More Oklahoma Onion Burgers | Kenji's Cooking Show

Here’s another video I shot when making Oklahoma onion burgers - these one indoors using an onion towel.
You can also see how my brain works because I probably blab about the same things as in the other video.
Here’s the first video: • Oklahoma Onion Burgers...
Donate to No Kid Hungry here: p2p.onecause.com/livestreamfo...
Get my books (including The Food Lab and my new book, The Wok) here: www.kenjilopezalt.com
Here’s my New York Times article about these burgers (with a written recipe): www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/di...

[@livedeliciously]

This is probably the most useful cooking channel for anyone trying to learn. Why? Everything is basically unedited, so you get the little nuances of how long everything takes to cook, how much to put in, etc. Kenji also seems to be the most knowledgeable about food.

[@tomrake3264]

I think what I love about the channel is all of these recipes are written, but when Kenji cooks theres always "mistakes" or slight unintentional changes. Very reassuring for new cooks who are worried about following a recipe to a tee.

[@MauiWowieOwie]

Alton Brown's Good Eats is the same, which is probably why I like Kenji's videos so much. They explain the science that goes on in cooking too.

[@pBlackcoat]

@@MauiWowieOwie Looking back after all these years, my biggest problem with good eats (that kenji doesn't do) is how specific Alton is. "237 grams" vs "I dunno, about half a cup".

[@CMLew]

Also Kenji can and will show when it goes wrong.

[@pansbeetna547]

Npc comment

[@Falcor215]

Kenji: "im not the history guy" Also Kenji: "Gives the deep lore on White Castle inventing the modern burger" god I love this channel

[@r3toun]

That came out of nowhere. Hes a smart guy, underpromise -> overdeliver.

[@morganshepard7597]

You'll love George Motz, dude. He's awesome too!

[@yourecritical3265]

@@r3toun its actually not True, cause the hamburger was invented in Germany in "Hamburg"

[@r3toun]

@@yourecritical3265 it wasn't and you just made clear that you're not well read on it.

[@FuzzyPuddingGamer]

Everyone remember if you make this yourself, Mandolins are one of the most dangerous tools in the kitchen. Be careful and use the guard!

[@hadronoftheseus8829]

Bah! Three finger Willie says that's nonsense.

[@Heiryuu]

Or at least invest in cut proof gloves. I’ve saved my fingers more than once and I consider myself very safety conscious in the kitchen You get a good Rhythm going and your sure your fingers aren’t going to slip and then suddenly whoops your glove is caught in the blade, no clue how you slipped but you did

[@themodernshoe2466]

Yeah I have no interest in using a mandolin, so mandolin-necessary recipes are a no from me

[@DRV-mt5dd]

Good knife works but lot slower. (And just as dangerous lol)

[@DoctorSess]

Watching him slice that onion gave me anxiety so bad lol I always use the guard and make sure I close the blade after

[@TheFantasmatron]

For anyone wondering, it cooked on the first side for about 2 min after smashing, then steamed under the towel for about 1.5 minutes after assembling in the pan.

[@JeffO-]

Thank you. I also noticed he turned down the heat for the onion side, but didn't mention it verbally. (As if there's any other way of mentioning it.)

[@adamcheung2413]

I'm convinced Kenji keeps making onion burger videos so he can keep freaking us out with that damn mandolin 🤣

[@KakavashaForever]

Every time I see someone using a mandolin without the guard I think back to the day I watched someone shave a nice long slice of 3 fingers, almost their entire palm, and their thumb onto the top of the bin of onions they were doing. Never seen so much blood. Absolutely horrifying.

[@chellecopley67]

right?!

[@jeffatgorbysgrill9480]

Scares the crap out of me and I cringe while he does it.😲

[@krisdphillips]

It's like Alton Brown says: When you're slicing onions on a mandolin, the heel of the onion provides a hand guard already. You only need it for other stuff.

[@KakavashaForever]

@@krisdphillips Or if the onion shifts just slightly in your grip and you slip/skip into the blade like happened to the person I mentioned in my previous comment, who had 15+ years of experience. I've used one every single time I touched a mandolin since that day, it takes 3 extra seconds and it means I'm completely safe from random acts of horrific disfiguring misfortune. Its an absolute no-brainer, for me at least.

