The best copycat recipes to make your favorite restaurant dishes at home (2024)

Find out how to make Red Lobster biscuits, Chick-fil-A nuggets, Taco Bell Mexican pizza, IHOP pancakes and more!

Copycat recipes allow you to make your favorite restaurant dishes without ever having to leave the comfort of your home. Plus, nowaiting for a table!

Here are a few of the best copycat recipes out there:

IHOP Buttermilk Pancakes

Nothing says “good morning!” like a plate full of light, fluffy flapjacks, and the International House of Pancakes has its pancakes down to an art form. But you can easily steal their recipe and make them at home. Pancakes in your PJs? Perfect!

Recipe blogger and YouTuber Joshua Weissman even claims his recipe is better than IHOP’s — test it out to see for yourself!

Chipotle Burrito Bowl

I love me some Chipotle, as do my kids, but I sometimes cringe at paying so much for what is essentially a bowl of beans and rice. Luckily, this copycat recipe for burrito bowls from Brown-Eyed Baker makes it easy to prepare delicious, fresh Mexican food at home.

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Taco Bell Mexican Pizza

Taco Bell Mexican Pizza is the perfect cheesy, spicy and tangy item to order at the drive-thru. Brandie Skibinski, the blogger behind The Country Cook, provides a detailed step-by-step guide and even a video so you can make this fast food favorite at home.

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Chick-Fil-A Chicken Nuggets

Chick-Fil-A is one of the best fast food places around, but it’s easy to make their beloved nuggets at home. This is another recipe that comes to us from The Country Cook, a pro at creating copycat recipes that sometimes taste even better than the real thing.

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TGI Friday’s Potato Skins

Who doesn’t love TGI Friday’s Potato Skins? And now you can make these crispy, cheesy and chewy skins at home. Get the recipe from Cincy Shopper.

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Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

If you’re anything like me, you max out so quickly on Red Lobster’s delicious biscuits that you barely have any room in your belly when your main course arrives. Chungah Ree, the blogger behind Damn Delicious, has an excellent copycat recipe so you can make these the main course at home, anytime.

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Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

Panera’s broccoli cheese soup is always a must-order for me, whether it’s a hot day in July or a snowy day in December. Now you can make it anytime you want at home with this copycat recipe from Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons.

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Chili’s Enchilada Soup

A friend of mine used to swear by the healing powers of this soup from Chili’s. She said that the spicy, comforting soup was her go-to whenever she felt a cold coming on. Give her cure-all a try yourself with this copycat recipe from Princess Pinky Girl.

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McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin

McDonald’s breakfast is the best way to ease the pain of waking up early. But, if you want to enjoy a Sausage McMuffin without having to hit the drive-thru, you can easily prepare one at home with this guide from Recipe Tin Eats.

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MORE: This Hamilton Beach Dual Breakfast Sandwich Maker will upgrade your breakfast every day

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Kentucky Fried Chicken is the quintessential joint for fried chicken in a hurry. But if you’ve got some time or just want a home-cooked meal rather than fast food, look no further than The Cookie Rookie for a perfect copycat.

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Olive Garden Breadsticks

The endless supply of breadsticks is one of the best things about dining at Olive Garden. But now you can make them at home and impress your family and friends with this copycat recipe from Handle the Heat.

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Applebee’s Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

Thanks to their shareable sides and drink specials, Applebee’s is a favorite casual dining spot for millions of Americans. But here’s good news: You can skip the happy-hour rush and enjoy Applebee’s Cheeseburger Egg Rolls at home. Here’s a copycatrecipe fromSpend With Pennies.

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Panda Express Chow Mein

If you have ever had a craving for fast, filling Chinese food while you are at the mall, you are probably very familiar with Panda Express. The national chain is known for its super-quick service and comforting Chinese-inspired fare. Now you can make one of their signature dishes, chow mein, in the comfort of your own home thanks to this video from Joshua Weissman:

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

The salad at Olive Garden is one of the highlights of the meal. Luckily, it’s easy to copy the dressing, and you don’t even have to shell out for a store-bought bottle. Get the recipe here from Dessert Now Dinner Later.

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Disney-Inspired Churros

Disney Resorts’ churros have become the stuff of legends. This BakedCinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups recipe from Kylee Cooks will help you make a delicious version at home.

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Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

On her recipe blog Well Plated, Erin Clarke showcases a way to enjoy a copycat version of this Olive Garden soup without having to leave the house!

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MORE: This is the best slow cooker

Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter

If you can’t squeeze a Trader Joe’s run into your week but absolutely must have their cookie butter, look no further than this copycat recipe from Averie Cooks. She put a slight twist on the recipe by combining it with peanut butter.

