Whataburger Patty Melt sure is a tasty sandwich. What could be better than a delicious patty melt made with melted slices of monterey jack cheese, cooked onions, and creamy pepper sauce between buttery Texas toast?
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Patty Melt Sandwich
The classic patty melt has been a staple of diners and restaurants across the US for decades. If you have never had one before, looking at it, it’s easy to make the mistake of thinking of it as just a cheeseburger served on bread. But it is so much more than that.
Best of all when you make your own copycat recipe, you don’t have to worry about this being a limited-time menu item.
Many folks think Whataburger serves the pinnacle of patty melts on the Whataburger menu with its thick slices of signature Texas toast that is toasted until golden brown, famous creamy pepper sauce, and double meat.
If you agree and are craving the version of the patty melt Whataburger makes, you are going to love this copycat Whataburger patty melt recipe!
Why is this called a Patty Melt?
Sure, everyone knows that a Patty Melt is a delicious type of burger that freshly grilled meat patties are topped with Swiss cheese and grilled onions. Did you wonder how this sandwich was created?
Thanks to Tiny Naylor or the owner of Tiny Naylor created this sandwich as a variation of a Tuna Melt. This burger was created sometime between 1930 and 1959. Thankfully, this burger was created for all to enjoy!
What’s the Difference Between a Cheeseburger and a Patty Melt?
Let’s first get out of the way any notion that a patty melt is just a poor man’s cheeseburger. That’s not the case. Except for using the same burger patties, the two sandwiches share very little in common.
The most noticeable difference is that patty melts use bread, not buns. Although most short-order cooks make patty melts with toasted rye bread, Whataburger switches things up and substitutes thick slices of Texas-style toast.
The lightly toasted, thick-cut bread ups the crunch factor considerably and eliminates the tang of the rye bread that some people don’t enjoy.
And then there are the onions. You can’t have a patty melt without them. Even if you are someone who generally doesn’t like to put onions on burgers, you are going to love these richly caramelized onions.
If you are making a Whataburger Parry Melt, it’s well worth setting aside about an hour to make these fall-apart soft, sweet onions. However, if you don’t have the time, check out the “Tips” section below for a quicker way to make caramelized onions.
Let’s Talk About Whataburger Patty Melt Sauce
This creamy chipotle-flavored patty melt sauce is the real game-changer. It adds an incredible amount of complex flavors and takes this patty melt beyond the ordinary.
Despite the patty melt sauce’s long list of ingredients, putting it together is quick and easy, so definitely make it. You can even double the recipe and keep it covered in the fridge for up to two weeks. Try it on fries or even as a dip for veggies!
What’s a Patty Melt Made Of – Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you need for the Whataburger patty melt sauce:
- Kraft mayonnaise, you can also use Duke’s or Hellman’s
- Dry mustard powder
- White vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Ground white pepper
- Salt
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Dried parsley
- Accent flavor enhancer (MSG), optional
Here’s what you need for the patty melts:
- Texas toast
- Butter
- Ground beef chuck
- Salt
- White onion
- Monterey Jack cheese slices
- Patty melt sauce
How to Make a Patty Melt Whataburger Copycat
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mash and stir until smooth.
- Place the sauce in an airtight container and let it set for at least 1 hour.
- Heat a grill pan, large cast iron skillet, or large frying pan to medium heat.
- Spread butter on both sides of the Texas toast slices.
- Cook both sides of the bread slices in the skillet until toasted and browned.
- Place the ground beef and salt into a bowl. Mix well.
- Shape the beef into 4 thin round patties.
- Melt butter in the skillet.
- Add onions and salt to the melted butter.
- Cook the onions until they have browned then remove them from the skillet.
- Place all four burger patties in the skillet over medium-high heat and cook them for 3 or 4 minutes and then flip the burgers.
- Add the cheese slices on top of the meat. Cook the burgers for another 3 or 4 minutes or until cooked through.
- Spread some sauce on a slice of bread.
- Scatter onions on top of the sauce.
- Add a beef patty and then place another toasted bread slice on top.
- Repeat with the remaining bread and patties.
Tips for Making a Whataburger Patty Melt
- Give rye a try. Sure, some people don’t like the taste of rye bread, but it takes the Whataburger Patty Melt in a whole new direction. Traditionally, Jewish-style corn rye was the way to go, but you can get a bit fancy by using marbled rye bread instead.
- Sourdough bread is another option. The tangy flavor pairs nicely with beef and cheese.
- Switch out the cheese. Cheddar cheese and American cheese are great ones to use.
- Steam your cheese. It’s called a patty melt, so you had better make sure that the cheese good and gooey. To melt the cheese quickly and prevent the patties from overcooking, pour a little water around the edge of the pan you are cooking in, and immediately cover it with an upside-down pan. The steam from the water will take about a minute to melt the cheese.
- Save time caramelizing your onions. Cooking the perfect onions for a patty melt can take up to 45 minutes, but who has time for that? Try this quick method of caramelizing onions from America’s Test Kitchen to cut the prep time in half.
Watch us cook up your favorite Whataburger recipes on YouTube!
What can you serve with your patty melt?
You may want to make some French fries, or even some homemade onion rings to go with your burger.
Whataburger Patty Melt – Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the type of burger. Whataburger typically puts mustard on their burger, but they use their spicy peppercorn sauce on their Patty melt.