[@whychooseaname]

The venn diagram of people who have a deli slicer but not a mandolin in their home kitchen is two separate circles

[@heck3933]

What

[@juliet0001]

@@heck3933 everyone who has a deli slicer probably also has a mandolin

[@jonathan248]

Doesn't that mean that no-one has both a mandolin and deli slicer in their home kitchen since there is no overlap?

[@juliet0001]

@@jonathan248 more accurately, deli slicer owners are a smaller circle inside the circle of mandolin owners

[@SteveS86]

@@juliet0001 that would indicate there is only one circle. @Eddie suggested there are two non-overlapping circles.

[@C4BossYT]

Kenji thank you for teaching me how to cook, as a high schooler going into college I feel learning to cook is a must, plus I save a bit of money instead of ordering food all the time lol.

[@MrMonkeyJuices]

As a 26 year old, i can definitely say cooking is a wonderful skill to learn early, cause you'll only improve over your life. I wish I had started years ago, instead of last year. Fundamentals are important, and just basic knowledge on what ingredients are used for

[@tomm2672]

I wish I had these types of videos when I was going in to college (I'm 40 now). I cooked every day in college to save money and had to do everything by trial and error (there was a lot of error). Learning to cook in college was a better life lesson than anything I ever did academically (and that is with two degrees and I do my degree for a living).

[@Pt0wN973b0iI]

Also. Not disappointed.

[@cheef825]

I'm 21 now and after cooking since I was around 19 it's saved me so much money over the years hahaha

[@Lampshadx]

And your future partner / date will very much appreciate.

[@TeddyGear.]

Two burger vids in a row This is a sign for me to get a burger right now!

[@jmsmith1767]

No kidding haha. I made burgers after the last video.

[@tadl3394]

Important: Get not make haha same tho

[@Arauge1981]

Literally just pulled hamburger from the freezer.

[@timelostadept]

I died when I saw this lol let's go for 3 !!

[@timelostadept]

MOAR BURBERZ!!!!

[@bconny7]

I'm glad I am not the only one thats got to say "now that is a tasty burger" everytime they bite into a burger

[@AnabaticPat]

I made one of these for my wife yesterday when she got home from work, and she said it was one of the best burgers that she's ever had. She loves onions and she loves smashed burgers. Can't imagine a more perfect union.

[@ostbiti]

It's a good burger but to be fair you can just make a regular smash burger and fry up some onions and add it on top and it won't make much of a difference. I think this technique is more of a handy thing to do when you are cooking up a shitstorm of burgers.

[@turdferguson51586]

Thanks for shouting out Detroit slider spots. I feel like they're still relatively unknown outside of southeast Michigan despite being in business for 50 plus years. Places like The Telway, Greene's, Bates and Hunter House are Detroit landmarks and their onion burgers are AMAZING!

[@baker4000]

I’m sure Telway is the place in Detroit he was referring to.

[@rynewhite5184]

telway makes insane sliders

[@itaxevasixn8808]

Dont forget carters on outer drive😊

[@gpsawyer]

The Detroit place he was describing made me picture Skinner's steamed hams from the Simpsons

[@alvan3286]

I just discovered this channel yesterday and it’s changed my life. I’m not even exaggerating. Thank you 🙏🏾

[@smurfNburn]

Just made this. It’s an absolute winner. If you don’t have a towel to sacrifice to be the ‘onion towel,’ you can use a tented over piece of foil to the same effect. Keep on grilling kenji!

[@araminrain]

I really really appreciate that you do it on a pan inside the house, instead of on the grill. Living in an apartment in SoCal, where I can't have grills on my porch patio (2nd story). I know I won't get that super smokey grill taste but I appreciate you showing how to do it inside the kitchen instead. I'm the nervous type that kinda has to see something be done once. I search reddit for how-tos but the grill stuff people are always like 'grill or nothing' and nothing it ends up being.

[@9LJM2]

Never thought I'd be considering going to the shops with the intent to be a towel solely for steaming my burgers but here we are. Great tip

[@JohnHausser]

0:13 I love the humility 😂😭 Shoutout to George Motz Cheers from San Diego California

[@hopsonkim4952]

I mean, when you know George Motz, calling yourself the “burger history guy” is like chilling with LeBron James and calling yourself “the athlete of the group.”

