This homemade McDonald’s hamburger recipe tastes surprisingly similar to a McDonald’s burger~but is healthier and has better quality ingredients. The secret to the Mickey D.’s taste?  Read on!

The next time you get a hankering for a McDonald’s burger, try  making your own version at home. Mine (left) uses sandwich thins, sliced sharp cheddar, and ground chuck, so it was a stretch from the real thing (although we all thought it was remarkably close).

To make a really close version, use white buns, sliced processed cheese food, and ground beef. Whichever route you take, you can still mimic McDonalds by using the dried minced onion, which can be found in any spice aisle. A brief soak in boiling water turns dried minced onion into moist, flavorful bits of onion like those on McDonald’s burgers. These can be rehydrated earlier in the day and left in the fridge to pull out before assembling burgers.

The other trick to getting a Mickey D.’s copycat is to make beef patties as thin as possible. My favorite butcher, Roland at The Fresh Market, kindly offered to shape the patties for me.  He gently pressed the meat into a round, clear container (like one that you’d find in a deli case filled with chicken salad or the like) and got the perfect thin, uniform shape.

I grilled these, but frying in a skillet would work well also (and likely even taste more like McDonald’s). After cooking these, just add some sweet potato fries or tater tots for a yummy, fun dinner your family will love! You might enjoy this recipe for almost homemade tater tots, a kicked-up-a-notch version of tots that are really delish!

Homemade "McDonald's" Hamburgers

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

A homemade, healthier version of McDonald's hamburgers!

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound ground chuck
• 1 TB plus 1 tsp dried minced onion
• 3 TB plus 2 tsp boiling water
• hamburger buns or sandwich thins
• ketchup, mustard, & pickles
• sliced cheese
• salt to taste

Instructions

2. Pour boiling water over onions; set aside.
3. Shape meat into 6 thin patties.
4. Lightly salt patties.
5. Fry in skillet or grill until meat is cooked through.
6. Place cheese slice on top of meat; allow to melt.
7. Place meat/cheese on buns; top with moist onions.
8. Put meat, cheese & onions on bun along with mustard, ketchup & pickle.
9. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 786Total Fat 30gSaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 360mgSodium 391mgCarbohydrates 1gSugar 1gProtein 132g