07/02/2026
The Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger was invented in the 1920s in El Reno, Oklahoma. Created out of Depression-era necessity, a local café owner named Ross Davis (at the Hamburger Inn) began smashing a massive handful of thinly sliced onions directly into small beef patties on a hot griddle to stretch the meat and keep prices down.
The culinary genius of this burger lies in the preparation, which perfectly blends the beef and onions into a caramelized, savory patty:
The Smash: A loose ball of ground beef is placed on a screaming-hot, ungreased flat-top griddle and piled high with thinly sliced yellow Spanish onions.
The Integration: A heavy spatula is used to forcefully smash the onions directly into the beef so they cook together.
The Steam: Once flipped, the onions caramelize against the hot metal. The natural moisture steams the fluffy bun, which is often placed right on top of the cooking burger to soak up the juices.
The Finish: It is traditionally served simply with mustard and pickles.
Today, the onion burger is a celebrated staple of Oklahoma cuisine. El Reno remains the epicenter of this history, hosting an annual Fried Onion Burger Day every May, where tens of thousands of people gather to eat thousands of pounds of these iconic burgers.
Legendary institutions that have been serving variations of the original since 1946.
Our Favorite-
Double"6"Diners located in Binger, Weatherford, Clinton, Canute, and Woodward.