A Patty Melt is a double meat hamburger. Each patty weighs 84 grams or about 3 ounces, so this puts your burger at about six ounces of pure beef.
How to Store and Reheat a Homemade Patty Melt
If you are going to cook up the entire recipe, but you do not need all of the burgers, I recommend cooking the meat and grilling up the onions, but I would not assemble the sandwich until you are ready.
I would toast the bread just before serving it for the second time. You can reheat your hamburger patties in an air fryer set to 350°F for about 3 to 4 minutes. Or you can simply reheat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Final Thoughts
I hope you give this longtime customer favorite a try, I know you are going to love the magic that Whataburger serves up. The delightful combination of two pieces of Texas toast, perfectly seasoned burger patties, Whataburger’s creamy pepper sauce, and melted gooey cheese is so hard to resist.
While I may have a special place in my heart for a classic cheese Whataburger, their patty melt is one that I can’t put down!
Love Whataburger? Try these copycat recipes!
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Patty Melt (Whataburger Copycat)
Ingredients
Creamy Pepper Sauce
- 1 cup Kraft mayonnaise You can use Duke's or Hellman's
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
- 1 1/3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon Accent MSG optional
Toast Ingredients
- 8 slices Texas toast
- 1 tablespoon butter softened
Burger Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef chuck
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons butter
- ½ cup chopped white onions
- 4 slices Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
Creamy Pepper Sauce Preparation
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Mash the chipotle peppers as you stir the sauce until you have a uniform mixture.
- Place the sauce in an airtight container and let set for at least 1 hour before using for best flavor.
Toast Preparation
- Heat a griddle or a large cast iron skillet to medium heat.
- Spread butter on both sides of all four slices of toast.
- Place buttered bread slices in the skillet and cook on both sides until toasted and browned.
Burger Preparation
- Place the ground beef into a bowl. Add salt and mix well.
- Form the beef into 4 thin round patties.
- Add 2 teaspoons of butter to the skillet.
- Add onions and a pinch of salt to the skillet.
- Cook the onions until they have browned. Remove the onions from the skillet.
- Place all four burger patties in the skillet.
- Cook the patties for 3 or 4 minutes and flip the burgers.
- Add the slices of cheese on top of the meat. Cook for another 3 or 4 minutes or until cooked through.
Build the Patty Melts
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of sauce on a slice of the toasted bread.
- Scatter onions on top of the sauce.
- Add a burger patty and then place another toasted bread slice on top.
George Moy
What do you use if you can’t get Texas toast when your local Kroger super market doesn’t have it all the time?
Stephanie Manley
I use regular bread. You could use a hamburger bun if you desire.
Zane
I have worked at whataburger in the past and I can say there is more than simply “salt” in the patties.
Not in a “hur durr poyzin khemicels” kinda way, but just know “salt” isn’t enough.
Also… Don’t mix the seasoning into the ground beef.. Whatever you choose to use, just don’t. It doesn’t work.
The way it’s done at the restaurant is 100% raw patties with NO seasoning are placed on the grill. The patties are about 6″ in diameter, and around 1/8th of an inch thick when raw. The beef is 90/10.
The seasoning is added to the top of the patty AFTER IT’S ON THE GRILL (my best guess is its a 2/1/1 mix of non-iodine salt, MSG and fine ground black pepper. That means for every two grams of salt, you add one gram of MSG and black pepper). Do not use iodine salt (usually called table salt) for this recipe.
If you mix the salt into the ground beef before you make the burgers, you’ll end up with a chewy patty. So don’t do it. This isn’t a meatloaf that cooks for a long time, it’s a burger.
The recipe for the sauce is “okay.” Do NOT use kraft mayonnaise – it has far too much sweetener. If you don’t use kraft, you’ll want to reduce the amount of vinegar added (because it isn’t needed). I’d say just a “splash,” maybe one or two tablespoons. Every other measurement I agree with.
For the toast, butter is added after it’s toasted, not before. Adding the butter first will cause the milk solids to burn and give a different flavor. If you want the authentic taste, add the butter after the bread is toasted.
No hate to the author, but that’s what happens when someone takes a “guess” at a recipe based only on taste. This recipe is a solid 9/10.
Just adding my two cents as someone who had made this burger countless times.
Lauri
Thank you!
Thomas R. Householder
The Whataburger Patty Melt is one of my favorite things. Can’t wait to try this recipe. I usually order mine with bacon and raw onion as I am not a fan of the cooked onions on a burger, so I will make a modification or two.
Sybil Leonard
Enjoyed these for dinner. Loved the sauce.
Freeda
Enjoyed these for dinner. Loved the sauce.
Ty Wilson
Made these last night. Minus a few ingredients for the sauce I forgot while at the store. Still turned out amazing. Thank you!
Alette
At Walgreens in Chicago area the soda fountain had the famous patty melt. Always used rye bread toasted on grill with cheese and onions. Wonderful
Barbara
It was ok ,but I have had a better patty melt.
It was ground chuck ,cheese, sautéed onions, thousand island dressing
Marble rye bread, and then grilled . a
dill pickle on the side. With steak fries
Stephanie Manley
I am sorry you didn’t enjoy the way Whataburger makes their patty melt.
Jean
So glad you had to let everybody know you didn’t like the recipe. You need to publish your own recipes perhaps.