I Love Hamburger

🍔 Shake Shack-Inspired Burger

Prep: 15 min Cook: 8 min Total: 23 min Serves: 4 Level: Easy

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Almost everyone recreating this burger obsesses over the patty and gets the bun wrong. The soft, faintly sweet potato bun — buttered and griddled cut-side down until it is golden and slightly compressed — is doing at least half the work, because the patty underneath is an honest, unremarkable smash. Toast it in butter on the flat top, never in a toaster. The other half is the sauce: creamy and tangy, with a whisper of cayenne you only notice after you have swallowed. This is our independent take; the company's own recipe is proprietary.

What the original is known for

Shake Shack is known for its griddled smash-style patty, a soft buttery potato bun, American cheese, and a signature creamy-tangy sauce with a hint of spice. The build is simple but the potato bun and sauce give it a distinct, craveable character.

🧾 Shake Shack-Inspired Burger — Recipe Card

From I Love Hamburger — ilovehamburger.com · Inspired-by recipe, not affiliated with Shake Shack.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (450g) ground beef, 80/20 chuck
  • 4 soft potato buns
  • 4 slices American cheese
  • 4 leaves green leaf lettuce
  • 8 thin tomato slices
  • 2 tbsp (28g) butter, for toasting the buns
  • For the sauce: 1/2 cup (115g) mayonnaise, 1 tbsp (15g) ketchup, 1 tbsp (15g) yellow mustard, 1 tbsp finely chopped dill pickle, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp paprika, pinch of cayenne
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. Whisk the sauce ingredients together and chill while you cook.
  2. Divide the beef into 4 loose balls (or 8 for doubles). Don't pack them.
  3. On a screaming-hot griddle, smash each ball flat and season with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed until the edges are deep brown and lacy, about 2–3 minutes.
  4. Flip, add American cheese, and cook to 160°F (71°C) internal, about 1 minute more.
  5. Butter the cut sides of the potato buns and toast them golden on the griddle.
  6. Spread sauce on both buns and build (see assembly). Serve immediately.

🍖 The patty

A thin, griddle-smashed patty with a deep, crusty sear — single or double. The potato bun and the sauce are as important to the profile as the beef, so don't skip buttering and toasting the bun.

🥫 The sauce

The creamy, tangy, faintly spicy sauce ties it together. The quick version is in the ingredient list; for more sauces to riff on, see our best burger sauces guide.

🍔 How to assemble

  1. Bottom bun → sauce → lettuce → tomato → cheese-topped smash patty.
  2. For a double, stack a second cheese-topped patty.
  3. Spread the buttery top bun with a little more sauce, crown and serve hot.

🔁 Substitutions & variations

  • Make it a double with two thin patties for a closer match to the "ShackBurger" double.
  • No potato buns? A soft brioche bun is the next best thing.
  • Leave out the cayenne for a milder sauce.
  • For gluten-free, use a GF potato-style bun.

More copycat-style burgers

Five Guys-Inspired BurgerA copycat-style burger inspired by Five Guys: two hand-formed griddled patties, melty cheese, and a big pile of free toppings on a soft bun. Not the official recipe.White Castle-Inspired SlidersA copycat-style slider inspired by White Castle: thin square patties steamed over onions with a signature five-hole look, on soft square buns with pickles. Not the official recipe.Culver's-Inspired Butter BurgerA copycat-style Wisconsin butter burger inspired by Culver's: a griddled beef patty on a buttered, toasted bun with melty cheese. Rich, simple and indulgent. Not the official recipe.

Cook the real-recipe versions & sauces

Smash BurgerHow to make a real smash burger with lacy, crispy edges and a deep crust. The exact technique, the right beef, and the one mistake that ruins it.Double Smash BurgerTwo thin, crispy-edged smash patties with double cheese on a soft bun. The classic fast-food-style double, made better at home.Classic CheeseburgerThe perfect classic cheeseburger: juicy 80/20 beef, a real seared crust, melty American cheese, and a soft toasted bun. Simple, foolproof, and exactly right.Burger SaucesFrom-scratch sauces to match any copycat build.Burger BuilderDesign your own custom version.

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.

$18 Amazon

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.

$14 Amazon

Check price →

Infrared Surface Thermometer

Reads the griddle surface itself, not the air — the only way to know you are actually at the 425–475°F a smash burger needs before the beef goes down.

$20 Amazon

Check price →

Adjustable Burger Patty Press Mold

For thick, even, restaurant-uniform patties (great for grilling). Adjustable thickness, non-stick, dishwasher safe.

$16 Amazon

Check price →

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Frequently asked questions

Is this the ShackBurger recipe?

No. Shake Shack's formula is proprietary and has not been released, and we have no relationship with the company — no affiliation, no sponsorship, no endorsement. This is our own recipe aimed at the same result: a deeply seared thin patty, American cheese, a buttered potato bun, and a creamy-tangy sauce with a little heat behind it.

What kind of bun should I use?

A soft potato bun is closest to the profile. Butter and toast it — the buttery, squishy bun is a big part of what makes this burger taste the way it does.

What's in the sauce?

A creamy, tangy blend of mayo, ketchup, mustard, chopped pickle and a little garlic, paprika and cayenne. Adjust the cayenne to taste.