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McDonald’s Fries

Joshua Weissman might be the king of copycat recipes because not only is he on this list three times, he came up with a copycat recipe to make McDonald’s famous French fries at home.

Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino

Save your money and make our own version of Starbucks’ Mocha Frappuccino at home with Recipe Girl’s copycat recipe!

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Wendy’s Frosty

Who doesn’t love a Wendy’s Frosty? Whether you dip your fries in it or slurp it plain, this copycat recipe makes it so easy to make at home … with just three ingredients! Check out the how-to video from Pro Home Cooks below:

The best copycat recipes to make your favorite restaurant dishes at home (2024)

FAQs

What makes a good recipe? ›

A good recipe has two parts
  1. Ingredients listed in the order of their use.
  2. Exact measurements (amounts) of each listed ingredient.
  3. Simple, step-by-step directions (steps listed in sequence)
  4. Cooking time.
  5. Cooking temperature.
  6. Size of correct cooking equipment to use.
  7. Number and size of servings the recipe makes.

How do people come up with original recipes? ›

Here's what I find useful:
  1. Try cooking techniques you've never tried before. Make them up if you have to!
  2. Try ingredients or genres of food you've never tried before. ...
  3. Eat at restaurants that inspire you. ...
  4. Try recreating recipes from chefs that inspire you. ...
  5. Cook with a friend.
Feb 18, 2021

What is a narrative recipe format? ›

A narrative recipe has two just parts: title and method & ingredients. Sometimes — like in this recipe — the author might add some comments about how to use it, which will be in the main block of text. It's not completely clear why recipes were written this way in the earliest cookbooks.

What makes a good tasting dish? ›

The dish must be harmonious and balanced; its colours, shape, presentation or originality must be eye-catching. It must arouse our curiosity and make us really want to taste it, regardless of the technique or culinary style used (classic, new-style or evolutionary).

What are four things that should be included in a good recipe? ›

  • Yield. The yield tells the number and size of servings the recipe will make.
  • List of Ingredients & Amounts.
  • Step By Step Directions for Mixing & Handling.
  • Equipment (Container Size & Type)
  • Temperature & Time.

Where do people get their recipes from? ›

Read Cookbooks and Food Magazines

Although sharing recipes online is becoming more popular, there are physical cookbooks and food magazines too. Whether you buy them or rent them at the library, they are often filled with valuable cooking tips.

How to create own recipes? ›

Tips to keep in mind when writing recipes:
  1. List ingredients in chronological order. ...
  2. Separate ingredients for major steps in a recipe. ...
  3. List steps in order, keeping instructions short and to the point. ...
  4. Give specifics about doneness. ...
  5. Include storage suggestions. ...
  6. Offer extra methods or substitutions (when tested).
Nov 19, 2020

Who was the first person to cook a meal? ›

A new study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution , suggests that early humans first cooked food around 780,000 years ago. Before now, the earliest evidence of cooked food was around 170,000 years ago, with early hom*o sapiens and Neanderthals using fire to cook vegetables and meat.

What are the three formats of recipes? ›

Recipe Formats There are three commonly used formats for recipes: Standard Format, Active Format, and Narrative Format.

What are the 3 methods of narrative? ›

There are three popular forms:
  • First Person - In this point of view, a character (typically the protagonist, but not always) is telling the story. ...
  • Second Person - In this point of view, the author uses a narrator to speak to the reader. ...
  • Third Person - In this point of view, an external narrator is telling the story.
Mar 30, 2021

How to tell if a recipe is good? ›

Look for recipes that have the following:
  1. Ingredient measurements in multiple formats (weight, volume, size).
  2. Context clues for timing of each relevant piece of cooking instruction.
  3. Explanations on why certain steps are important to the recipe process.
May 26, 2020

What is a characteristic of a high quality standard recipe? ›

A good standardized recipe will include: Menu item name – the name of the given recipe that should be consistent with the name on the menu. Total Yield – number of servings, or portions that a recipe produces, and often the total weight or volume of the recipe. Portion size – amount or size of the individual portion.

What makes for a good meal? ›

Make most of your meal vegetables and fruits – ½ of your plate. Aim for color and variety, and remember that potatoes don't count as vegetables on the Healthy Eating Plate because of their negative impact on blood sugar. Go for whole grains – ¼ of your plate.

What is important in a recipe? ›

Here are the main components of a standardized recipe:
  1. Name of the menu item.
  2. Total Yield or Portions and Portion Size created by producing the recipe.
  3. List of all measured ingredients.
  4. Step-by-step instructions on how to prepare, cook, and assemble the recipe.
  5. Plating instructions and garnishes.

References

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