How to Make McDonald's Hamburger - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

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The McDonald’s Hamburger is one of the most-loved burgers you can enjoy. You can recreate one of these classic burgers at home, which will taste close to the real thing. Enjoy the iconic McDonald’s taste at home when you make this delicious burger.

How to Make McDonald's Hamburger - CopyKat Recipes (1)

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McDonald’s Burger

With billions of McDonald’s burgers served worldwide yearly, it is hard to imagine anyone without the opportunity to try one. While it is easy to pick up a Happy Meal at your local Mickey D’s, recreating the signature taste of a McDonald’s burger at home is not as easy as you might think.

Luckily, this burger recipe has finally cracked the code for cooking one of the most iconic burgers in your kitchen!

What Makes This the Iconic Hamburger You Should Make at Home?

There is nothing better than the classics. Today, you can find a joint selling gourmet hamburgers loaded with exotic toppings in almost any town. But do you need to spend $20 on a burger? Not!

After all, there’s a reason why the McDonald’s hamburger is one of the most popular menu items ever: it just tastes good. Try this McDonald’s burger recipe, it will delight your taste buds.

What Makes This the Perfect Copycat Recipe – We Went for the Version When They Were Tasty Pre 1980s.

Simplicity is the name of the game. This recipe recreates McDonald’s burgers as they were before the company started messing with the ingredients.

This version has no preservatives, artificial colors, or additives, so you can feel better about serving them to your family. Although McDonald’s haschanged to a primarily all-natural and preservative-free menu, cooking your food at home guarantees you know exactly what you are eating.

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Ingredients For the Classic McDonald’s Hamburger

To make McDonald’s beef patties, you’ll need:

  • Ground beef
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Accent seasoning
  • Accent seasoning

So, is McDonald’s meat the real deal?Yes, it is. Although many internet rumors are swirling around about what is in McDonald’s meat, according to the company’s website, the chain uses 100 percent beef with no fillers or fillers.Mashed.comsays McDonald’s combines sirloin, chuck, and round cuts in their hamburgers.

But there is no need to worry about buying three different cuts for your copycat burger. Just go with 80/20 ground chuck from your local store. You won’t have the same great taste if you use lean ground beef.

As for the grind of the meat, finely ground beef will be closer to the texture of a McDonald’s hamburger, but you may have difficulty finding it prepackaged. If where you buy your meat has a butcher, ask for it; otherwise, a slightly coarser ground is acceptable.

Accentis an all-natural flavor enhancer. Although MSG has a bad reputation in the US, it probably does not deserve it. Accent adds a deep umami flavor to the burger, but if using this ingredient makes you a little nervous, go ahead and leave it out.

Ingredients to assemble the burger:

  • Hamburger buns
  • Dehydrated / dried minced onions
  • Dill pickles
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard

Choose a bun without sesame seeds for the authentic taste of the classic Micky D’s burger. Of course, use a sesame seed bun if you prefer it.

McDonald’s onions on the real-deal burgers are tiny and have a unique flavor. That’s because they come into the restaurant dehydrated, and the employees rehydrate them overnight. You can rehydrate yours in warm water for about 15 or 20 minutes before using.

You can find dehydrated onions in the spice aisle at supermarkets.

Stick to simple yellow mustard and basic ketchup for the most authentic flavor.

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How To Make an Old Fashioned McDonald’s Hamburger

Make McDonald’s hamburger seasoning:

  1. Combine the salt, black pepper, and Accent, if using. Transfer the seasoning blend to a shaker.
  2. You’ll use only a small amount of the seasoning for this recipe and can save the rest for later.

To form the beef patties:

  1. Divide the meat into eight equal portions. Form them into loose balls.
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  1. Lay a sheet of wax paper on your work surface with the shiny side facing up. Place a ball of ground beef on the wax paper and another sheet with the shiny side facing down on top. Gently press each ball down into a thin hamburger patty.
  2. A good trick for helping the patties to stay together while cooking is to partially freeze them on a baking tray before cooking.

To cook McDonald’s beef patties:

  1. Heat a griddle or a large heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat.
  2. While the griddle is hot, place the buns cut-side down on the cooking surface. Toast for about 45 seconds to warm the buns. Set aside.
  3. Place the patties onto the griddle. If using a pan, you should cook in batches to prevent the burgers from steaming.
  4. Add a few shakes of the burger seasoning on top.
  5. After about twenty seconds, press lightly on the patties to sear the surface evenly.
  6. When the first drops of juice appear on the surface of the patties, flip the burgers.
  7. Repeat the same steps for the other side. Depending on your stove, the burgers should cook for about two to three minutes.
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To finish the McDonald’s burger recipe:

  1. Add a few squirts of ketchup (less than 1 tablespoon ketchup) and a little yellow mustard to the toasted bottom bun.
  2. Add some minced onion and two dill pickle slices. Make sure they don’t overlap.
  3. Top with the patty.
  4. Cover with the toasted top bun.