[@HoopleBogart]

Kenji standing over the stove eating his burger reminds me of being drunk eating fried chicken over the sink. Good times.

[@offroad5798]

🤣

[@michaeld387]

Hey, Kenji. To avoid that cold spot in the middle, I try to let my cast iron preheat upside down for a minute or two at high heat then flip it right side up on medium heat for another minute or so. Hope that can help!

[@mirabelle2824]

5 head

[@swimfan752]

It’s always funny how people feel the need to try to give kenji feedback. Must be a yearn for validation

[@weeps7798]

@@swimfan752 dang ur right. Trying to help others is just a way of gaining validation 🤔

[@vinnygi]

@@weeps7798 🤣🤣

[@michaeld387]

@@swimfan752 huh? I have a technique that helps me solve the problem he describes in the video. Where do I need validation?

[@simzocker]

ima just take my dedicated onion towel out of my dedicated onion towel drawer and get cooking

[@saint5567]

man, I learn so much from your videos and I just realized it today when I made dinner for myself I used alot of your tips so I really appreciate you and the content you put out for us !

[@DazzaBo]

Hey Kenji, any particular reason not to just use a stainless steel bowl to steam the burgers instead of a dish towel? Is it that the towel breathes and the bowl traps too much steam?

[@brownie3454]

it’s actually better to use a bowl, they just like their towels to smell like onions

[@UniverseWillProvide]

The towel can cover as many or as few burgers as you like while the bowl is rigid and can get hot after a couple. Also I imagine the steam would drip onto the top bun and make it soggy

[@jameshobbs]

I just made one with an inverted bowl, as usual. It was perfect and no towel was ruined.

[@bryanw2961]

My guess is that you want the towel to absorb the moisture. Bun might get too soggy if you use a bowl???

[@tristanc3873]

I think a bit of steam escaping is the point. Otherwise you'd be so moist underneath that your onions would never crisp up as they should.

[@Irrevatic]

Watched this video three times, and I am now returning from making and devouring this delicious concoction. If you haven't yet, go make this! It's delicious and Kenji makes it so easy to follow.

[@jackrichards3720]

This is the only account that can produce 2 of the same video and I’d still watch both religiously and tell all my friends they need to watch both lmao

[@svenlauke1190]

I just had a funny experience. years ago, (2014?) I had this whole Ramen phase, and found a good article about how to make tonkotsu broth in a rather scientific way. I saved that article in my browser, and more or less forgot about it. the other day I returned to it, and turns out...it was from YOU. YEARS before I was led to your channel by Babbish. what a happy coincidence! thanks for being awesome dude

[@ThurnisHaley28]

The confidence Kenji has using that mandoline without the guard is scary, but impressive.

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

Just need to be aware of what you're doing. The guards tend to cause more problems. Still, use it if you feel more comfortable with it - a mandolin will take a slice out of your fingers just as easily. Same with a sharp knife though, which is why it's good to just be highly aware of what you're doing.

[@Nightriser271828]

I haven't cut myself with a knife in 10 years, but mandolins? Microplanes? Every time.

[@leetrainer5001]

Was thinking the same thing

[@Pt0wN973b0iI]

Not impressive. *DANGEROUS!*

[@ThatSniperBirdy]

@@Nightriser271828 how much do you use those compared to a knife though? It's all just familiarity and practice

[@joshuaegower]

Made this today. Even my 8 year old who “hates onions” loved it! Thanks!

[@IISlushoII]

Watching Kenji use the Benriner without the guard had my heart racing.

[@danielgeld9813]

Just made this today after really never making a good burger before and it was INCREDIBLE!! So good. Thank you for helping teach me how to cook Kenji.

[@Rapturnal]

I must've watched seven or eight videos on making the oklahoma burger, and I never get sick of it.

[@gwalla]

Just tried making these today. I didn't do the greatest job (forgot to season the onions after piling them on, and getting them to stay on is not that easy) but they still turned out seriously delicious. I'll definitely be making them again.

[@DahVeeDeeOh]

It’s one of those things like pizza. Even at its worst it’s still pretty good.

