🔥 How to Grill the Perfect Chester Patty Melt Burger

There’s something timeless and crave-worthy about a patty melt. It’s not quite a burger, not quite a sandwich—just a bold mash-up of savory beef, melted cheese, caramelized onions, and toasted bread. But we’re not talking about just any patty melt. We’re talking about the Chester Patty Melt—a rich, juicy, indulgent twist that turns the classic diner staple into a backyard legend.

With buttery white bread, Wagyu beef, golden onions, and a cast iron skillet full of flavor, this burger is as comforting as it is memorable. Whether you’re looking to impress your guests or treat yourself to the ultimate comfort food, here’s how to bring the Chester Patty Melt to life on your grill.

🍽 Ingredients You’ll Need

• White bread (thick-cut, for structure and toast)

• Wagyu beef (80/20 blend is ideal for fat content)

• White onion (sliced thin)

• American cheese (2 slices per patty for that melt factor)

• Mayonnaise (for the bread and optional inside spread)

• Salt & pepper (simple and essential)

• Beef broth (adds richness to the onions as they cook)

🔧 Tools of the Trade

• Cast iron skillet (essential for smashing and caramelizing)

• Pellet grill (for perfect low-and-slow toasting)

• Metal spatula (for smashing the patty)

• Tongs

• Small brush or butter knife (to spread the mayo)

🔥 Step-by-Step: Grilling the Chester Patty Melt

1. Get Your Grill and Skillet Ready

Start by firing up your pellet grill. Aim for medium-high heat (around 375–400°F). While it heats, place your cast iron skillet directly on the grill grates to start preheating. A hot skillet is key for developing a crust on the Wagyu patty and getting that beautiful fond at the bottom from the onions and broth.

Let the skillet heat for at least 10–15 minutes—you want it ripping hot.

2. Prep the Onions

While the grill and skillet are heating up, slice your white onion into thin, even strips. These will form the sweet and savory heart of your patty melt.

Toss them in a bowl with just a pinch of salt to help draw out the moisture.

Once the skillet is hot, add a touch of oil or beef fat and throw the onions in. Let them soften and start to brown, stirring occasionally.

Here’s the secret move: pour in a splash of beef broth. This deglazes the skillet, infuses the onions with umami-rich flavor, and gives you a saucy base that deepens every bite of the patty melt.

Let the onions cook low and slow in the broth while you move on to the meat.

3. Form and Smash Your Wagyu Patty

Take a portion of Wagyu beef—roughly 1/4 to 1/3 pound—and loosely roll it into a ball. You don’t want to overwork it and put it in beef broth so it can sock up. Keep it airy so it smashes flat and crisps up nicely.

Drop the ball into the skillet right next to your onions. Immediately smash it flat with a metal spatula. Press hard and confidently to maximize contact with the skillet.

Season with salt and pepper, and let it cook without flipping for 2–3 minutes, until the edges are crispy and browned and the center is bubbling. Flip once, add a spoonful of the beef broth/onion mix over the top, and then immediately add two slices of American cheese.

Close the grill lid for a minute or two to gently melt the cheese.

4. Toast the Bread on the Grill

While the patty finishes, grab your white bread slices. Spread a thin layer of mayo on the outside of each slice (this gives it that golden, buttery crust without using actual butter).

Place the slices mayo-side down on a cooler part of the pellet grill grate to toast. You're not going for char here—you want that golden, crisp texture that holds up to the juiciness of the patty.

Keep an eye on them! White bread can go from toasted to burnt fast. It should take about 2–3 minutes to get the perfect color.

5. Assemble the Melt

Now comes the magic.

On one slice of toasted bread, spoon a generous helping of the beef-broth caramelized onions. Stack the cheese-smothered Wagyu patty right on top. Add a second layer of onions if you like things messy (and let’s be honest—you do).

Crown it with the second slice of bread, toasted side out.

If you're extra, feel free to brush a little more beef broth onto the inside of the top slice before closing it up. This small touch makes a big impact.

6. Press and Finish (Optional)

For that true patty melt experience, you can return the full sandwich to the skillet and give it a final gentle press—just enough to meld the layers together and re-crisp the bread. Do this for about 1 minute per side, flipping once.

If your skillet is too full or hot at this point, no worries—it’s ready to eat as-is.

🧀 Final Thoughts: The Chester Experience

The Chester Patty Melt isn’t trying to be fancy. It’s rich. It’s indulgent. It’s diner nostalgia meets grill master flex. The use of Wagyu beef levels up the flavor without needing complicated seasoning or sauces. The American cheese brings meltability that no other cheese can match. And those beef-broth caramelized onions? Absolute gold.

Plus, by cooking the patty on a cast iron skillet, you get that crisp sear and savory crust that’s impossible to achieve with indirect heat alone.

Toasting the bread on the pellet grill adds a subtle wood-fired flavor and keeps the whole process outdoors and smoke-kissed. The mayo crust on the bread gives just enough richness without overpowering the other ingredients.