• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Toasty Kitchen

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ

subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ

×
Home » Recipes » Beef

Patty Melt with Secret Sauce

Modified: Mar 5, 2025 · Published: Apr 22, 2021 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 1236 words. · About 7 minutes to read this article.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
Patty melt with secret sauce recipe.
Patty melt with secret sauce recipe.
Patty melt with secret sauce recipe.

Make a patty melt with secret sauce next time you're craving some seriously indulgent comfort food! A thin ground beef patty is layered with caramelized onions, two types of melty cheese, and a tangy secret sauce.

Just made this recipe and it was delicious! The sauce goes perfectly with the patty melt. This meal will be a regular dinner at my house! ★★★★★ - Erin

Patty melt sliced in half on a white plate.

Why you'll love this recipe

Flavor: Hearty, cheesy, tangy, comforting.

Ingredients: Ground beef patty is sandwiched between two types of cheese, topped with caramelized onions, and drizzled with tangy sauce on toasted rye bread.

"Secret sauce". Similar to thousand island dressing, patty melt sauce is made with mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice, and seasoning. It's also great on burgers and fries!

Serve with: Oven Roasted Seasoned Potatoes or Southern Coleslaw

You may also like: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich and Pesto Grilled Cheese

Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • Ingredients and substitutions
  • Secret sauce ingredients
  • How to make a patty melt
  • Tips and tricks
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Recommended
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Ingredients and substitutions

Ingredients on a counter top.
  • Ground beef - I suggest using 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef. Higher fat ground beef makes this sandwich extra greasy and your patties will shrink significantly. Readers have also used ground turkey for a lighter variation.
  • Rye bread - This is the classic bread of choice for a patty melt, but Texas toast or white sandwich bread make good alternatives.
  • Cheeses - I used a combination of swiss cheese and cheddar cheese. You're welcome to use all swiss or all cheddar if you prefer.
  • Worcestershire sauce - Can be substituted with soy sauce or steak sauce if needed for allergy reasons.
  • Onions - You'll need two large onions for this recipe. If that seems like a lot - don't worry. They cook down significantly during the caramelizing process.
  • Oil - I used olive oil, but any cooking oil you have on hand will work in this recipe.
  • Salt & pepper - Add flavor to your sandwiches.

Secret sauce ingredients

Ingredients on a counter top.
  • Mayonnaise - Necessary as the base of the sauce. Feel free to use your favorite brand - I prefer Duke's mayonnaise.
  • Ketchup - Necessary as the base of the sauce. Feel free to use your favorite brand.
  • Dijon mustard - Can be substituted with yellow mustard.
  • Pickle juice - Any type of pickle juice works in this recipe. I usually use dill pickle juice, but a bread and butter pickle juice also works. It can also be substituted with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
  • Seasoning - Garlic powder and paprika are added for flavor.

How to make a patty melt

Cooking a patty melt in a skillet.
  1. Caramelize onions in a skillet over medium-low heat for at least 30 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Form ground beef and seasoning into long, thin, oblong patties (or in a shape to match your bread) and brown on both sides.
  3. Wipe pan out and return to the stovetop. Butter one side of each bread slice and layer your sandwich in the pan: buttered bread (butter side down), cheese, beef patty, onions, sauce, cheese, and second bread slice.
  4. Toast on both sides, carefully flipping halfway through, then remove from the pan and serve warm.

Tips and tricks

Caramelizing your onions - If you've never caramelized onions before, it takes more than just a few minutes of browning onions in a pan. It's best done low and slow on the stove top. For this recipe, it will take about 30 minutes or more to caramelize your onions. This is the longest part of the recipe but is well worth the effort.

Spread patties thin - Your beef patties will shrink slightly while cooking due to the fat rendering out. To account for this, make your patties as thin as possible. Ideally, slightly larger than your bread slices.

Frequently asked questions

Cheese melting down the side of a patty melt sandwich.
What is secret sauce?

