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The Best Five Guys Burger Copycat Recipe

What makes a Five Guys burger so special? It’s a general consensus that their burger (and the whole experience from the peanuts, to the real potato fries fried up in peanut oil, down to the malted milkshakes!) is truly one of the best. I remember when Shake Shack opened up in Atlanta years back, people said it was wonderful but always compared it to Five Guys. I am sure the #1 burger joint conversation is debatable, but one thing is for sure, Five Guys makes one heck of a burger with a few key factors you don’t find many places. So today we’re going to dive into what sets this burger apart from all the rest, when we make Thee BEST Five Guys Burger Copycat Recipe!

This weekend marks our first official holiday in our new house! We are still recovering from hosting my parents from Portland and throwing a housewarming party. Well, that was actually all the fun parts. The part we are recovering from is ALL the seemingly never ending projects and house work that led up to hosting my parents and having a party. They say it takes you months, sometimes a full year to really get fully settled with your new house. Well, we tried to cram all these plans into our first month in the house. Insane, I know!

We aren’t doing much for July 4th, but I had to still cook. Honestly, I am never not cooking unless there is something major going on in our lives. This weekend I wanted to do something casual but epic at the same time. Since one of my passions is re-creating restaurant food, this Five Guys copycat burger came to mind. So after a hours and hours of research, a trip to Five Guys (bummer :)) and a few hours in the kitchen, I am happy to report that I have created, what I believe to be, the best Five Guys burger copycat recipe.

What Makes The Five Guys Burgers So Good?

Great quality fresh, never-frozen meat – Five Guys uses Schweid & Sons, a high-quality ground beef purveyor. They prep the meat each morning for only the customers that day.
Pressed out thin, flipped, then smashed – They start by forming patties, press them, then grill until a gray color forms on the outer edge. Flip the burger, then smash down with a press. This goes against everything I’ve learned about burger making but believe it or not, this is their method and it yields a super juicy burger. every. single. time!
No microwaves, freezers, or timers! – Five Guys believes in simplicity and freshness. They cook on instinct and they don’t freeze or reheat any of their ingredients. Few restaurants, especially quick-service restaurants, can wear this badge of honor.
Cheese-to-cheese burger assembly – I consider this one of the most simple but game-changing instructions. When stacking the patties on each burger, you stack them cheese side to cheese side, creating a cheesy, gooey center in the middle of the burger.
The foil wrap – the cheese is not melted onto the patties during grill time. Instead, they are placed on the patties as soon as they are removed. The burger is then assembled and immediately wrapped up in foil which acts as a mini oven capturing the heat and allowing the cheeses to meld together.

Tools You’ll Need:

Burger press is helpful but not required. You can press down the patties using the bottom of a skillet or any heavy, uniform object.
Wax paper or parchment paper squares to separate patties while they’re raw.
Heavy object (if no burger press) to press patties down once you flip them. You’ll need something heavier than a spatula to press down on the patties. Use a burger press if you have it, or another small pan, pressing the bottom of the pan onto the patty once you flip it. If using this method, cover the bottom of the pan in foil as to not contaminate the food.
Foil to wrap each burger once it’s assembled.

The Best Five Guys Burger Copycat Recipe Ingredients:

Schweid & Sons ground beef or ground beef patties
Sesame seed buns – I have found Martin’s are the best you can find in the store
Kraft Deli Deluxe american cheese slices – this is what Five Guys uses and it makes a difference. Stay away from the regular Kraft Singles which cheapen the taste of the burger.
Seasoning salt and pepper
Ketchup, mayo (Duke’s), hot sauce (Louisiana or Texas Pete’s)
Optional toppings: grilled onions, bacon, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, pickles, etc.

How to Make The Best Five Guys Burger Copycat Recipe:

Prep the Burgers

Press patties and season the top liberally with seasoning salt and fresh cracked pepper. Repeat with the remainder of the patties, separating each with parchment or wax paper.

Cook the burgers

In a hot skillet over medium heat, place 1-2 burgers face down. Season the exposed side with additional seasoning salt and pepper. Cook for about 3-4 minutes.

While the burger is cooking, toast the buns (no butter or oil) by placing them face down in a separate skillet over medium low. They are done when they are barely toasted, not brown.

Flip the burger and press down hard (yes, I know this goes against everything we feel is right, but this is how Five Guys does it).

NOTE – You should see a dark brown sear on the top of the burger you flipped — if not, increase your heat on the next burger. Cook for another 3-5 minutes depending on your preferred doneness.

Remove burger from the heat, place one piece of cheese on top each patty. Then stack two patties, cheese to cheese. This is the Five Guys signature!

Burger Assembly

For the top bun: add a few shakes of hot sauce on the inside of the top bun. Add a liberal amount of mayo and spread evenly.

For the bottom bun: add ketchup, about 3 rings.

Place the patties in the prepared buns (along with any other preferred toppings). Wrap the burgers individually in foil and allow to rest for 1-2 minutes before serving to ensure the cheesy is melty. Enjoy immediately!