One of the key ingredients for making a delicious Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger is 1 large onion, thinly sliced after being peeled and halved.
Salt and pepper
1 pound of ground beef
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
4-8 slices of American cheese
Mayo, mustard, and pickles for serving
4 hamburger buns, toasted
Instructions for Making Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers:
Begin by tossing the thinly sliced onions and 1 teaspoon salt together in a bowl. Pound the seasoned onions into a colander and let them drain for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, transfer the onions to a clean dish towel, pull up all the edges, and wring out as much of the liquid as you can from the onions. Do this over a sink or large bowl, as the onions will give off a lot of liquid.
Divide the drained onions into four piles on a rimmed baking sheet. (You don’t want to press them too compact.) Form the ground beef into 4 loose balls. Lay these beef ball on top of the onion mounds and firmly press down (using your palm) the beef onto the onions. The patties should be 4 inches in diameter when finished. Salt and pepper the beef generously.
In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter with the vegetable oil over medium heat. Carefully slide the patties, using a large spatula, into the skillet onion side down. Cook them for 6-8 minutes until the onions are a rich golden brown and beginning to brown around the edges. Flip the burgers, then raise the heat to high and cook for another 2 minutes or so, or until very browned on the second side.
Top each burger with 1 slice or 2 slices of American cheese and melt it. Spread mayo, mustard and pickles on the top buns, meantime. When the cheese is nice and gooey, stack each burger onto the bottom half of the buns. Serve immediately.
