29 Fast Food Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home

The chicken sandwich is a seemingly simple Southern-fried chicken breast on a warm brioche bun, with spicy mayo and pickles. But even the most tried-and-true Southern methods for frying chicken can’t produce a crust that snaps and shatters the same way as the cult favorite—check out our non-traditional tricks that made our version of Popeye’s spicy chicken sandwich edge out above the rest.

Get the Copycat Popeyes Chicken Sandwich recipe.

Fun fact: Chili was one of the few original menu items that stood loud and proud when Wendy's first opened in 1969. Having it on the menu along with burgers, fries, and milkshakes allowed them to stand out from other fast food spots and helped them to eliminate food waste by using the leftover burger patties. Smart!

Get the Copycat Wendy's Chili recipe.

Burger King may have their secret formula to crispy chicken finger perfection, but we think our version is worthy of stardom too. We used chicken breasts cut into thin strips and seasoned with salt and sugar. They're then coated in bread crumbs and herbs, then fried. Mmm.

Get the Burger King Chicken Fries recipe.

Fluffy, sweet, and as golden as those famous McDonald's arches, these copycat pancakes are sure to hit the spot. The trick to fluffy hotcakes is kind of counterintuitive—the more lumps in your batter, the better. Stir the wet and dry ingredients only until they’ve just combined, since overmixing will develop too much gluten and make your hotcakes tough.

Get the Copycat McDonald's Hotcakes recipe.

The Wendy’s Frosty is a cross between a milkshake and a soft-serve ice cream. This consistency is key and yet the hardest to mimic at home without a machine to keep it very very cold–our version is thinner, but it has the same satisfying fluffiness, mild chocolate flavor, and you can still enjoy it with a spoon (or dip your fries in it!).

Get the Copycat Wendy’s Chocolate Frosty recipe.

The exact origins of chow mein are not entirely clear, but historians suspect this dish was born in northern China millennia ago. Thousands of years later, it’s been popularized by a beloved chain with a cute panda mascot. Now you can make it at home!

Get the Copycat Panda Express Chow Mein recipe.

In the eternal struggle between the East and West Coast for burger chain supremacy, In-N-Out (and their secret menu) has always been at the front of the pack. Lucky for those of us who can’t drive to one, we’ve cracked the code on how to make a nearly identical version of their secret menu animal-style fries at home.

Get the Animal-Style Fries recipe.

Aside from mouth-watering chicken and sandwiches that make people line up around the block, Popeyes is known for their iconic, fluffy, crisp, salty, and buttery biscuits. Made for sopping up gravy or shuttling red beans & rice from point A to point B, these copycat biscuits come crazy close to the original using a few classic biscuit baking techniques and tips.

Get the Copycat Popeyes Biscuits recipe.

Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme is the stuff of legends, and we totally see why: Full of seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and, most importantly, a crunchy tostada shell, this stacked, handheld dish has just about everything you could ever want... and now you can make it at home!

Get the Copycat Crunchwrap Supreme recipe.

If you just can't get enough of the classic Panda Express dish, our copycat recipe is a game-changer. Ready in under an hour with all of the same sweet and savory flavors you love, staying in for weeknight dinner has never been easier. Serve over rice for a stay-at-home meal to impress even the biggest Panda lover in your life.

Get the Panda Express Orange Chicken recipe.

The original Shamrock Shake, a mint-flavored soft-serve vanilla milkshake first introduced in 1970, is only available at McDonald's for a limited time each year. Our copycat recipe makes this specialty drink available any time you've got a craving for it, unlimited time only. Another perk? Being able to add booze.

Get the Copycat McDonald's Shamrock Shakes recipe.

Dairy Queen’s classic ice cream cake is king in the realm of frozen desserts, but our copycat recipe is coming for the crown. Starring that signature ribbon of fudge and chocolate cookie crunchies sandwiched between vanilla and chocolate ice cream, this homemade version of this iconic treat is equally easy to make and delicious to eat.

Get the Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake recipe.

Chick-fil-A's lightly breaded morsels of golden chicken breast take the top spot for people's favorite fast food nuggets. This copycat recipe allows you the joys of eating incredible chicken nuggets without having to step foot into a restaurant—and you'll save a couple of bucks too.

Get the Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets recipe.

With a cult following and worldwide popularity, there's no denying it—the Big Mac is a burger superstar. That's why we had to try our hand at making it at home. Trust us—once you've made this iconic fast food in your own kitchen, you may never go through the drive-thru again.

Get the Copycat Big Mac recipe.

The cult favorite from the NYC-based chain is the rock star of veggie burgers. Thanks to breaded portobellos and the delicious shake sauce, we bet you won't even miss the meat.

Get the Copycat Shake Shack Shroom Burger recipe.

McDonald’s fries tend to get a crazy amount of love, but Team Delish as a soft spot for those golden brown hash brown pucks they serve in the morning. They're crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, perfectly oil and salty all at the same time. Now you can make them in your air fryer!

Get the Air Fryer Hash Browns recipe.

This Taco Bell copycat isn't actually Mexican, nor is it a pizza. It's actually more of a Tex-Mex quesadilla, and we love it for a lightning fast party food. The ease of flour tortillas straight from the bag can't be beat, but if you want to be true to the Taco Bell recipe, shallow fry them in vegetable oil!

Get the Mexican Pizza recipe.

The trick to recreating a Shake Shack burger is the sauce. While it does resemble other restaurant burger sauces (think Big Mac), there's one key difference: how the pickles are incorporated. Who knew?

Get the Copycat Shake Shack Burger recipe.

You get up, grab your wallet, head to the closest Chick-fil-A… and then you realize it’s Sunday. Can you relate? Instead of waiting outside for them to open on Monday morning, open a franchise right in your kitchen, starting with this copycat sauce. It’s sweet, tangy, a little smoky, and identical to the original, perfect for dipping homemade Chick-fil-A nuggets into.

Get the Chick-fil-A Sauce recipe.

Onion, beef, cheese, and tortillas are always an A+ combination. Stack these as high as you'd like!

Get the Copycat Taco Bell Stackers recipe.