...hmmmn...every neighborhood in every city had a burger joint that served burgers like this, wrapped in waxed paper squares, bagged while hot with lots of yellow mustard (and ketchup)so they steamed even more while taking the bag home...usually the burgers didn't last till home. In Detroit, my local joint was Elmer's at W. Chicago and Oakman Blvd...still going strong after more than 50 years.
Sid’s Onion Burger
For these addictively tasty burgers, ground beef is pressed onto the griddle with paper-thin slices of onion and seared until crisp around the edges. The recipe comes from Sid's Diner, a restaurant in El Reno, Oklahoma, and was featured in our special Burger issue (August/September 2009).
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Credit: Penny De Los Santos
4 tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. ground beef,
gently formed into 6 balls
2 medium yellow onions,
very thinly sliced with a mandoline
or a sharp knife and divided into
6 equal portions
Kosher salt, to taste
6 slices american cheese
6 hamburger buns, toasted
1. Working in 2 batches, heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 beef balls and, using the back of a spatula, press down on them until they're thin; cook for 1 minute. Top each patty with a portion of the onions; season with salt. Press onions into the meat and cook for 1 minute more.
2. Flip burgers; flatten with the spatula. Place a cheese slice on each patty and let melt while onions and meat brown. Serve on buns.
Pairing Note This burger benefits from a dark, sweet beer, like St. Peter's Old-Style Porter ($38 for 12 bottles), from a brewery in Suffolk, England. —Ania Zawieja
MAKES 6 BURGERS
Ratings & Reviews (13)
My kind of burger. Very much in the style of famed buger joint White Mana in Hackensack, NJ. Except after flipping, they add the potato bun on top while it's cooking. A+
I've been to White Manna in NJ and I've been to Sid's in El Reno OK. Robert's in El Reno is better than both. It seems that onion burgers are plentiful in El Reno, but people literally buy them by the bagful at tiny Robert's - established in the 1920's on the old Rt. 66. Best burger by far.
tried this tonight with ground turkey to very delicious results. the onions and last-minute sprinkle of salt help keep the meat moist without having to add anything else to the mix. love how the instructions include toasting the buns, it definitely makes a difference! i like mine with a little ketchup & sriracha on top.
Simple and delicious! I had never made a burger that didn't have anything mixed into the ground meat before! Love how the caramelised onions infused the burger with flavour. We used maple smoked cheddar - heavenly!
I love the simplicity of this recipe, my only gripe are all the directions to press down on the meat with the spatula. Never for a burger!
These burgers are amazing! The key is not skimping on the onions and using a mandolin to finely slice them. In response to another poster’s comment, I too was unsure about pressing the burgers, but did so and the results were none the worse for it. I think the pressing helps the onions adhere to the meat , and also gets more of the onions into contact with the skillet. I’m not a fan of cheese on my burgers, so I omitted the cheese, and to be honest the burgers are pretty greasy so the cheese just seems like overkill to me.
Great burger. Followed the instructions to the letter, they came out really tasty and moist. No condiments on them either, just from the pan to the toasted bun. I'd make these again.
A very different way to make your burger.I have never tasted a Sid's buger,but i had to prepare one at home from the picture i saw in the magazine.The burger defintely needs to be flattened with the spatula (ala the shake shack)It gets a good crust and a good sear.I probably prefer a potato roll or even white bread like Louis lunch buger in conn.Either way one of my favorite burgers!!!!
These are delicious! I'll reiterate that the key is not skimping on the onions and using a mandolin to slice then uniformly and thinly. The only downside for some people might be that they are greasy - but they're oh soooo good!
First burger I've made that I've been proud of. I've always been a fan of thin burgers with minimal additives. This definitely fits that description. My boyfriend loved it claiming it's on par with the Arcade burger in Memphis. I used grass fed beef since the flavor of the meat was an important element. As for the onions, I just had my boyfriend use a knife to slice the onions very thinly; I don't think it made a huge difference. I also liked how they had some texture left. I dressed it with thin layer of mayo on the bottom bun, american cheese, hand cut kosher dill pickles, tomato, yellow mustard, and ketchup. I'll definitely turn to this recipe any time I want a classic cheese burger.
the greatest simple burger of all time. I have a built in full griddle (kitchenaid cooktop) and this is soooo easy.
love this recipe. going off another commenter's experience, we'll cook em then wrap them in foil and stick them in a paper bag before heading off to the beach, allowing the steam to work a little longer on them. perfect! can't wait for spring and summer to do it again soon :)
Sid’s Onion Burger
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