Oklahoma Onion Burger
Ingredients
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
- 3 cups yellow onion – very thinly sliced (paper-thin) (~2.5 medium yellow onions)
- 1 pounds ground beef – 80/20, divided into 4 loose balls
- 4 buns hamburger buns – split
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter – for toasting buns
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
- 2 tbsp water
- 4 slices american cheese
- yellow mustard – for serving
- dill pickle chips – for serving
Instructions
1. Thinly slice the onions as close to paper-thin as possible; you should have about 3 cups.
2. Divide the ground beef into 4 loose 4-ounce balls; do not compact. Mix the salt and pepper in a small dish for even seasoning.
3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until very hot, 2–3 minutes. Spread the cut sides of the buns with the butter and toast on the griddle until golden, 1–2 minutes; set aside.
4. On the hot griddle, make 4 small mounds of sliced onions (about 3/4 cup each), spaced well apart.
5. Place a beef ball on each onion mound. Using a sturdy spatula or burger press, smash each ball firmly into a very thin patty about 1/4 inch thick, pressing the onions into the beef. Sprinkle each patty evenly with the salt-pepper mixture.
6. Cook undisturbed until the edges are deeply browned and the onions at the edges begin to blister, 2–3 minutes.
7. Scrape under each patty and flip so the onions are now against the griddle. Add the water to the pan and immediately cover with a lid or inverted sheet pan to trap steam. Cook until the onions are tender and the beef is cooked through, 1–2 minutes.
8. Uncover and top each patty with a slice of American cheese. Cover again briefly just until the cheese melts, 20–30 seconds.
9. Spread yellow mustard on the toasted buns and add dill pickle chips to taste. Place each patty on a bun and serve hot.
&w=3840&q=75)
An Oklahoma Onion Burger is a griddled hamburger where a mound of paper-thin onions is smashed directly into a small patty of beef. As the burger cooks, the onions fuse with the meat, yielding a lacy, deeply browned crust and sweet, tender onions throughout. The result is a juicy, modestly sized burger with balanced beef richness, onion sweetness, and the tangy lift of mustard and pickles on a soft bun.
This style was born in Oklahoma during the Great Depression, when onions were plentiful and inexpensive, and diners stretched small portions of beef by cooking them with lots of onions. It became a signature of El Reno lunch counters, where short-order cooks developed the fast, high-heat technique and the signature smash-and-steam sequence. Today, it remains a regional icon and a study in how a few humble ingredients, handled with purpose, can become something greater than the sum of their parts.