Part of what makes American cuisine so unique is the number of regional foods scattered throughout the country (here are 19 that you should try at least once). Whether it comes from regional fast food chains or home-cooked specialties, there’s a lot of deliciousness to explore in the States. Even classic items like hamburgers have their own regional spins. In the state of Oklahoma, for example, there’s a local staple known as the onion burger. As the name implies, the burgers are smothered with heaps of sliced onions. What makes these burgers particularly unique, though, is that the onions are smashed into the burger patties rather than simply laid on top.
Originally invented in the 1920s, Oklahoma’s onion burger has since become one of the country’s most iconic regional sandwiches, along with Oklahoma’s other specialty, the chicken-fried steak sandwich. The onion burger’s simplicity makes it great for a quick meal, while the onions smashed into ground beef give it a robust, savory flavor. Plus, these burgers are a unique piece of American history.
The history of Oklahoma’s onion burger
Many attribute the onion burger’s popularity to the Great Depression, but the burger actually predates that era. In 1922, Ross Davis, owner of the Hamburger Inn in El Reno, Oklahoma, was looking for a way to extend his beef supply. He eventually started cutting it with onions, and this attempt at frugality resulted in the invention of a legendary regional burger.
The onion burger’s popularity continued out of necessity during the Great Depression. Also known as the Depression burger, the sandwich remained prevalent due to how inexpensive onions were at the time. Half an onion bulb would be sliced and smashed into beef patties, keeping hungry customers full and overall food costs low.
The onion burger remained popular throughout the ’40s and ’50s. While the Hamburger Inn sadly no longer exists, there are a few iconic diners that still serve up this amazing staple, like Johnnie’s Hamburgers & Coneys in El Reno and Tucker’s Onion Burgers in Oklahoma City. What started as a cost-cutting measure resulted in an iconic, Southern-style burger that remains popular to this day.