Many fast food and sit down restaurants serve burgers, fries, and patty melts with a "secret sauce". Secret sauce is usually a variation of thousand island dressing. The base is made with mayonnaise and ketchup, with other flavors added like mustard, paprika and garlic.
The main difference is that thousand island dressing usually contains pickle relish, whereas burger sauce does not. I like to use a dash of pickle juice in my secret sauce to get the same flavor, but without the chunky texture.

What can I serve with patty melts?

French fries or onion rings are classic sides for a diner patty melt experience. Ranch roasted potatoes, cheesy broccoli, or a side salad make great sides as well.

Why are my burger patties shrinking?

Ground beef patties shrink because the fat melts, or renders, out of the beef as it cooks. If you're using a high fat ground beef, like 75/25, your patties will shrink significantly because 25% of those patties are fat. I recommend using a lower fat beef, like 85/15 or 90/10, to ensure your patties shrink less. Keep a close eye on your beef and don't overcook it, because lower fat beef can dry out more quickly than a higher fat beef.

How long does leftover secret sauce keep?

This recipe makes enough for spreading and dipping four patty melts. You may have some leftover - it's great for dipping fries too! Secret sauce will keep for about 2 weeks in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Recommended

  • Top ten reader favorite dinner recipes collage.
    Top Ten Reader Favorite Dinner Recipes
  • Close up of ground beef, onions, and bell pepper in a sloppy joe sandwich.
    Cheesesteak Style Sloppy Joes
  • Two chicken cheesesteaks on a white plate.
    Chicken Cheesesteaks
  • Cheesesteak recipe.
    Philly Cheesesteaks

📖 Recipe

Cheese melting down the side of a patty melt sandwich.
Pin Print Rate
4.75 from 51 reviews

Patty Melt with Secret Sauce

Make a patty melt with secret sauce next time you're craving some seriously indulgent comfort food! A thin ground beef patty is layered with caramelized onions, two types of melty cheese, and a tangy secret sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes minutes
Cook Time45 minutes minutes
Total Time55 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Calories: 694kcal
Author: Heather

Ingredients

Secret sauce

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon pickle juice
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Patty melts

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large onions, thin sliced
  • 12 ounces 85/15 ground beef
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • 8 slices rye bread
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 swiss cheese slices
  • 4 cheddar cheese slices
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Secret Sauce

  • In a bowl, add mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice, paprika, and garlic powder. Mix until smooth. Set aside.

Patty Melts

  • In a skillet over medium-low heat, add olive oil. When warm, add onions to pan and cook until softened and deep golden brown, about 30 minutes or more. (If onions begin to dry out or look like they're going to burn, add a splash of water to the pan and reduce the heat slightly.) Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a bowl, add ground beef, salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Mix to combine and form into four thin, oblong patties (shape patties to match the shape of your bread). In a skillet over medium heat, add patties and cook until browned on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside. Wipe excess grease from the pan.
  • Butter one side of each piece of bread. In a skillet over medium heat, layer your sandwiches as so: one slice of bread (buttered side down), one slice of swiss cheese, beef patty, caramelized onions, secret sauce, slice of cheddar cheese, and one slice of bread (buttered side up). Cook until golden brown on the bottom, flip, and cook until golden brown on the opposite side (this should take 1-2 minutes per side).

Equipment Recommendations

  • Stainless Steel Skillet
  • Zwilling Pro Chef's Knife
  • Boos Maple Cutting Board

Notes

  • Sauce quantity: Secret sauce recipe makes more than enough to top four sandwiches, with leftover for dipping or enjoying again later. Store any leftover sauce in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to two weeks.
  • Bread: Rye bread can be substitute with your favorite sandwich bread as desired. 

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 694kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 1009mg | Potassium: 535mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 534IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 229mg | Iron: 4mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

More Beef Recipes

  • A casserole dish of beef stuffed shells.
    Beef Stuffed Shells
  • A scoop of lasagna skillet.
    Skillet Lasagna
  • A spoonful of steak and potato soup.
    Steak and Potato Soup
  • Lasagna roll ups in a casserole dish.
    Lasagna Roll Ups

Share this post:

Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.75 from 51 votes (40 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Lori

    September 09, 2024 at 10:17 pm

    Prepared exactly as recipe indicated. Turned out perfectly delicious! Nice change from a burger.
    I shared the recipe with friends, and will definitely make again.

