The Oklahoma onion burger is a classic regional American dish that is the perfect addition to your next summer cookout. Consisting of thinly smashed burger patties. And a heavy dose of sliced onions that caramalize into the patties as they cook.
I was first introduced to the Oklahoma onion burger a couple of years ago through George Motz’s Burger Scholar youtube channel. And as someone who loves both burgers and onions, I knew I was going to love it.
And if you love burgers and onions then you’re going to love it as well. Not only is it absurdly delicious, but it’s also incredibly easy to make. Honestly, all you need is some ground beef, sliced onion, cheese, and buns. And since it’s technically a type of smashed burger the whole thing comes together in minutes.
So if you’ve never had one before, try it out!
The Humble Origins of the Oklahoma Onion Burger
As the name suggests the onion burger is a regional dish that originated in the state of Oklahoma. But what you probably didn’t know is that it’s actually a holdover recipe of the great depression era. You see, at the time most people were struggling financially. So they didn’t have the luxury of spending what little money they earned on excessive amounts of meat.
But as an American, I think I can speak for us all in saying that we love our burgers. So of course someone was going to find a way to make do. And for a handful of dinners in Oklahoma, the solution was simple. They just stretched the beef in their burger patties by topping and cooking them with a generous amount of sliced onion.
And by generous, I mean a boatload, like a 1 to 1 ratio!
But as it turns out, people loved this money saving method of making burgers. Which is why the dish is still served up in Oklahoma dinners all these decades later.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- Fat to lean ratio: When it comes to making burgers at home I always recommend that you go with ground beef that has a 20/80 fat to lean ratio. Not only because this amount of fat results in a tasty burger. But also as the beef cooks, all that excess fat will render out into the pan. Meaning you don’t have to add any extra oil or butter to keep the patties from sticking to your griddle/skillet. That being said if you want to go with a lower fat percentage like 10/90 then be my guest. Just understand that you will most likely need to add a tablespoon or two of butter or oil to your griddle/skillet. And at that point how many calories are you honestly cutting back on.
- Condiments: Traditionally the only condiments added to an onion burger are sliced dill pickles and some sort of sauce like mustard. And personally, I prefer to keep it simple like that because it allows you to really enjoy the flavors of the beef and caramelized onions. However, it’s your burger folks, so feel free to add whatever condiments/topping that you like.
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Oklahoma Onion Burger Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 8 to 10 minutes for each burger
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 Lb of ground beef
2 Medium onions, either brown or yellow
Salt & pepper to taste
4 Slices of cheese, either American, Cheddar, or Swiss work best
4 Hamburger buns
Optional condiments (pickles, mustard, ketchup, etc.)
Instructions
- Prep the onions: Peel and slice both onions as thin as you possibly can. If you don’t have great knife skills then you can use a mandoline on its thinnest setting to get this done. Next, place the sliced onions in a bowl and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of salt.
Then toss the onions with the salt and let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes. After that time has passed place the sliced onions on a clean towel/paper towel and press on them to remove as much moisture as you can. 
Set the onions aside.
- Place a griddle, pan, or skillet over high heat.
- While that’s heating up divide your ground beef into 4 equal portions. Then form each of those portions into round balls.
- (optional) Toast your burger buns on your hot griddle/skillet then set them aside.
- Cook the burgers on one side: Place the balls of meat on your hot griddle/skillet and use a large metal spatula or burger press to smash them flat. If your skillet isn’t big enough you will have to do this in batches. Cover each patty with a generous amount of sliced onions (enough that you can barely see the meat) and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
Let this cook undisturbed for 2 to 4 minutes or until you can see that the edges of the patty have become browned.
- Flip and finish cooking the burgers: Use a spatula to carefully flip the patties so that the onions are now on the bottom. If some of the onions move during the step simply use your spatula to move them back under the patty. Sprinkle this side with additional salt and pepper and let it cook undisturbed for 3 minutes.
Next place a slice of cheese on each patty followed by the bottom bun and then the top bun.
Placing the buns on top like this will steam them and infuse them with some of the flavors of the burger. Let this cook for an additional minute or two minutes so that the cheese is melted and the onions look slightly charred and caramelized.
- Take the top bun off and hold it upside down. Then use your spatula to carefully remove the patty and all the onions from the skillet. Place this on your top bun then it flip over and set them on a plate.
- Serve your Oklahoma onion burgers immediately and enjoy!
Oklahoma Onion Burger Recipe
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or griddle
Ingredients
- 1 Lb of ground beef
- 2 Medium onions either brown or yellow
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4 Slices of cheese either American, Cheddar, or Swiss work best
- 4 Hamburger buns
- Optional condiments pickles, mustard, ketchup, etc.
Instructions
- Prep the onions: Peel and slice both onions as thin as you possibly can. If you don’t have great knife skills then you can use a mandoline on its thinnest setting to get this done. Next, place the sliced onions in a bowl and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of salt. Then toss the onions with the salt and let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes. After that time has passed place the sliced onions on a clean towel/paper towel and press on them to remove as much moisture as you can. Set the onions aside.
- Place a griddle, pan, or skillet over high heat.
- While that’s heating up divide your ground beef into 4 equal portions. Then form each of those portions into round balls.
- (optional) Toast your burger buns on your hot griddle/skillet then set them aside.
- Cook the burgers on one side: Place the balls of meat on your hot griddle/skillet and use a large metal spatula or burger press to smash them flat. If your skillet isn’t big enough you will have to do this in batches. Cover each patty with a generous amount of sliced onions (enough that you can barely see the meat) and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Let this cook undisturbed for 2 to 4 minutes or until you can see that the edges of the patty have become browned.
- Flip and finish cooking the burgers: Use a spatula to carefully flip the patties so that the onions are now on the bottom. If some of the onions move during the step simply use your spatula to move them back under the patty. Sprinkle this side with additional salt and pepper and let it cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Next place a slice of cheese on each patty followed by the bottom bun and then the top bun. Placing the buns on top like this will steam them and infuse them with some of the flavors of the burger. Let this cook for an additional minute or two minutes so that the cheese is melted and the onions look slightly charred and caramelized.
- Take the top bun off and hold it upside down. Then use your spatula to carefully remove the patty and all the onions from the skillet. Place this on your top bun then it flip over and set them on a plate.
- Serve your Oklahoma onion burgers immediately and enjoy!
