🍔 Five Guys-Inspired Burger
This is the only burger in this collection with no fixed build, and that is the entire idea. Two rough, hand-formed patties griddled all the way through rather than kept pink, then whatever you want piled on at no extra charge — grilled onions and mushrooms, jalapeños, three condiments at once if that is your thing. So recreating it at home is less about following a recipe than about laying out a proper toppings spread and forming the patties loosely enough that they stay juicy without a pink center. We wrote this version ourselves; the chain's own approach is proprietary.
What the original is known for
Five Guys is known for two hand-formed griddled patties, cooked-through and juicy, plus a long list of free toppings piled generously — grilled onions and mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, pickles, jalapeños, and more. Abundance and customization are the point.
🧾 Five Guys-Inspired Burger — Recipe Card
From I Love Hamburger — ilovehamburger.com · Inspired-by recipe, not affiliated with Five Guys.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb (680g) ground beef, 80/20 chuck
- 4 soft hamburger buns
- 4 slices American cheese
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced (for grilling)
- 8 oz (225g) mushrooms, sliced (for grilling)
- Toppings bar: lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw onion, jalapeños, ketchup, mustard, mayo
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, for the griddle
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- On a griddle over medium heat, cook the sliced onion and mushrooms with a pinch of salt until soft and browned, 8–10 minutes. Set aside.
- Divide the beef into 8 loose, hand-formed patties (two per burger). Don't overwork them, and keep the salt off the raw meat for now.
- Wipe the griddle, add the oil and bring it up to medium-high. Lay the patties down and season the exposed tops generously with salt and pepper — seasoning the outside once the beef is on the heat keeps the texture loose and the crust well seasoned.
- Griddle about 3 minutes per side until well browned, seasoning the second face with salt and pepper as soon as it comes up after the flip. Cook through to 160°F (71°C) internal — this style is cooked well, not pink.
- Melt a slice of American cheese over one patty of each pair in the last minute.
- Toast the buns on the griddle. Build with grilled onions, mushrooms and any toppings you like (see assembly). Serve hot.
🍖 The patty
Two hand-formed, medium-thin patties per burger, griddled until fully cooked and juicy. They're not smashed paper-thin — they're loose, rough-formed rounds with plenty of browned surface.
🥫 The sauce
Five Guys leans on free toppings and condiments rather than one signature sauce, so set out ketchup, mustard and mayo and let everyone build their own. A little of our classic burger sauce works well too.
🍔 How to assemble
- Bottom bun → your choice of condiments → double cheese-topped patties.
- Pile on grilled onions and mushrooms, then lettuce, tomato, pickles and jalapeños to taste.
- Crown with the top bun and serve immediately — this one is meant to be overstuffed.
🔁 Substitutions & variations
- Make it a single-patty "little burger" with just one patty.
- Skip the mushrooms if you're not a fan — grilled onions alone still capture the style.
- Add bacon for a loaded version.
- For gluten-free, use a GF bun and skip the bun toasting fat if shared.
Burger HQ Picks Recommended Tools for This Recipe
Heavy-Duty Stainless Smash Burger Press
A flat, weighty press is the difference between a real lacy-edged smash burger and a sad steamed puck. Round, broad face for full patty contact.
Check price →Instant-Read Digital Meat Thermometer
Pulls a reading in 2–3 seconds so you can hit 160°F on ground beef every time without cutting into the patty and losing juices.
Check price →Pre-Seasoned 12" Cast Iron Skillet
Holds screaming-hot heat for the deep, even crust that makes a steakhouse-style burger. Lasts a lifetime.
Check price →Outdoor Gas Flat-Top Griddle
A big flat top cooks a dozen smash burgers at once with room for onions and buns. The backbone of burger night for a crowd.
Check price →Thin Flexible Stainless Turner (Smash Spatula)
A stiff, thin, bevelled edge slides under the crust and scrapes up every bit of the browned fond instead of tearing the patty.
Check price →Steakhouse Burger Seasoning Blend
For nights you do not want to measure. Salt-forward with garlic, onion, and pepper — exactly what a burger wants.
Check price →Stainless Grill Accessory Kit
Long tongs, a wide spatula, and a basting brush so you are not fighting your own tools over a hot grill.
Check price →Squeeze Bottles & Mixing Bowl Set
Mix a sauce in the bowl, decant into a squeeze bottle, and you get an even stripe on every bun instead of a spoon-blob. Also what keeps a topping bar tidy.
Check price →As an affiliate site, I Love Hamburger may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This does not affect our recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
Did this recipe come from Five Guys?
It did not. We developed it independently, with no affiliation with or endorsement from Five Guys, whose own process is proprietary. It aims at the recognizable result: two hand-formed griddled patties cooked through, on a soft bun, under a generous build-your-own pile of toppings.
Why are the patties cooked all the way through?
This style is known for fully-cooked, juicy patties rather than a pink center. Two medium-thin patties stay juicy even when cooked through because you get flavor from the browned crust.
What toppings should I put out?
The signature is choice: grilled onions and mushrooms plus lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw onion, jalapeños, and ketchup/mustard/mayo. Set them all out and let people customize.