[@LikeBOOMCA]

Hey kenji, is there a particular reason to use a towel instead a lid when doing this in a pan?

[@MrCrimp83]

I haven’t tried this recipe, but my best guess is that a lid will hold in too much moisture and could make the buns soggy, whereas a towel will let some of the steam out.

[@georgescharoun2064]

tried with and without a little yellow mustard, and much prefer w/o. Totally overshadowed the onion magic

[@g.n.s.]

I spent my summers on my grandparents’ Santa-Gertrudis farm in Wilmington, Ohio, about half an hour north of Kings Island. My grandmother, and my mom respectively, would make “sizzle burgers” with the beef from the occasional cow we’d sell and butcher, and freeze just lbs and lbs of different cuts. Anyway, they would use butter and we would try to only use potato bread for the bun. Such an amazing burger, meat, onions, cheese, good roll, maaaybe some mayo, and some iced tea.

[@GlHfsc2]

You and Thatdudecancook are my favorite food channels by far. I used to watch Sam the cooking guy a bit but I like the toned down just good simple food approach you have.

[@omnipi]

“Cosmic oneness” with whatever’s cookin’ is Kenji’s channel’s whole vibe

[@jesdadotcom]

The POV eating is messing with my brain. I love it.

[@risasklutteredkitchen1293]

My son works for White Castle. He said they were celebrating 100 years last year. He told me their technique and I use it at home all the time. Love those cooks onions in the burger.

[@nercopolis99]

I had two dinners tonight and also just brushed my teeth, but I want one of these asap.

[@beganny]

Love the story about the onion/buns/burgers/towels....!!!

[@ChappysTikiBar]

looks amazing 🍔

[@sethbucy]

You continue to impress me with your cooking skills. Great channel!

[@WFTexas21]

So, for the sake of not wasting material, must it be a towel that is placed over the burger? I suspect the porousness of the cloth absorbs some of the condensation that, say, an aluminum dome would collect and redeposit on the buns? (I’m thinking Blackstone.)

[@Masteph93]

Not one, not two, but THREE onion focused burger videos? You have blessed me.

[@thydevdom]

Cooking is so simple with Kenji.

[@pegparrish3512]

Deja vu all over again! Can never get enough onion burgers!!

[@jonhedlund8058]

Nice job kenji!! you always make me hungry!!

[@JellykaNerevan]

If you don't have a mandoline but got a spiralizer it works great too for super thin onions Always happy to find uses for it after I bought it for that fad of zuchini noodles that passed really fast lol

[@chellecopley67]

I have one of those unopened! I ALWAYS manage to mess myself up with a mandolin so that thing is coming down for that reason alone now! Thanks!

[@frankburns2858]

Wow, that looks fantastic...mouth-watering

[@garypritchett5625]

“That is a tasty burger.” That must be from that new Hawaiian Joint.

[@cowguye1]

"The cornerstone of a nutritious breakfast."

[@dertateossian]

Thanks Kenji, turned out great!

[@MrKevin486]

I've been obsessed with these burgers for a while now. So underrated, and So damn delicious and easy to make. Im actually making some tonight. As a chef of almost 13 years, my knife and knife skills are such i dont need to use a mandoline to slice the onions, but I'd recommend most people use one, or even I'd use one if i was making a lot of these burgers, say more than 10. The towel method is great, I will try it tonight.

[@LemansSunset350]

Looks amazing 😋

[@audiosmackdown]

by far our favorite at home

[@tman2504]

White Rose System in Roselle, NJ makes burgers similarly to White Manna. Although the classic burger bun is a staple, something about getting it on a Kaiser roll really puts it on a pedestal. Great video as per usual 🤝.

[@twoduckallday9094]

This style of burger is incredible.

[@julianmichael2791]

These burgers are so good I had them for my birthday

[@Mike_219]

White Manna Hackensack is iconic!! Lucky enough to live nearby; I think I'll go tomorrow for lunch!

[@mysoneffects]

Love your cooking. I have a mandolin, you just gave me a good reason to pull it out of the cupboard. Thanks. It’s been a minute, but now I have a great recipe to try out.

