Copycat McDonald's McDouble Recipe

For a while there, a few years back, there was a burger on the McDonald's Dollar Menu that was such a good deal, it almost felt unfair to the burger chain to order it. That $1 burger was the McDouble, a delightful creation consisting of two burger patties, one slice of American cheese, pickles, onions, mustard, and ketchup, all stacked between the halves of a hamburger bun.

Today, the "Dollar Menu" is the "$1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu" and the McDouble costs closer to two bucks at most locations. Still a pretty good deal for a great burger, but if you want the best price and the best taste, maybe consider taking things into your own hands and making your own McDouble at home. "This is a super simple burger that really is as good as the original," says chef and recipe developer Angela Latimer of Bake it with Love. "The only giveaway in a taste test would be the freshness of your homemade burger."

Per the McDonald's website, a McDouble packs in 400 calories, making it a great lunch-sized portion, especially when paired with a favorite side. And what's the best side for this burger? The classic, Latimer says: "Skinny fries are where it's at with any McD's copycat burger."

No fancy ingredients here — just a perfect balance of some classics, really. For a DIY McDouble, you'll need a sesame seed hamburger bun, 2 beef patties (roughly 1/4 inch in thickness), a pinch of salt, a slice of American cheese, a tablespoon of finely diced white onion (or rehydrated dried minced onion), dill pickle slices, and ketchup and yellow mustard.

A quick note on the onion front, for your edification: "McDonald's burger product photos are shown with fresh, white onion pieces," Latimer says. "However, it is believed that the stores actually use rehydrated dried minced onion and [using such] will provide a more 'authentic' McD's copycat."

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

Now on the onions: if you're going with fresh, just dice about a heaping tablespoon's worth and move on. If you're going the dehydrated onion route, then to rehydrate dried minced onion, add a 1/2 tablespoon of the dried onion to 1 cup of boiling water. Then cut the heat and allow the onion to set and absorb the water until there is no longer a hard center to the onion pieces. Drain the onions and set aside.

Bring the skillet back up to medium heat. Meanwhile salt one side of your burger patties and then place them with the salted side down into your heated skillet. Salt the upward-facing patty sides and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. 

When the burgers are almost done cooking (you can use a meat thermometer to check for desired doneness, with 160 degrees Fahrenheit a good temperature when dealing with ground meat) place 1 slice of American cheese onto one of the cooked patties and then remove both them from the hot skillet and set aside.

Assemble the McDouble by starting with the bottom bun, adding the burger patty with the melted cheese, then topping that with the plain burger patty. On the top half of the bun spread on the ketchup, then the mustard, then the diced onions, and lastly place the sliced pickles. Those ingredients should stick to the bun as you close up the burger. Now you can enjoy your work!

But want to take one more step to further the verisimilitude of a McD's McDouble? Latimer says: "To closely mimic the texture of the wrapped burgers, microwave your burger for 10 to 15 seconds to get that 'steamed bun' effect."