Homemade White Castle Hamburgers (Copycat Recipe)
Enjoy the nostalgia of these homemade White Castle hamburgers. This copycat recipe captures the iconic sliders’ flavor, bringing crave-worthy satisfaction.
Our family loves a good burger loaded up with all our favorite toppings. We make a lot of them, especially during the warmer months, when we can enjoy grilling outside.
While I adore a homemade burger, sometimes I just want to hit up a drive thru for the fast food version.
All fast food chains have their signature burgers, from Big Macs to Whoppers. For White Castle, it is their original sliders.
These classic sliders have square patties and, in store, they are cooked on a bed on onions. This process infuses both the beef patties and the slider buns with rich onion flavor.
Unfortunately, where we live, we don’t have access to every chain restaurant. And although frozen White Castle hamburgers are available at many grocery stores, today I am sharing how to make your own quick and easy version at home.
Copycat White Castle Burgers
If you don’t have a White Castle restaurant near you, today’s copycat recipe is just what you need. These delicious sliders are the perfect size for a quick snack, I even make them ahead of time for the kids lunches!
They would make a great addition to your next party as well. Serve your White Castle burgers with traditional French fries or sweet potato fries. They are so good, you may just want to eat the whole pan!
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Burger making supplies
- Traeger 780 Pro Smoker Grill – this is our Traeger model, it’s the perfect size for families who like to entertain! Be sure to check out all of our must have Traeger products.
- Meater Thermometer – we love this wireless meat thermometer. It connects to an app that tells you exactly when your meat is done!
- BBQ tongs – we keep ours by the smoker for easy use.
- Mixing bowls – you’ll need the largest one that you have for this recipe.
- Measuring cups & measuring spoons– we often eye ball the ingredients in this recipe now but for the beginner it’s good to measure everything exactly.
- Parchment paper – used to separate the patties as you make them.
- Kitchen scale – for making the burgers equal sizes.
- Burger press – this is optional but good for making uniform burgers.
Ingredients
Lets start with a few simple ingredients from the grocery store!
- Lean ground beef – this is the best protein to use.
- Breadcrumbs – we like to use Panko.
- Egg – farm fresh is a treat!
- Lipton onion soup mix – the “secret” to making these taste like true White Castle burgers.
- Small white dinner rolls – Hawaiian rolls would work too but may change the taste.
- Kraft singles processed cheese – aka American cheese for the melty cheesy goodness.
Yield: 12 burgers
Recipe may be doubled or tripled.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion soup mix, water, and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Press the meat mixture onto a baking sheet.
4. Cover the top of the meat with a sheet of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll the ground beef completely flat, about 1/2” thick.
5. Prick holes with a fork through the mixture for ventilation while cooking.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. The internal temperature should read 160 degrees F. Drain excess grease.
Note: as the beef cooks it will shrink and the large pattie may split apart. That’s okay! Simply…
7. Cut the baked hamburger patty into 12 equal squares and place one patty onto each bun.
8. Top with American cheese and ketchup, pickles optional.
Topping Suggestions
Feel free to mix it up and create a burger to your liking.
- Cheddar, Swiss, or Monterey jack cheese slices
- Lettuce
- Tomato slices
- Chopped white onions or onion slices
- Fried onions
- Green peppers
- Dill pickle slices
- Jalapeno peppers
- Condiments like mayo, mustard, BBQ sauce, relish, or even hot sauce.
Tips and Tricks
- You can use Hawaiian rolls in place of normal dinner rolls, and place the entire patty sheet on the rolls. Then cut into individual burgers using a pizza cutter or bread knife.
- If you prefer your hamburger patties to be more uniform in shape and shape, try using a square cookie cutter to cut the cooked patties.
- Make up the burgers ahead of time. Keep the individual patties separated with parchment paper or wax paper and store them in the fridge or freezer. When you are ready to cook the meat, pull out as many patties as you want.
- Store leftover burgers in an airtight container in the fridge.
More hamburger recipes
- Chimichurri Burger Recipe
- White Castle Hamburgers
- Breakfast Burger Recipe
- Smoked Burger Recipe
- Mushroom Swiss Burgers
- The Best Air Fryer Hamburgers
- BBQ Hamburger Recipe
- Blue Cheese Burgers
- Bacon Wrapped Burgers
- Five Guys Hamburgers
Be sure to check out these 20+ Must Try Hamburger Recipes too!
Next time, save yourself a trip and make your own White Castle burgers at home. Everyone will love them! For another fast-food restaurant copycat, try this Five Guys burger recipe.
If you love this White Castle burger recipe, please give it a five star review and share it on Facebook or Pinterest!
White Castle Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 12 small white dinner rolls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion soup mix, water, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Press the meat mixture onto a baking sheet.
- Cover the top of the meat with a sheet of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll the ground beef completely flat, about 1/2” thick.
- Prick holes with a fork through the mixture for ventilation while cooking.
- Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. The internal temperature should read 160 degrees F. Drain excess grease.
- Cut the baked hamburger patty into 12 equal squares and place one patty onto each bun.
- Top with American cheese and ketchup, pickles optional.