Copycat Culver's Wisconsin Swiss Melt Recipe
Although most people may have ButterBurgers on the brain when they head to Culver's, the popular chain's other sandwiches shouldn't be slept on. One such hidden gem that possibly even outperforms a ButterBurger is the Wisconsin Swiss Melt. In case you don't live near a Culver's, then this copycat Culver's Wisconsin Swiss melt recipe hits all of those beefy, cheesy notes, no drive-thru required. My version features a thin, juicy beef patty simply seasoned with just salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, topped with sauteed red onions, plenty of melted Swiss cheese, all served up on buttery toasted light rye that adds a delightful crispness to contrast all the tender layers of meat and cheese. It's a satisfying cross between a burger and a grilled cheese that somehow manages to be more hearty, meaty, and cheesy than either.
I love how simple this recipe ultimately is, because it comes together in a very short time and can be on the table in 15 minutes, making it the perfect meal for busy weeknights or any night. We're not going for a full caramelization of the sauteed onions, so you don't need to worry about spending upwards of an hour stirring them on the stovetop. Instead, a quick saute gets them to a nice level of rich oniony sweetness with light caramelization, while the beef patties cook up in the same pan later on. Paired with fries, potato salad, or Caesar salad, these Wisconsin Swiss melts are a great way to switch things up for your next burger night.
Gather the ingredients for copycat Culver's Wisconsin Swiss Melts
To begin this recipe, grab butter, avocado oil, Worcestershire sauce, and sliced red onions to make the sauteed onions. For the beef patties, you'll need a little more Worcestershire sauce, ground beef, salt, pepper, and more avocado oil for cooking. You'll top the freshly cooked patties with Swiss cheese to get nice and melty, then you'll just need a little more butter and rye bread to assemble the sandwiches.
Step 1: Heat butter and avocado oil in a skillet
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and ½ tablespoon of avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Step 2: Saute the onions
Add the sliced red onions and saute for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're softened and lightly caramelized.
Step 3: Stir Worcestershire sauce into the onions
Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to the onions. Stir. Remove the onions from the skillet and keep them warm.
Step 4: Season the beef
Add the salt, pepper, and remaining Worcestershire sauce to the ground beef. Mix until just combined.
Step 5: Portion out the ground beef
Divide the ground beef into four equal portions and roll each portion into a ball.
Step 6: Flatten the ground beef balls into patties
Flatten each ball into a thin patty, about ¼ inch thick.
Step 7: Add oil to skillet
Turn the heat up to medium-high and heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil in the same skillet.
Step 8: Cook the patties on one side
Add the patties, working in batches if necessary, and brown for 3 minutes.
Step 9: Flip and cook the other side
Flip the patties and cook for another 2 minutes.
Step 10: Top the patties with cheese
Add 2 slices of cheese to each patty.
Step 11: Let the cheese melt
Place a lid on the skillet and cook for an additional minute or until the cheese is melted and the patties are cooked through.
Step 12: Toast the rye bread
Lightly toast the bread.
Step 13: Spread butter on the bread
Spread the remaining butter on the bread.
Step 14: Add the patties
Add the patties to 4 slices of bread.
Step 15: Top the patties with grilled onions
Divide the onions between the patties.
Step 16: Cap and slice the Wisconsin Swiss melts
Top with the remaining bread and cut each sandwich in half. Serve immediately.
What can I serve with a Swiss melt?
Copycat Culver's Wisconsin Swiss Melt Recipe
Our copycat Culver's Wisconsin Swiss melt features a juicy beef patty topped with sauteed onions and plenty of Swiss cheese served up on buttery toasted rye.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, divided
- 1 large red onion, cut into thin slices
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ pounds lean ground beef
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 8 slices light rye bread
Directions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and ½ tablespoon of avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the sliced red onions and saute for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re softened and lightly caramelized.
- Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to the onions. Stir. Remove the onions from the skillet and keep them warm.
- Add the salt, pepper, and remaining Worcestershire sauce to the ground beef. Mix until just combined.
- Divide the ground beef into four equal portions and roll each portion into a ball.
- Flatten each ball into a thin patty, about ¼ inch thick.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil in the same skillet.
- Add the patties, working in batches if necessary, and brown for 3 minutes.
- Flip the patties and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add 2 slices of cheese to each patty.
- Place a lid on the skillet and cook for an additional minute or until the cheese is melted and the patties are cooked through.
- Lightly toast the bread.
- Spread the remaining butter on the bread.
- Add the patties to 4 slices of bread.
- Divide the onions between the patties.
- Top with the remaining bread and cut each sandwich in half. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 746 |
| Total Fat | 58.4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 26.8 g |
| Trans Fat | 2.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 175.6 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 13.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.6 g |
| Total Sugars | 3.0 g |
| Sodium | 633.3 mg |
| Protein | 41.2 g |
Can I cook these Wisconsin Swiss melts on the grill?
If you'd prefer to skip the stovetop cooking and opt for the grill instead, it's definitely doable with this recipe. Of all the ways to cook burgers, grilling is one of the best options to impart that distinct smoky flavor profile, which will only make your resulting Wisconsin Swiss Melts that much more delicious.
To start, I would recommend using either a cast iron skillet or griddle on the grill as opposed to placing the patties directly on the grates. The patties in this recipe are very delicate as they don't contain any sort of binder, so if you were to place them directly onto the grill grates, they may fall apart. Preheat your grill to medium-high, or about 400 to 425 F, then place either your skillet or griddle onto the grill to warm it up. Once heated, add a bit of oil to your cooking vessel and place the patties down, allowing them to cook for about 2 ½ to 3 minutes per side. Layer the Swiss cheese on top for the last minute or so of cooking to get perfectly melty patties. And, while you've got the grill fired up, you can easily toast the rye bread on there as well for added convenience and even more smoky flavor.
How can I change up this copycat Culver's Wisconsin Swiss Melt recipe?
As written, this recipe keeps things relatively simple in terms of patty inclusions or toppings, which is done to stay true to the OG Culver's sandwich. That said, the beauty of a copycat recipe is that you can switch it up and customize things to your liking. To start, you can switch out the ground beef for your protein of choice — ground turkey, chicken, or even a combination of pork and chorizo would all be delicious here.
While the sauteed onions are the star topping of choice for good reason, you can easily reach for other classic burger toppings to round things out. Lettuce, tomato, pickles, and condiments like mayonnaise, mustard, or even barbecue sauce would all work well here. If you prefer a little bit of a kick, augment the Swiss cheese with pepper Jack, or add pickled jalapeños for a spicy-acidic touch. If you'd like to play up the richness of the sauteed onions, add some mushrooms to the mix while you cook the onions for added meaty umami. To make things even richer and smokier, add slices of cooked bacon on top of the patties before adding the onions.