Source recipe collection. Follow each credited publisher for the full directions; these selections are not a Replicate Kitchen test report.
The burger itself is only part of a chain burger’s identity. Bun size, onions, pickles, cheese, sauce, and the order of the layers can matter just as much. A thick backyard patty on a large roll may be a good burger, but it answers a different question than a small slider or a thin double cheeseburger.
These five burger chain copycat recipes take different approaches to those details. Choose the burger you actually want to recreate, then follow one developer’s version all the way through before mixing its sauce with someone else’s patty method.
The links below lead to free full recipes. Replicate Kitchen has researched the sources; this is not a ranked taste test, and these independent recipes should not be mistaken for recipes released by the chains.
1In-N-Out Animal Style
Recipe by Food Network Kitchen at Food Network
- Publisher total time
- 55 min
- Active time
- 55 min
- Yield
- 4 burgers
Publisher details recorded October 21, 2026. Follow the source recipe for timing notes and current details.
An Animal Style-inspired burger with its own sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 pounds ground beef chuck (preferably 60% lean)
- 4 hamburger buns, split
- 1/4 cup sliced dill pickles
- 3/4 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- 4 to 8 thin slices tomato
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 8 slices American cheese
This is the choice when the toppings and assembly are part of what you miss. Prepare a place for each component before cooking so the finished patties are not waiting for the bun.
Directions are available on the Food Network website. Follow the link below for the complete recipe and cooking instructions.
2White Castle sliders
Recipe by Food Network Kitchen at Food Network
- Publisher total time
- 1 hr
- Active time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 8 burgers
Publisher details recorded October 21, 2026. Follow the source recipe for timing notes and current details.
A small onion-focused slider rather than a large burger.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 10 ounces ground beef chuck (80% lean)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 8 slider buns, split
- 8 thin dill pickle chips
Keep the size of the bun in mind when shopping. Making a larger sandwich changes the proportions, so start with the developer’s intended format before deciding what you would change.
Directions are available on the Food Network website. Follow the link below for the complete recipe and cooking instructions.
3Smashburger Classic Smash
Recipe by Stephanie Manley at CopyKat Recipes
Stephanie Manley’s version of the Classic Smash.
Ingredients
Smash Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped dill pickle
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Burgers
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 1/4 pound ground chuck
- 3 tablespoons butter divided use
- 4 potato buns split
- 4 slices American cheese
Additional Toppings
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 12 dill crinkle-cut pickle chips
- 8 thin slices red onion
- 8 thin tomato slices
- 4 lettuce leaves
This version brings the sauce, patty, and potato bun into one recipe. Set out the listed toppings before cooking so you can assemble the burger promptly, with the proportions you intended.
Directions are available on the CopyKat Recipes website. Follow the link below for the complete recipe and cooking instructions.
4Big Mac
Recipe by Stephanie Manley at CopyKat Recipes
A layered burger with a separately prepared special sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 5 whole hamburger buns plus 5 extra bottom buns for use as middle buns
- ¼ cup Big Mac sauce
- 5 tablespoons minced onion
- lettuce
- 5 slices American cheese
- 15 dill pickle slices
Assembly is worth planning here. Make room on the counter for the middle bun, toppings, and sauce so you can build each burger in the same order instead of improvising halfway through.
Directions are available on the CopyKat Recipes website. Follow the link below for the complete recipe and cooking instructions.
5Shake Shack-style burger
Recipe by J. Kenji López-Alt at Serious Eats
Kenji López-Alt’s Fake Shack recipe for Serious Eats.
Ingredients
For The Shack Sauce
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ketchup
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) yellow mustard
- 4 slices kosher dill pickle, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Pinch cayenne pepper
For The Burgers
- 8 ounces (225 g) beef sirloin, trimmed of gristle, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 ounces (115 g) well-marbled beef chuck, trimmed of gristle, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 ounces (115 g) well-marbled beef brisket, fat cap intact, trimmed of gristle, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 potato sandwich rolls
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) Shack Sauce, divided
- 4 leaves green leaf lettuce
- 8 center-cut slices ripe plum tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices yellow American cheese
Choose this when you want a source that explains its burger decisions in detail. Read the full article as well as the recipe card, particularly before shopping for the beef.
Directions are available on the Serious Eats website. Follow the link below for the complete recipe and cooking instructions.
Keep burger night manageable
Pick one burger style for the first meal. Set out the toppings in the order you will use them, and have plates ready before the patties go into the pan. A burger comparison gets confusing when one sample sits while the other cooks.
If you are making two versions, keep the sides the same. Compare the burgers while both are warm, and record what changed: bread, sauce, beef thickness, onions, or assembly. A different bun can change the impression of the entire sandwich.
Use the source links for the complete cooking directions and equipment notes. Read the whole recipe before shopping, especially if you are choosing a particular beef blend or making a separate sauce.
Recipe access and attribution checked October 21, 2026. Sources may revise their recipes or access policies.
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