Nutritional information for this copycat recipe can be found in the recipe card below.

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Do you love Mcdonald’s cheeseburgers and want to make one? After flipping, add a slice of American cheese to the patty and finish cooking as usual. The residual heat of the patty will melt the cheese perfectly. For something different, use a slice of cheddar cheese.

Tips For Making and Serving a McDonald’s Burger or Cheeseburger

  • Cook on a griddle or large, shallow cast iron pan. To get the best sear, you need to allow your cooking surface to heat up thoroughly before starting to cook. Make sure to space your burgers far enough apart to let any liquids evaporate immediately instead of collecting and winding up stewing your burgers.
  • Yes, use dehydrated onion pieces. Whatever you do, don’t try to improve on the classic by substituting fresh white onion for the dehydrated ones from the spice jar. Rehydrating the onions in warm water helps to remove the familiar onion bite while bringing out a milder flavor.
  • Griddle the buns. Please don’t skip this step, you will regret it. A nicely browned interior of the buns adds a satisfying crunch and helps to keep the bun from getting soggy.
  • Don’t go overboard on the condiments. It is best to stick a few squirts of ketchup and mustard and a couple of dill pickle slices — that is it! There’s no need for mayo or iceberg lettuce.

What To Serve With a McDonald’s Hamburger

You can’t go wrong with French fries, but they’re not your only option. TryLoaded Baked Potato TotsorAir Fryer Carrotsfor something different. Don’t miss out on our copycat Big Mac Sauce.

How To Store the Leftovers

Wrap formed uncooked patties in plastic and refrigerate them for up to three days. You can keep cooked patties the same way but try to reheat them the next day.

Since a lot of ground beef has been frozen somewhere along the way, refreezing the meat once it has thawed is not a good idea.

How To Best Reheat a McDonald’s Hamburger

The best way to reheat a thin burger patty is with steam. You can easily do this on the stove.

  1. Heat a pan with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat.
  2. Once the pan is hot, pour a few tablespoons of water around the edge of the pan.
  3. Quickly place the patty in the middle of the pan, not touching the water, and cover.
  4. Heat for about two minutes, and carefully open the lid
  5. Drain the patty before assembling your burger.

You can also reheat it in the microwave using the reheat setting or 30% power. Place the patty on a microwave-safe plate and microwave it for 20-second intervals until heated.

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Did you love McDonald’s? Why not try out more Mickey D’s recipes:

  • Quarter Pounder
  • McDonalds Dipping Sauces – Hot Mustard
  • McDonalds Special Sauce aka Secret sauce or Big Mac Sauce
  • Fish Sandwich Sauce
  • Mc Skillet Burrito
  • Egg McMuffin
  • McDonald’s Big Mac Recipe
  • Egg White Breakfast Sandwich Recipe
  • McCafe Cappuccino
  • Peppermint Mocha Recipe
  • Sweetened Tea

More Popular Burger Recipes

  • Culvers Burgers
  • Steak and Shake Burgers
  • How to Make White Castle Burgers

Be sure to check out more of my copycat McDonald’s recipes and easy beef recipes.

Do you want to stay up-to-date with all of our new recipes? You can follow us on Instagram or friend us on Facebook to make sure you stay in the loop!

McDonald’s Hamburger

Recreate the McDonald's Hamburger at home in no time at all.

4.82 from 16 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hamburger, How to Make McDonalds Hamburger

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 280kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Accent seasoning (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons dehydrated onions
  • 1 pound ground chuck
  • 8 hamburger buns
  • 4 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons mustard
  • 16 dill pickle slices

Instructions

  • Combine the salt, pepper, and Accent seasoning in a small bowl. You will use this spice mixture to season the ground chuck in Step 4. You will not use all of it, and you can store the remainder for later use.

  • Place the dehydrated onions into a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of warm water. The onions will hydrate and be ready by the time you finish cooking the burgers.

  • Preheat the griddle to 375°F. For this recipe I like to use a griddle because it allows the juices to drain away from the burger while cooking. If you do not have a griddle, you can use a very large skillet.

