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If you love burgers and you love onions, let me introduce you to the Oklahoma Onion Burger. I made these the other night for the first time and oh my were they delicious. It’s one of those meals you eat that you think about for days after. It really is THAT good!
This delicious burger is a twist on the classic smashed burger, with a few special touches that make it truly unique. To start, we use some 80/20 ground beef for the perfect balance of flavor and juiciness. Next, we add in a generous amount of caramelized onions, which add depth and sweetness to the burger. Finally, we top it all off with melted American cheese. The result is a mouthwatering burger that’s sure to become a new favorite. So fire up the gridle and let’s get cooking!
What Is an Oklahoma Onion Burger?
An Oklahoma onion burger is a type of burger that uses onions as a main ingredient. The onions are usually sliced and then placed on top of the burger patty while cooking. Oklahoma onion burgers are a popular dish in the state of Oklahoma and are often served at fairs and festivals. The burger was invented in the state of Oklahoma, and it has become a popular dish in the Midwest. The origin of the Oklahoma onion burger is unknown, but it is thought to have originated in the 1930s.
How to make an Oklahoma onion Smash Burger
First, take your beef and measure it out into 2.5-3 ounce balls. I use a food scale for this but you don’t have to. A 1 pound package of ground beef will make about 6 balls that we will make into patties. We will be using 2 patties per burger.
Next grab some parchment paper and put a ball on each piece. Then use another piece on top and smash the patty between them. You want them to be around 6 inches in diameter. You can smash the edges extra thin so they get nice and crunchy while they are cooking!
Why not smash them in the pan?
Pre smashing the patties is so much easier than trying to smash them while cooking. If you smash with a spatula it usually sticks and it doesn’t seem like you can get them quite as thin.
Now you want to take your onions and slice them up super thin. We want them so thin because the burgers cook very fast. We need the onions thin so they will cook as fast as the burger. Plus some of the onions will caramelize in the hot pan while others will steam. It creates awesome flavors and textures that will explode in your mouth.
How to Slice the Onion
What kind of Onions are best for the Oklahoma onion SMASH burger?
Next, heat your pan or gridle to medium high. We want it pretty hot so it will make a delicious crust on the burger. While it’s heating up you can toast your buns before it gets too hot. Use just a little butter on the buns for extra flavor!
After you’ve toasted the buns, set them aside. When the pan is super hot, it’s time to cook the burgers. You don’t need any oil because the fat in the ground beef is plenty. Add your patties to the pan but don’t crowd them. Season them with a healthy sprinkle of kosher salt and some black pepper.
After you add the patties to the pan, top them with a bunch of your sliced onions. You want some on the burger as well as touching the pan. The more the merrier with the onions, you can really pile them on.
We are only going to get that crust on the one side, so make sure you let that crust develop before you flip. Once you achieve the crust you’d like, flip your burgers. This will get your onions in contact with the pan. They will steam and cook and you can press down until they are cooked to your liking.
You can see some are caramelizing and some are still white. It really creates some amazing flavors!
Next add your cheese and place the top of the bun over the burger while the cheese melts. This will warm the bun and infuse it with onion flavor while the cheese melts.
When the burgers are done cooking, add one patty on a bottom bun and then slide the top patty with the top bun on it. You should have 2 patties on each bun. You can of course just eat one patty if you’d like.
Add your favorite toppings and ENJOY!
Oklahoma Onion Smash Burger
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 Hamburger Buns
- 3 slices of American Cheese
- 1 or 2 White Onions
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Heat your pan or griddle to medium high heat
- Toast your buns while the pan is heating
- Add your patties to the pan but don’t crowd them.
- Season them with a healthy sprinkle of kosher salt and some black pepper.
- After you add the patties to the pan, top them with a bunch of your sliced onions.
- Cook 2-4 minutes until crust forms and then flip
- Cook 1-2 more minutes on the other side to cook the onions
- Next add your cheese and place the top of the bun over the burger while the cheese melts.
- When the burgers are done cooking, add one patty on a bottom bun and then slide the top patty with the top bun on it. You should have 2 patties on each bun.
- Enjoy!
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