Fried Onion Burger (Oklahoma Smash Burger)
It’s pretty clear we enjoy a good burger. But this one, THIS ONE, is one of our top 3 burger recipes. It’s a fried onion burger recipe loaded with crispy onions fried on the pan with crispy edges on the meat patty. It’s history dates back to a small burger joint in Oklahoma and it’s now making it’s rounds in home kitchen.
History of the Oklahoma Onion Burger
This delish burger is depression-era food, believe it or not. Originating in the 1920’s in Oklahoma, thinly sliced onions were used to replace some meat, which was a scarcity. Offered by Homer and Ross Davis, it was a way to add more bulk to the burger when meat was scarce during the depression. But the flavors of the caramelized onions on the smashed beef patty is amazing. Add some American cheese on there and it’s definitely a cheeseburger for onion lovers.
Video: How to Make Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger
Secret to The Onions : Do This
Make the onions thin and plentiful. Don’t be scared of some crispy bits and edges to your onions! This smash burger is so good when the onions are caramelized, super golden brown and crispy. If you want your onions barely cooked, that’s fine. Eat it your way. But you can’t call it an Oklahoma fried onion burger because all the versions we’ve seen truly cook the onions to a nice char and crisp. Go for the crispy onions on this fried onion burger!
Best Type of Onions for Burgers
Before you head out to buy the onions, let’s talk about your options. If you use white or yellow onions, the results are pretty much the same. Still, very delicious. But if you can get your hands on some sweet onions, then go for it! The sweet onions are so super tasty and they have such a great naturally sweet flavor that can’t be beat. Where I grew up we were near the legendary Walla Walla sweet onions. They are always a favorite. Combine the caramelized sweet onions with the smashed beef patty and melty cheese…… wow. It’s a winner Oklahoma fried onion smash burger for sure.
Fried Onion Smash Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic , minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground black pepper , or to personal taste
- salt , to personal taste
- oil for pan frying , optional
- 2-4 slices American cheese , optional
- 2-4 Burger Buns
- Burger Extras pickles, ketchup, mustard, etc…
Instructions
- Slice your onions thin and set them aside.
- In a bowl, combine the 1 pound of beef, minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon fish sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (the salt will be added on later while cooking the patties).
- Gently form 4 loosely packed balls but don’t compress the meat too much or else it'll make the burgers more dense.
- Heat skillet or griddle on medium-high heat. If using a leaner meat, lightly oil the pan.
- Lay balls of meat on pan and season with salt and additional pepper if desired.
- Top with generous amount of sliced onions (at least per 1/4 cup each patty, but 1/2 cup or so of the onions/patty is even better).
- Smash the balls of meat to form patties
- Cook the 1st side for about 1-2 minutes or until browned to your liking.
- Making sure the onions stay with the patties, flip the burger patties to onion side down.
- Add the optional slices of cheese on top. Continue to cook until meat is cooked to your preference, usually about another 2-3 minutes (onions should be nice and caramelize – some will be deliciously crispy too.) The cheese should be melted. If you used a slower melting cheese (like some cheddar cheeses), cover the pan with a lid to help trap in heat to melt the cheese.
- Remove the patties from the pan and then toast the open face of the burger buns on the pan for about 1 minute or until toasted to your preference.
- Add burger sauce to the buns, then top with the onion patty. You can add either 1 or 2 patties. Top with the bun and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Warm Your Burger Buns
Don’t forget to warm your buns. We’re not fans of cold buns on a well thought out and crafted burger patty. Make all your hard work worth the effort, time and money by toasting your buns on the pan before serving. Do you agree? Hopefully we’re all in the warm-buns-camp. And finally, if you love cheese then you have to try our sizzling cheeseburgers recipe in a bath of melted hot cheese sauce.
Burger Recipes and More
- Our umami fish sauce turkey burgers recipe is loaded with flavor
- Ooozy melted cheese is amazing in our Jalapeno Cheddar Stuffed Burgers
- Smashed potatoes with thai curry
- Crispy smash egg roll dumplings
- roasted cherry tomatoes with sweet onion dip recipe
