Your classic patty melt with ground beef, Swiss cheese and caramelized onions just got an upgrade. We’re making these with corned beef.
Table of Contents
What is a patty melt?
Patty melts are a cross between a hamburger and a grilled cheese sandwich. They’re made by layering bread with a cooked ground beef hamburger patty, caramelized onions and cheese.
The sandwich is cooked up on a griddle like a grilled cheese sandwich, creating a crispy, buttery crust with a cheesy beefy center.
Corned Beef Patty Melt
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground corned beef, point cut brisket
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 white onion, sliced
- 4 slices rye bread
- 2 tbsp salted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup thousand island dressing
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Heat Griddle: Heat griddle to 425F or medium heat (see notes below).
- Prep Patties: Roll the ground meat into 4 balls. (see notes below)
- Grill Patties: Drizzle a little oil on the griddle. Place balls on griddle. Smash. Cook 4-5 min. Flip. Cook 2-3 min. Remove and set aside.
- Cook Onions: Add more oil to the griddle. Add onions. Sauté, until tender.
- Prep Bread: Butter one side of each slice of bread. Add thousand island to the other side of 2 slices.
- Grill Sandwiches: Add 2 slices of bread onto the griddle butter side down, thousand island side up. Top each in this order: 1 patty, half of onions, 1 1/2 slices cheese, second patty, 1 1/2 slices cheese and slice of bread buttered side up. Cook until golden. Flip. Cook until golden.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- Corned Beef Brisket: Look for a point cut that has already been brined. You’ll find them in the grocery store right around St. Patrick’s Day.
- Onion: Use a large onion. White onion or sweet yellow onion both work.
- Rye Bread: Any bread works great, but Rye bread is a staple for deli pastrami sandwiches.
- Swiss Cheese: Plan on 3 slices per sandwich.
- Butter: Use softened salted butter to spread onto the bread before grilling. If you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of kosher salt to the sandwich after you cook it.
- Thousand Island: This is a classic flavor for pastrami sandwiches, so it works great with this patty melt recipe.
- Oil: I use avocado oil, but any high-heat oil will work.
Substitutions: If you can't find a point cut corned beef, flat cut will work too. You can also make this with a brisket that you corn yourself. This recipe can also be made with white bread, wheat bread or sourdough bread. Instead of two layers of melted Swiss, substitute one layer with American cheese for a creamier sandwich.
See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to make ground corned beef
Remove the corned beef from the packaging. Rinse it under cold water. Cut it into cubes. Then, run it through a meat grinder.
Here are the meat grinders that I have.
How to cook a patty melt
I used the NInja FlexFlame to cook this recipe. I set the grill to the roast/bake setting and the temperature to 425F. If you’re using any other griddle, set the temp to 425F. If you’re using a large cast iron skillet, place it on the stove over medium heat.
- STEP ONE: Roll the ground corned beef into 4 balls. Drizzle a little oil on the preheated griddle. Place the balls on the hot griddle, and use a heavy press to smash them down. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
PRO TIP: If you're worried about the burger patties sticking to the press, place a piece of parchment paper on the patty first.
- STEP TWO: Flip. Cook for 2-3 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
- STEP THREE: Add more oil to the griddle. Add the onions and sauté until tender.
- STEP FOUR: Butter one side of each slice of rye bread. Add thousand island to other side of 2 slices. Add 2 pieces of bread onto griddle butter side down, thousand island side up. Top each with 1 patty, half of the onions, 1 1/2 slices cheese, second patty, 1 1/2 slices cheese, slice of bread buttered side up.
- STEP FIVE: Cook until golden brown. Use a large spatula to flip it over. Cook until golden and the cheese is melted.
How to serve corned beef patty melts
Once you remove the patty melts from the griddle, serve them immediately while they’re still hot. These double decker sandwiches are huge, so they are a meal all on their own.
Cut them into quarters for appetizers great for game day or St. Patrick’s Day.
Storage
This sandwich doesn’t store well because the bread will get soggy. If you want to make it ahead, cook the ground beef patties and onions and store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
When, you’re ready, build and grill your sandwiches over medium-low heat.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Use pre-brined corned beef to save time
- Grind beef in large batches and freeze for recipes like this
- If the sandwiches cook too fast, reduce the heat so they don’t burn
