Oklahoma Onion Burger

There are dozens of different ways to top a burger, but there really only two basic types of burgers. First, there are pub burgers with their thick, juicy patties. Squishing these with a spatula is firmly off-limits for fear of squeezing out all the tasty burger juices. Then, there are smash burgers like Oklahoma onion burgers. These burgers demand to be squished into a hot skillet, which creates crispy, browned edges.

The addition of thinly sliced onions makes this particular smash burger taste so good. The onions sweeten and soften as they’re pressed into the griddled burger patty. They perfume the air with the tantalizing aroma of caramelized onions, but they do more than just add flavor. Onions also add moisture to the beef, ensuring the thin burger patties stay extra-juicy as they cook.

What is an Oklahoma onion burger?

The Oklahoma onion burger is a smash-style burger smothered with onions and topped with American cheese, yellow mustard and pickles. It may sound simple, but it’s more than just an average cheeseburger with caramelized onions on top. The method used in this Oklahoma onion burger recipe is what makes it special.

Unlike other burger recipes that call for shaping the patties before cooking, Oklahoma onion burger patties are formed into lightly packed balls. The beef balls are then topped with a giant mound of paper-thin sliced onions. And we mean giant: These burgers nearly contain as much onion as beef!

The patties are then smashed into a screaming-hot griddle using a grill press or large metal spatula. The seared meat gains a lovely crust, and the onions fry in the beef drippings until they’re caramelized and slightly crispy. The burgers taste nothing short of extraordinary when finished with American cheese and served on a fluffy hamburger bun.

Ingredients for Oklahoma Onion Burgers

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• Ground beef: Choose ground beef with a high ratio of lean meat to fat, like 80/20 ground beef. Leaner blends like 90/10 or ground sirloin won’t have enough fat to stay juicy once the burger is smashed into the skillet.
• White onion: White onions are mild, and their slightly sweet taste is accentuated when they’re caramelized in beef fat.
• Hamburger buns: Soft, squishy buns are a must for smash burgers like Oklahoma onion burgers. For a classic approach, use sesame seed or potato buns.
• Butter: Butter keeps the beef patties from sticking to the skillet and adds richness to the onion burgers.
• American cheese: Most would say a slice of American cheese is essential to any Oklahoma onion burger recipe. However, we get that not everyone wants a cheeseburger, so feel free to leave it off.
• Burger toppings: Yellow mustard and dill pickle slices are the traditional accompaniments to this juicy burger, but feel free to add other burger toppings, like lettuce and sliced tomato.

Directions

Step 1: Slice the onions

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Using a mandoline, slice the onion into paper-thin slices.

Editor’s Tip: Set the mandoline to its thinnest setting to get the finest onions. And keep your fingers clear of the very sharp blade!

Step 2: Shape the beef

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Divide beef into four portions. Gently shape each one into a ball.

Editor’s Tip: Try your best to avoid overhandling the meat, a common burger mistake that can make the burgers crumbly or tough.

Step 3: Mound the onions onto the beef

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In a large cast-iron skillet or electric griddle over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Place the ground beef balls in the skillet. Season them with salt and pepper. Top each beef ball with a generous mound of onions.

Step 4: Smash the burgers

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Using a cast-iron grill press or large metal spatula, flatten the beef to a thickness of about a quarter of an inch, pressing the onion into the beef. Cook the burgers until they are lightly browned and the edges are crisp, four to six minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Wait to flip the burger until the first side has a nice crust and the edges start to crisp.

Step 5: Flip the burgers

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Carefully turn the patties so the onion is on the bottom. Cook until the onion is golden brown, four to six minutes. If desired, top each patty with cheese and continue to cook them until the cheese has melted, one to two minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Serve the burgers on buns with mustard, pickles and other toppings of your choice.

Editor’s Tip: Another way to melt the cheese is to cover the skillet and remove it from the heat. Let it stand until the cheese is melted, two to three minutes. Feel free to steam the buns while the cheese melts. The bun will become soft, and each bite will be infused with a beefy, oniony flavor. Or, toast the buns in a buttered skillet. Toasted bread provides stability to these mega-juicy cheeseburgers.

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How to Serve an Oklahoma Onion Burger

Serve the burgers with a single patty, or go big and stack two patties for a double burger. From there, you have some choices when it comes to toppings. In our research, we learned Oklahoma natives typically enjoy these burgers simply—dressed with a bit of mustard and some pickles. Just make sure to choose the best pickles so they don’t overpower the flavor of the beef and onions, which are the real stars of the show.

Whether to toast the bun seems contested by Oklahoma onion burger connoisseurs. Some enjoy the flavor and texture of a toasted bun. Others prefer to steam the bun by placing it over the burger as the cheese melts. They claim the steam from the onions warms the bun and infuses it with extra onion goodness. We say it’s your choice, so choose whichever sounds best!

Oklahoma Onion Burger Variations

• Make Oklahoma onion burgers outside: Bring your cast-iron skillet outside and preheat it over the grill grates. Alternatively, you can cook smash burgers outside on a propane-powered griddle like a Blackstone griddle.
• Use another meat: Make Oklahoma onion burgers with ground venison, elk, pork, chicken or turkey. Basically, if it’s ground meat, you can turn it into an onion burger! Leaner meats may dry out as they cook, so consider basting them with butter (like you would with Wisconsin butter burgers).
• Change the cheese: Substitute another quick-melting sliced cheese, like cheddar or pepper jack.

Oklahoma Onion Burger Tips

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What is the best type of onion for an Oklahoma onion burger?

You can use any type of onion, from mild white or sweet onions to stronger yellow or red onions. The type of onion used to make Oklahoma onion burgers matters less than how the onions are sliced, since the flavor mellows out as it cooks in the beef fat. Be sure to slice them as thin as possible, otherwise the onion won’t break down properly and you won’t get that soft, caramelized flavor.

How do you slice onions for Oklahoma onion burgers?

A mandoline is the best way to slice onions for Oklahoma onion burgers. These super-sharp tools can produce consistent and extremely thin slices. If you don’t own a mandoline slicer, you can use a sharp knife to slice the onions. Just remember, the thinner, the better.

Who invented the Oklahoma onion burger?

The story of the Oklahoma onion burger is similar to that of many other Depression-era recipes: In response to high beef prices, restaurants tried to stretch the meat by mixing it with cheap staples. In the late 1920s, legend has it that Ross Davis (owner of the Hamburger Inn in El Reno, Oklahoma), looking to add bulk to his hamburgers, smashed onions into the beef as it cooked. His recipe became an instant hit, and it’s now considered one of the best Oklahoma recipes.

Today, El Reno remains home to some of the state’s best onion burgers, which you can find at restaurants like Sid’s Diner and Robert’s Grill. If you decide to visit the birthplace of this great burger, you might want to know about one of the state’s strange food laws: It’s technically illegal to take a bite out of another person’s hamburger in Oklahoma. You’ve been warned!