Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger

This onion hamburger with fried onions will melt in your mouth! Known as the Oklahoma Onion burger this is a smash burger with thinly sliced onions. Oh oh oh, so good! Warm the buns and you have one of the best mouth watering burgers ever.

What is the Oklahoma Onion Burger?

Originating in the 1920’s in Oklahoma, thinly sliced onions were used to replace some meat, which was a scarcity. Offered by Homer and Ross Davis, it was a way to add more bulk to the burger when meat was scarce during the depression. But the flavors of the caramelized onions on the smashed beef patty is amazing. Add some American cheese on there and it’s definitely a cheeseburger for onion lovers.

Caramelize the Onions for Oklahoma Burgers

Don’t be scared of some crispy bits and edges to your onions! This smash burger is so good when the onions are caramelized, super golden brown and crispy. If you want your onions barely cooked, that’s fine. Eat it your way. But you can’t call it an Oklahoma fried onion burger because all the versions we’ve seen truly cook the onions to a nice char and crisp. Go for the crispy onions!

White Onions vs Yellow Onions or Sweet Onions

If you use white or yellow onions, the results are pretty much the same. Still, very delicious. But if you can get your hands on some sweet onions, then go for it! the sweet onions are so super tasty and they have such a great naturally sweet flavor that can’t be beat. Combine the caramelized sweet onions with the smashed beef patty and melty cheese…… wow. It’s a winner Oklahoma fried onion burger for sure.

Don’t forget to warm the buns

We’re not fans of using cold burger buns. You gotta warm them on the pan for a few minutes so they can get soft and slightly crispy on the face of the buns. We believe in this and eating a burger with warm, soft buns makes all the difference!

Oklahoma Fried Onion Smash Burgers

Yield: 4 Single Patty Burger or 2 Doubles

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

This is often made as a double onion cheeseburger, but it can easily be made as single patties per burger. You choose what you like. An 80% or 85% meat/fat beef is our preference for these burgers. If you use a leaner meat, it is best to lightly oil the pan before cooking the patties.

Nutrition counts based on single patty burgers.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound (454 g) ground beef , preferably 80-85% meat/fat
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce , optional
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper , or to taste
• salt , to taste
• Oil for pan , optional
• 1 medium onion , sliced really thin
• 4 slices American cheese
• 2-4 (2-4) burger buns
• Burger sauce , or any of your favorite burger toppings/condiments

Instructions 

• Thinly slice your onions and set aside.
  
• In a bowl, combine the 1 pound of beef, minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon of optional Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (the salt will be added on later while cooking the patties).
  
• Gently form 4 loosely packed balls but don’t compress the meat too much.
  
• Heat skillet or griddle on medium-high heat. If using a leaner meat, lightly oil the pan.
  
• Lay balls of meat on pan and season with salt and additional pepper if desired.
  
• Top with generous amount of sliced onions (at least per 1/4 cup each patty, but 1/2 cup or so of the onions/patty is even better).
  
• Press down on the balls of meat to form patties.
  
• Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until browned to your liking. Making sure the onions stay with the patties, flip the burger patties to onion side down.
  
• Add the slices of cheese on top.

  Continue to cook until meat is cooked to your preference, usually about another 2-3 minutes (onions should be nice and caramelize – some will be deliciously crispy too.) The cheese should be melted. If you used a slower melting cheese (like some cheddar cheeses), cover the pan with a lid to help trap in heat to melt the cheese.
  
• Remove the patties from the pan and then toast the open face of the burger buns on the pan for about 1 minute or until toasted to your preference.
  
• Add burger sauce to the buns, then top with the onion patty. You can add either 1 or 2 patties.

  Top with the bun and enjoy!
  

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 459kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 695mg, Potassium: 498mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 204IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 313mg, Iron: 4mg

Course: Sandwiches

Cuisine: American

Calories: 459

Easy Dinner Recipes for the Family:

• Roast pork with caramelized onion gravy – the gravy on the pork is fantastic!
• Parmesan onion dip: so delicious when warm from the oven. it’s one of our most popular party dip recipes
• Crispy smashed potatoes with onion gravy
• Skillet smash tacos
• Smash burger tacos