McDonald's Hamburger Copycat Recipe

We all love a trip through the drive-thru from time to time. But if you're trying to save some money and cook at home more often, that may not be the best idea. The good news is that you can make some of your favorite fast food restaurant dishes in the comfort of your own home, including a classic: a McDonald's hamburger.

You're going to fall in love when you cook up this McDonald's Hamburger copycat recipe from chef and recipe developer Angela Latimer of Bake it with Love. "This is indeed a good 'blind taste test' winner," Latimer says, with the "only difference here being a slightly larger burger patty." In our book, that is a welcome change because "it's more filling that way." As any fast food aficionado can tell you, a McDonald's hamburger alone does not a full meal make. Thus the fries and the McFlurry (if the ice cream machine isn't broken, of course). Learn how to make this classic burger at home.

It really doesn't take much to make a great McDonald's Hamburger copycat recipe. Like really not much: The burger patty is only about an eighth of a pound. So perhaps plan to go ahead and double this recipe if you're whipping up a quick meal for yourself, or quadruple and then some if you're cooking for the whole fam.

For one burger, you'll need a sesame seed bun, a beef patty (roughly a quarter inch in thickness and ideally an 80/20 blend), a pinch of salt, some finely diced white onion (or rehydrated dried minced onion — more on that next), dill pickle slices, and some ketchup and yellow mustard.

As Latimer explains, "McDonald's burger product photos are shown with fresh white onion pieces. However, it is believed that the stores actually use rehydrated dried minced onion, so this will provide a more authentic McDonald's copycat."

On the other hand, while the taste might be slightly different with fresh chopped white onion, you may prefer it that way. So really, you win whether you go the rehydrated dried onion route or the fresh chopped route.

To rehydrate dried minced onion, add half a tablespoon of the dried onion to a cup of boiling water. Cut the heat, then allow the onion to sit and absorb the water until there is no longer a hard center. Drain it and set aside for use in a moment.

Bring a dry skillet or non-stick frying pan to medium heat, then place the bun halves into the dry skillet to toast. Once the buns reach a light golden color and the texture feels toasted, remove them from the skillet and set aside.

Now to the patty, which is slender, so it cooks fast — you need to cook it all the way through, of course, but mind you don't burn the burger! Start by lightly greasing that skillet, then heating it over medium heat. 

Salt one side of your burger patty, then place the patty with the salted side down into the hot skillet. Salt the upward-facing patty side as the bottom cooks, then flip it. You should plan to cook each side for between two and three minutes, then remove the burger from the heat.

Assemble the McDonald's Hamburger copycat recipe by starting with the bottom bun on which you'll place the burger patty. On the top of the patty, add, in this order, the ketchup, then the mustard, then the diced onions, and lastly the sliced pickles. Close the burger up with the top bun. And you're done! Almost. Assuming you are used to grabbing fast food from the store then whisking it home to enjoy, here's a little hack to up the authenticity: "To closely mimic the texture of the wrapped burgers," says Latimer, "microwave your burger for 10 to 15 seconds to get that 'steamed bun' effect."

Oh, and she has one more tip: "I love the classic McDonald's style skinny fries with my burgers," she says. And you can make those yourself, too.