slather your bread with a that slightly wicked mixture.
- Build the patty melts. The order is as follows: slathered bread slice, Swiss cheese slice, beef patty, caramelized onions, second cheese slice, slathered, butter-side-up bread slice.
- Griddle your patty melts! Cook them over medium low heat—if your pan is too hot, the bread will burn before the cheese melts.
- Eat your patty melts!
How To Store + Tips For The Best Patty Melt
Leftover patty melts are not a thing. Well, maybe they are but we don’t recommend storing patty melts for long. They’ll be safe to eat for up to 3 days in the fridge, but patty melts are really meant to be eaten as soon as they’re cooked.
Swiss cheese is best and most classic kind of cheese to use on a patty melt. It’s worth a quick run to the store if you don’t have any on hand.
When mixing and forming the patties, use a gentle touch — don’t overwork the meat.
More Old-School, Beefy Classics
Patty Melt Night Is The Best
For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!
