✔ Updated · fixed card amounts, 160°F patty check + spicy sauce
This copycat Burger King Whopper is the drive-thru classic made at home: a wide, thin, flame-grilled beef patty on a toasted sesame bun with mayo, ketchup, pickles, onion, tomato and lettuce.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Press the patties about 5 inches wide, wider than the bun. They shrink as they cook and should end up the same size as the bun.
The secret is a screaming-hot grill and a patty pressed wider than the bun.
Why You'll Love This Copycat Whopper
- Flame-grilled flavor from a very hot grill and thin patties that char at the edges.
- Classic toppings: mayo, ketchup, pickles, onion, tomato and lettuce on a toasted sesame bun.
- Ready in 25 minutes, with a stovetop option for rainy nights.
What Makes a Whopper a Whopper?
The Whopper is Burger King's signature burger, known for a wide, flame-grilled beef patty and a big sesame seed bun piled with cool, crunchy toppings. The contrast is the whole point: a smoky, charred patty against creamy mayo, tangy pickles, sharp raw onion and fresh tomato and lettuce.
I keep this copycat-style version simple: salt-and-pepper patties, a very hot grill and the classic toppings. Burger night at our house isn't complete without a pile of fries on the side.
Burger Safety: Cook Ground Beef to 160°F
Ground beef is safe once the center of the patty reaches 160°F (71°C). Color isn't a reliable test, so push an instant-read thermometer in from the side of the patty to reach the middle. Keep raw patties chilled until they go on the grill, and use a clean plate for the cooked burgers.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Go wide and thin. Press each 4-ounce patty to about 5 inches. Thin patties char fast on the outside while they cook through, and they shrink to fit the bun.
- Dimple the center. My mum's burger trick: press a shallow thumbprint into each patty so it cooks flat instead of puffing into a dome.
- Get the grill really hot. High heat gives dark grill marks and that smoky, flame-grilled taste. Indoors, a ridged cast-iron grill pan is the closest thing.
- Salt at the last second. Season the patties right before they hit the grill. Salting ground beef too early makes it dense and springy.
- Always check for 160°F. Ground beef needs to reach 160°F (71°C) in the center. Thin patties get there fast, so I start checking with my instant-read thermometer after 3 minutes per side.
- Slice the onion paper-thin. Thin rings of white onion give crunch without taking over. If raw onion is too sharp for you, soak the rings in ice water for 10 minutes.
Copycat Burger King Whopper
4
burgers15
minutes10
minutes630
kcal25
minutesA copycat-style Whopper at home: wide, thin beef patties seasoned simply and cooked over a hot grill for a flame-grilled flavor, on toasted sesame buns with mayo, ketchup, dill pickles, white onion, tomato and crisp lettuce.
Ingredients
- Patties
1 pound ground beef, 80/20
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for the grill grates
- Buns and Toppings
4 large sesame seed hamburger buns (about 5 inches wide)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
12 dill pickle chips
1/2 white onion, sliced into thin rings
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into 8 thin slices
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded or torn
Directions
- Prep
- Slice the onion into thin rings, slice the tomatoes, shred the lettuce and set out the pickles, mayonnaise and ketchup.
- Divide the beef into 4 portions of 4 ounces. Press each into a thin patty about 5 inches wide, slightly wider than the bun, with a small dimple in the center so it stays flat. Season both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Cook
- Heat a grill to high (450 to 500°F) and oil the grates. For a stovetop, heat a cast-iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them on the grill or in a skillet for 30 to 60 seconds, until lightly golden.
- Grill the patties for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until well charred and cooked through to 160°F (71°C) in the center on an instant-read thermometer.
- Build
- Set a patty on each bottom bun. Add ketchup, 3 pickle chips and a few onion rings, then 2 tomato slices and a handful of lettuce.
- Spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise on each top bun, close the burgers and serve right away.
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Angry Whopper-Inspired Spicy Variation
Spicy versions of the Whopper, like the Angry Whopper, are known for jalapeños, crispy onions and a hot, creamy sauce. Here's my inspired-by way to build that heat at home, and there's a full Angry Whopper recipe with angry sauce if you want to go all in.
- Spicy sauce: stir together 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sriracha or hot sauce, 1 teaspoon minced pickled jalapeños plus 1 teaspoon of their brine, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne. Use it in place of the mayo on the top bun.
- Pepper jack: lay a slice on each patty for the last minute of grilling and close the lid to melt it.
- Bacon: add 2 strips of crisp-cooked bacon per burger.
- Jalapeños: add pickled or fresh jalapeño slices on top of the cheese.
- Crispy onions: swap the raw onion for crispy fried onions or a few homemade copycat Burger King onion rings.
More Ways to Have It
- Smaller burgers: try my Whopper Jr. copycat with thinner patties, still cooked to 160°F.
- Double: stack two 4-ounce patties for a double, with the toppings on top.
- Cheese: add a slice of American cheese to each patty in the last minute of cooking.
- Plant-based: see my Impossible Whopper-inspired burger.
- On the side: serve fries with our copycat Zesty sauce and crispy Burger King onion rings, and see our sides for burgers for more ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sauce is on a Whopper?
A classic Whopper is built with mayonnaise and ketchup, along with pickles, onion, tomato and lettuce. This copycat recipe uses 1 tablespoon of mayo on the top bun and a little ketchup over the patty. For a spicy version, swap the mayo for the jalapeño sauce in the variation section.
How do you make an Angry Whopper-style sauce?
Stir together 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sriracha or another hot sauce, 1 teaspoon minced pickled jalapeños with 1 teaspoon of their brine, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne. This is an inspired-by sauce, not the restaurant's own recipe. Adjust the heat to taste.
How do you get a flame-grilled taste at home?
Use a very hot gas or charcoal grill so the fat drips onto the heat and flares up a little, giving smoky char. Keep the patties thin so they brown quickly. Indoors, a smoking-hot cast-iron grill pan gives grill marks, and a pinch of smoked salt adds a hint of smoke.
What temperature should Whopper patties be cooked to?
Cook ground beef patties to 160°F (71°C) in the center, checked with an instant-read thermometer pushed in from the side. Thin 4-ounce patties usually take 3 to 4 minutes per side on a hot grill.
How many calories are in this copycat Whopper?
Each burger in this recipe is about 630 calories, with a 4-ounce 80/20 beef patty, a large sesame bun, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and the vegetable toppings. Using 90/10 beef and light mayo brings it closer to 500 calories.
Hungry for more? Browse all our Burger King copycat recipes.
The process used in 1983 was to put the burger into a cool holding bin, from which the order was pulled and then microwaved to heat. That’s why the bun had the texture it did. Just saying.
Thanks for the copycat.