    Reply
  2. Stacey B

    June 26, 2024 at 6:33 pm

    This is a very good recipe. My only issue is my rye bread stuck to the pan despite being buttered. But I put the last couple on panini maker and were perfect!! Thanks to the person who suggested that.

    Reply
  3. Sharon

    January 31, 2024 at 6:39 pm

    Enjoyed this recipe!
    Once the onions were sautéed and patties were done, I prepped ciabatta bread with the butter as per instructions .
    I then added the sauce, Patty and cheese and popped them on the panini maker!
    Excellent alternative if you have one in your home!

    Reply
  4. Donna

    November 13, 2023 at 12:36 pm

    Delicious!! Great recipe!! So easy to follow! The family loved it! Looking forward to making it again! One question. What kind of pickle juice do you use? Sweet, dill, something else??

    Reply
    • Heather

      November 13, 2023 at 1:48 pm

      Hi Donna, any pickle juice works in this recipe. I usually use dill pickle juice!

      Reply
  5. Sarah

    November 02, 2023 at 9:52 pm

    I made this with ground turkey instead of ground beef. I made according to recipe, OMG, it was so good, my husband was skeptical about the sauce, he loved all of it, great recipe! Thanks

    Reply
  6. Leslie

    September 09, 2023 at 7:34 pm

    Amazing! Easy and was so delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
  7. Jeni

    February 14, 2023 at 4:50 pm

    I absolutely LOVE this and I really loved the fact that you put “what to serve” that really helps!! Thank you !

    Reply
  8. Rachel

    October 14, 2022 at 10:09 pm

    My burger meat kept shrinking as it was cooking. How do I keep this from happening?

    Reply
    • Heather

      October 14, 2022 at 10:14 pm

      Hi Rachel, you're going to want to form your patties as thin as possible, maybe even a little larger than your pieces of bread. They're naturally going to shrink as they cook due to the fat rendering out. The higher the fat percentage of your ground beef, the more it will shrink, so you could also try a slightly leaner beef which will shrink a little less.

      Reply
  9. Vicki

    August 03, 2022 at 10:59 pm

    I made this for dinner tonight — it was delicious! My husband raved about it. Thank you!

    Reply
  10. John

    May 21, 2022 at 12:47 pm

    Onions simmered with mushrooms and garlic to give it a additional layer of flavor

    Reply
  11. Erin M.

    March 07, 2022 at 5:46 pm

    Just made this recipe and it was delicious! The sauce goes perfectly with the patty melt. This meal will be a regular dinner at my hous!

    Reply
  12. Russ

    February 06, 2022 at 2:16 pm

    Made this melt last night followed your recipe and ate every bite! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  13. Caroline

    July 05, 2021 at 5:56 pm

    Soooo good. Searched for an hour reading all these patty melt recipes.. I decided to try yours , due to your secret sauce.. the taste amazing family loved it.. my go to recipe now

    Reply
    • Heather

      July 05, 2021 at 6:03 pm

      Thank you for the glowing review, Caroline!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

Hi, I'm Heather!

I love cooking with simple, everyday ingredients and want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

Read more

Reader favorites

  • A metal fork in a bowl of cheesy rice.
    Cheesy Rice
  • Whipped buttercream frosting recipe.
    Whipped Buttercream Frosting
  • Beef roast in a large slow cooker.
    Slow Cooker Beef Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
  • Pouring gravy over a bowl of mashed potatoes.
    How To Make Gravy Without Drippings

Parties & Potlucks

  • Two glasses of punch.
    Spring Party Punch
  • A mint chocolate chip mini cheesecake unwrapped on a cutting board.
    Mint Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes
  • A stack of birthday cake rice krispies treats.
    Birthday Cake Rice Krispies Treats
  • A stack of birthday cookie bars.
    Birthday Cookie Bars

Footer

featured on:

decorative image of website logos.

Explore

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Subscribe

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Image Copyright
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 The Toasty Kitchen®

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.