[@JohnDoe-hn1og]

Same

[@bugbuddy1771]

I love your kitchen setup

[@rich0331]

That is a tasty burger! Vincent, you ever have a Kenji Onion Burger?

[@mbarrett99]

I wasn't the only one who caught that reference, I see.

[@-in-the-meantime...]

"I said god damn... god damn." - me trying this burger

[@stevenwilson5556]

Wonderful. Have to try this, never done a burger this way.

[@hazeygnome1743]

Just made one and then another one! It just gets better and better These are darn good burgers Kenji!

[@kabooby0]

I'm the biggest dumbass there is when it comes to cooking, even after years of trying. But watching this channel has given me the fastest improvement I've had in years.

[@glenmillin8279]

Thanks for the great videos Kenji. After seeing your last video about smashing onions into burgers on a flattop grill, I started thinking about incorporating that idea with my basic smash burger method. I use half the beef in each burger - 2-2 oz/burgers in a pre-heated skillet (from oven) pressed down with a flat sauce pan with lightly oiled foil covering the bottom. Could you spread about half of the onions on each burger before smashing them? Or would that be too thin for the burger to hold together? I might just experiment with my next batch anyway. Double onion burgers are suddenly sounding very appealing. I thought you said in your last video that you were cooking the onion burgers outside because the odor it would create inside would be too much. And now you are basically doing the same process inside. Are you trying to start up a White Manna in Seattle instead of Hackensack?

[@adendurrett3061]

I’ve done these half size for a double with no problems at all. Onion burgers have been my go-to for years now.

[@SamSam-qm1li]

Thank you Kenji

[@LiquidCheney]

Made this a few time now and it really is a top notch burger, gets so much right. It's like a white castle burger if people weren't paid minimum wage.

[@nitelast]

I should not be watching these at 5am... i'm really hungry now!

[@NicolasGarciaLieberman]

Two questions: 1- any concerns about the seasoning being scraped off with the tough metal spatula? 2- can the onion towel effect be accomplished with a lid instead? Really love these videos, those burgers look great!!

[@MusicSamC]

I wouldn't see why a lid wouldn't work in place of a towel. There could be something about not entirely trapping the steam that the towel does that makes a difference? It's worth a try I'm sure.

[@Codadful]

I don't think it would but maybe even though the contents are steamed, the moisture isn't trapped the same way? I haven't got to try it out myself yet but it'll probably be okay either way.

[@KakavashaForever]

Only thing about a lid compared to a towel is the towel will trap the steam while also absorbing the condensation. Lid will drop the condensation back down around the burger and onto the buns, which you wouldn't want. So it would work, just not ideal. And you want to be very carefull when removing the lid not to tilt it, just list straight up and then move it away, because once you tilt it you're sending all that water back down onto the food.

[@NicolasGarciaLieberman]

@@KakavashaForever that's a good point!

[@walterw2]

no cooking expert i but i use a metal spatula on my cast iron and carbon steel pans all the time, a proper seasoning layer will mostly stay on fine every now and then re-season to build it back up, not a big deal

[@Sejjin]

Funny this pops into my front page. I was wanting to make burgers this weekend. I will do this. Thank you!

[@Jkizzle4996]

Kenji I lit my towel on fire 😂

[@ethanwalker7865]

"that is a tasty burger" *giggles*

[@shaquilembongenimpofu9057]

This man is so entertaining

[@korejanos1975]

Looks yummy 😋

[@coffeemate5019]

I think I ate 6 cheeseburger this week. Experimenting some tuff. kenji, I am your padawan. Thank you so much for your video and books. It's been so great for me.

[@Gigi-fv9ky]

This looks amazing! I am going to try this as soon as I defrost some hamburger. Thanks for making this so approachable!

[@brewerfireguy]

Cooking one tonight! Good tip on the steamed bun rather than toasted!

[@NathanrHeld]

Hey Kenji, have you experimented with sodium citrate before? I agree with you 100% that American cheese's meltability is crucial with burgers, however, with sodium citrate involved you can have the flavor of virtually any cheese with the same meltability of American at your disposal. I haven't messed around with the stuff personally as of yet, but have found that adding a portion of American cheese (acting as an emulsifying agent in the stead of sodium citrate) to Parmesan or any other 'hard' cheese has enhanced its texture and melting factor by quite a bit, allowing me to get away with flavor profiles I'd otherwise be left out of.