  • Form 8 small round patties with the ground chuck. Place the patties onto the hot griddle. Use a spatula to press the patties into the griddle for 4 to 5 seconds. You know you have pressed the patties down hard enough when you have to scrape them from the griddle. Season the patties liberally. Then flip, season the other side, and cook for another minute or so until the burgers have cooked through. Remove them from the griddle.

  • Place the buns on the griddle, cut side down, and toast them until they begin to brown. Remove them from the griddle.

  • To assemble the burgers, place 5 small squirts (like dots) of mustard on the top bun. Follow the mustard with 5 larger squirts of ketchup. Place a patty on the bottom bun along with some onions and one or two dill pickle slices. Place the top bun on top.

Cheeseburger

  • If you would like to make a McDonald's Cheeseburger, simply add a slice of American cheese to the burger patty once you have flipped it over, and proceed with the recipe as written.

Video

Equipment

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 1380mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 3mg

How to Make McDonald's Hamburger - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What seasoning does McDonald's put on their burgers? ›

The Classic McDonald's Hamburger starts with a 100% pure beef patty seasoned with just a pinch of salt and pepper. Then, the McDonald's burger is topped with a tangy pickle, chopped onions, ketchup, and mustard. What's the difference between a Hamburger and a Cheeseburger, you ask? A slice of cheese in the latter!

What are the ingredients in McDonald's hamburger meat? ›

Here are the facts: All of our burger patties in the U.S. are always made with 100% USDA-inspected beef. That's the only ingredient: 100% real beef. Our patties contain no preservatives or fillers, and the only thing we ever add is a touch of salt and pepper when the patties are sizzling hot on the grill.

What makes a McDonald's burger? ›

100% beef patty with onions, pickles, mustard and a dollop of tomato ketchup, all in a soft bun. A classic, every time. Please note onion is now added on to our beef burgers during cooking. We cannot guarantee any beef burger will be onion free, even after onion has been removed on request.

How does McDonald's season their patties? ›

McDonald's burgers are made of 100% ground beef, formed into hamburger patties, and then quickly frozen at our suppliers to seal in great fresh flavor. We add salt and pepper to our burgers when they are cooked on the grill at our restaurants to bring out all that great beef taste.

What is the pink slime in McDonald's burgers? ›

Some consumers may be familiar with the practice of using lean, finely textured beef sometimes treated with ammonia, which is referred to by some as “pink slime.” We do not use this.

What is actually in a McDonald's burger? ›

Every one of our McDonald's burgers is made with 100% pure beef and cooked and prepared with salt, pepper and nothing else—no fillers, no additives, no preservatives.

How have McDonald's made their burgers better? ›

The changes include: ♨️ Beef Patties – A tighter sear on the grill, resulting in hotter and juicier beef patties. Lettuce – Fresh lettuce straight from the fridge for that extra snap, crunch, and clean taste.

What oil does McDonald's use? ›

Once in our kitchens, we cook them in our canola-blend oil so you can have them crispy and hot—just the way you like them.

Does McDonald's freeze their beef? ›

Our 100% beef is ground, formed into patties, and then flash frozen. Flash freezing is when beef is quickly frozen to seal in fresh flavor. From the day it was formed, it usually takes about two to three weeks until the burger is served.

What temperature does McDonald's cook their burgers? ›

The temperature of the upper plate is set high at 218.5 °C, and the bottom plate at 176.8 °C. The cooking time for patties depends on the patty type, and when the set time is out, the upper plate of the grill automatically ascends and the cooking is complete.

Who supplies beef to McDonald's? ›

Lopez Foods provides McDonald's U.S. Supply Chain with USDA-inspected beef used to make the patties served in restaurants.

What do they put in McDonald's cheeseburgers? ›

Enjoy the cheesy deliciousness of a McDonald's Cheeseburger! Our simple, classic cheeseburger begins with a 100% pure beef burger patty seasoned with just a pinch of salt and pepper. The McDonald's Cheeseburger is topped with a tangy pickle, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and a slice of melty American cheese.

Does McDonald's use MSG on their burgers? ›

McDonald's doesn't use MSG in its food that is on the national menu, and there are no updates from the company yet on whether the Crispy Chicken Sandwiches will be added to the menu permanently.

What does McDonald's do to their burgers? ›

Our 100% beef is ground, formed into patties, and then flash frozen. Flash freezing is when beef is quickly frozen to seal in fresh flavor. From the day it was formed, it usually takes about two to three weeks until the burger is served.

How does McDonald's season their Quarter Pounder? ›

What comes on a Quarter Pounder? Each fresh beef burger is seasoned with just a pinch of salt and pepper, sizzled on a flat iron grill, then topped with slivered onions, tangy pickles and two slices of melty American cheese on a sesame seed bun.

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