Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers

As an Okie, I’ve never gotten to fully claim a lot of food as my own. I love our traditions of Southern food and sweet tea, but most of those dishes didn’t necessarily originate in Oklahoma. A fried onion burger, though? Now that I can shout from the highest wheat field as being wholly ours. If you have never had a fried onion burger, welcome! I won’t exclaim that I can’t believe you’ve never had one; instead, I’ll take joy in getting to serve you your very first one. Here’s everything you need to know.

What’s A Fried Onion Burger?

The very best fried onion burgers don’t come from any kind of fancy spot or burger joints (Tucker’s is as nice as it should get!), but instead, come from mom & pop shops and gas stations. Just trust me on this one. Though everyone does things their own way, there are a few important components to this Oklahoma classic: the burger patties, the buns, and, of course, the onions.

The patties should be thin with some lacy edges, not quite a smash-style burger, but pretty close. You can almost always order the burger with a single or double patty, so feel free to double up on these patties if you prefer.

Fried onion burger buns are famously steamed, not toasted, which can be achieved by placing them on the skillet near the onions. The onions steam-soften the bun into a plush bite that helps make these extra special.

Speaking of onions, when you hear “fried,” you might be thinking of those crispy French’s ones or something like an onion ring. Instead, they’re more along the lines of pan-fried onions. They get cooked on very seasoned, very loved (AKA not often cleaned) griddles, where they char and caramelize in the burger’s grease. A lot of burger joints will place the very thinly sliced uncooked onions directly on the beef patty and just give the onions that short 5 or so minutes to cook, resulting in some that are crispy and charred, some are slightly caramelized, and others that are still a little bit crunchy. This is definitely part of the burger’s charm, but at home, I like to slice them thicker and give them just a little bit of a head start. Just make sure to give the pile of onions in the corner of the pan a stir every once in a while so the bottom ones don’t burn.

How To Make Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers

INGREDIENTS

• Ground Beef: I suggest using 80% ground beef. This will help ensure your burgers stay juicy and don’t dry out. The onions will cook in that extra grease, making them even better.
• Butter: I typically only have unsalted butter on hand and use it here for that main reason. Salted butter should work too, because you don’t need too much of it. Just consider that when seasoning your burgers.
• Yellow Onions: I like yellow onions for their sweetness and they caramelize well. White onions can also be used here.
• American Cheese: I prefer American cheese for its meltiness on hamburgers and they're what you will typically find on an Oklahoma onion burger, but you can use cheddar if you prefer. Or skip the cheese altogether!
• Kosher Salt: A medium pinch feels good for me, but keep your palate in mind when you season your meat.
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper: You can add as little or as much as you like with pepper. I only like a little bit because I don’t want it to overwhelm the thin patties, but you do you.
• Hamburger Buns: I tend to like potato buns the best because they are the softest as far as grocery store buns go. Use your favorite here, though! A sesame seed bun is never a bad idea.
• Condiments: Choose your favorite—I like mayonnaise on these burgers, but ketchup or mustard, or a combo is perfectly acceptable. Pickles are common as well, but it’s purely personal preference.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, divide the ground beef into 6 equal pieces. They should be about 2.5 oz. each. Roll each piece into a ball.

In a large skillet (or you can do all this at once on a large griddle) over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp. butter. Add the onions once it’s melted and cook until they're just starting to soften. They won’t have much color to them yet here.

In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt another 1 Tbsp. butter and add 2 or 3 beef patties to the skillet. You need enough room left to smash down the balls of ground beef. Use a large, heavy metal spatula to press down on one ball at a time and flatten it as much as possible. Flatten the other pieces in your skillet.

Season each patty with salt and pepper. Grab a generous amount of onions and pile them on top of each patty. They should be falling off the sides of the patty as well. Press the onions in a little to each patty. Cook until the bottoms of the patties are browned; this should only take 2 or 3 minutes.

Now, carefully flip the patties over, making sure all of the onions flip with them. Top each with a slice of cheese. Cook just 1 minute more. The cheese will be melty and most of the onions will be cooked through with some crispy edges on them.

You also want to start steaming the patties at this point. After adding the cheese, place the top bun on top of the cheese. Push the onions to the side of the other skillet, then arrange 2 to 3 of the bottom buns next to the onions. Remove the bottom buns after 20 or 30 seconds and transfer to a platter. You don’t necessarily want them toasted, so putting them near the onions will help them steam instead. Lift the patties out of the skillet, along with all of the onions and place on the bottom buns. Repeat with remaining patties and onions. If needed, add more butter or adjust the heat for both skillets. Add any condiments to your burgers that you like, and enjoy.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

What To Serve With Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers

• French Fries
• Onion Rings
• Sweet Potato Fries

Recipe Tips

• If your burgers stick to the spatula too much when you press on them, grease the back of your spatula with cooking spray.
• If you want to cook the burgers all at once, you can use a large griddle if you have one. This will give you more room to press each one down.

Storage

The patties can be divided into their portions and tightly wrapped with plastic wrap up to 1 day ahead.