[@adventofnull]

He has made meltable cheeses using evaporated milk + gelatin, and I believe wondra. Don't know if Kenji has talked about NaCHO though :)

[@4dstellatedhypercube558]

yeah he used sodium citrate in his burger scholar smashburger video

[@araminrain]

lmao yay onion burgers again! now i definitely gonna try them lmao

[@vikingrbeerdserkr8406]

Just made some myself. Really is the perfect burger.

[@justinguitarcia]

Theres two white manas, the other is in jersey city (where im at)- the difference is the bun choice, white versus potato but both are near identical otherwise. Also, theres a white rose in edison that does onion burgers that essentially are steamed from all the onions and cooked in like 30 seconds… bigger sandwich but all the same principles, almost equal onion meat ratio, prob a depression era thing and all delicious

[@Kevvrs]

really enjoyed making this

[@lessard2020]

Looks awesome!😀

[@lukasgraesslin]

These look crazy delicious, I'm an onion lover so I definitely gotta try them.

[@VillPom]

You won’t regret it. Best burgers in my opinion

[@Adrian-vk1cu]

Made these over the weekend. My word they were unreal. Although my house still smells like a fish n chips shop...

[@noah99715]

Woah I'm early - Thanks for the content Kenji!!

[@nicholasdomitraschuk1689]

SO AWESOME

[@Amocoru]

I use that lighter for my charcoal. Best $10 I've spent in a long time. Love it.

[@levous2]

I’m a bit obsessed with burgers and generally do not like skillet burgers. This onion thing intrigued me and omg it is spectacular! Thank you for sharing this. I needed a means to make a first rate burger when a stove was all that’s available and this is it! So many great technique tips included here as well. My game has leveled up.

[@byronium]

"That *is* a tasty burger!" Nice Pulp Fiction callout!

[@GeekTalkVideos]

Kenji! The Detroit burger place you’re thinking of is The Telway. Amazing burger and the greater detroit area has clones of the telway that have popped up in just about every city.

[@Hi-TechHillbilly]

I was just about to say that! I miss Telway!

[@TheTriforce100]

The Telway is the slider joint in Detroit that covers the grill with a towel. Best 24/7 place around.

[@evanduvall2359]

You already inspired me to buy a wok and I think a mandolin may be next. Just made fried rice!

[@dj1211]

Where I grew up we had Little Tavern which I heard is like White Castle

[@AscendtionArc]

Thanks for this.

[@pxtrick]

Made these tonight and homerun. Can't wait to get people over and share the recipe.

[@sandhill9313]

I practically grew up at the White Diamond in Westfield, one of two, only the one in Clark remains. Their wrappers or maybe to go coffee cups said something to the effect of "associated with White Manna Hackensack" or perhaps Jersey City, there were two. Best burgers ever at the Diamond, never made it to a Manna 🙂

[@chipskylark172]

I made this last night and it was worth it!

[@thomaskilbride2528]

Put Funyuns on the onion burger for additional onion texture.

[@dime4026]

Most American comment.

[@deuceb1069]

Lol why funions how about just fried onions 😂

[@thomaskilbride2528]

The onion burger is American after all.

[@wubzt3r]

@@deuceb1069 They aren't even onions though, they're just onion flavored.

[@kasparjosephotto]

What’s a Funyun ?

[@ChadSnider]

lol Kenji laughing at his Pulp Fiction reference makes me happy

[@heruhcanedean]

Last time you made an Oklahoma onion burger I ended up making them for dinner and lunch the next day.... Guess I'll pull some more ground venison from the freezer. Might have to do the "unsafe" method of defrosting in a bowl of cold water on the counter so I can have one for dinner.

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

Do you add any extra fat to the venison?

[@heruhcanedean]

@@jameshaulenbeek5931 I have black-tail that I mixed with 18% beef fat by weight. Also mule deer that I mixed with 20% bacon ends by weight.

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

@@heruhcanedean oooooo... that sounds wonderful!

[@heruhcanedean]

@@jameshaulenbeek5931 The hardest part is picking which one to use. I'll let you pick.

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

@@heruhcanedean black tail!