21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (2024)

    With restaurants temporarily closed, make these signature dishes in your own kitchen.

    by Hannah LoewentheilBuzzFeed Staff

    We're counting down the days until our favorite restaurants are able to reopen their doors to sit-down service, but in the meantime, you can make some of your favorite dishes at home with these copycat recipes.

    NBC

    1. Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets With Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (2)

    Bake Me Some Sugar / Via bakemesomesugar.com

    The secret to this perfectly moist fried chicken: pickle juice. Chicken tenders get brined in pickle juice, dredged in egg and flour, and fried until golden brown and crispy. Get the recipe for copycat Chick-fil-A nuggets here.

    2. Copycat Applebee's Tequila Lime Chicken

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (3)

    The Girl on Bloor / Via thegirlonbloor.com

    These chicken breasts get marinated in a zesty mixture of chili powder, lime juice, garlic, and, of course, tequila. Then they're served over spiced rice and topped with pico de gallo, avocado, and tortilla strips. Get the recipe for copycat Applebee's tequila lime chicken here.

    3. Copycat P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (4)

    Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net

    The key to this recipe is the five-ingredient sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and vegetable oil. Serve it over rice with a healthy sprinkle of scallions for good measure. Get the recipe for copycat P.F. Chang's Mongolian beef here.

    Blue Jean Chef / Via bluejeanchef.com

    You don't need a ton of fancy ingredients to make this signature dish. You'll need a Vidalia onion, eggs, milk, and a handful of spices. This version gets a twist, cooked in the air fryer instead of fried in oil. Get the recipe for copycat Outback Steakhouse Bloomin' Onion here.

    5. Copycat Applebee's Queso Blanco

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (5)

    Copy Kat / Via copykat.com

    This one-pot recipe features half-and-half, two types of cheese, jalapeño peppers, onion, chopped tomato, and cilantro. Serve it with anything from tortilla chips to crudités. Get the recipe for copycat Applebee's queso blanco here.

    6. Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (6)

    Kirbie Cravings / Via kirbiecravings.com

    Bibb or romaine lettuce gets filled with a mixture of ground chicken, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and scallions tossed in a homemade hoisin-soy sauce. If you don't have ground chicken, try making these wraps with pork, beef, shrimp, or even tofu. Get the recipe for copycat P.F. Chang's chicken lettuce wraps here.

    The Food Charlatan / Via thefoodcharlatan.com

    There's nothing too difficult about whipping up this hearty Tuscan-inspired soup — made with Italian sausage, potatoes, chicken broth, cream, and kale — at home. Get the recipe for copycat Olive Garden zuppa toscana here.

    8. Copycat Panera Bread Mac 'n' Cheese

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (7)

    Yellow Bliss Road / Via yellowblissroad.com

    This super-luscious mac 'n' cheese is cooked entirely on the stove top, so it's quick and simple. Don't overlook the hot sauce and Dijon mustard, two ingredients you probably wouldn't think to put in your mac. Get the recipe for copycat Panera Bread mac 'n' cheese here.

    9. Copycat Outback Steakhouse Coconut Shrimp

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (8)

    Six Sisters Stuff / Via sixsistersstuff.com

    Start with frozen shrimp; coat them with a mixture of flour, cornstarch, and shredded coconut; fry them in oil; and serve with an easy, four-ingredient dipping sauce made with hot sauce, orange marmalade, Dijon mustard, and honey. Get the recipe for copycat Outback Steakhouse coconut shrimp here.

    10. Copycat McDonald's Sausage and Egg McMuffin

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (9)

    Recipe Tin Eats / Via recipetineats.com

    Made with an English muffin, egg, American cheese, and homemade sausage patties seasoned with sage, thyme, and onion powder, the humble McMuffin just might be the greatest breakfast sandwich creation out there. Get the recipe for the copycat McDonald's sausage and egg McMuffin here.

    Savory Bites Recipes / Via savorybitesrecipes.com

    It doesn't get much more decadent than creamy fettuccine Alfredo, but Olive Garden's version is in a league of its own. Making it requires little more than butter, cream, Parmesan, cream cheese, your favorite pasta, and some spices. Get the recipe for copycat Olive Garden fettuccine Alfredo here.

    The Baker Mama / Via thebakermama.com

    Don't skimp on the homemade biscuits. After all, they come together with just five ingredients. The chicken is baked from start to finish in the oven, but it still achieves that delightful fried texture thanks to a coating of buttermilk, flour, and bread crumbs. Get the recipe for copycat Chick-fil-A mini chicken biscuits here.

    Layers of Happiness / Via layersofhappiness.com

    This thin pizza crust doesn't contain yeast, so there's no waiting for it to rise, and you can satisfy your pizza craving in a matter of minutes. If you don't have a pizza stone, it's not the end of the world. Cook your pizza on a preheated baking sheet. Get the recipe for copycat Domino's thin-crust pizza here.

    14. Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (10)

    Life In The Lofthouse / Via life-in-the-lofthouse.com

    Make sure to use burrito-sized flour tortillas for these breakfast wraps, which are large enough to contain the cheesy beef filling. Nacho cheese gives these wraps extra decadence, and corn tortilla chips add that satisfying crunch. Get the recipe for the copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme here.

    15. Copycat Arby's Beef and Cheddar

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (11)

    Oh Sweet Basil / Via ohsweetbasil.com

    A simple sandwich of sliced roast beef and American cheese on an onion bun gets topped with a tangy sauce made with ketchup, garlic powder, and onion powder. Get the recipe for copycat Arby's beef and cheddar here.

    16. Copycat Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (12)

    My Organized Chaos / Via myorganizedchaos.net

    Our minds are blown that such a simple salad can be so satisfying. Maybe it's the chicken tenders, but more likely it's the homemade honey Dijon dressing. Get the recipe for copycat Applebee's Oriental chicken salad here.

    Brown Eyed Baker / Via browneyedbaker.com

    The marinade makes all the difference for this moist and flavorful chicken. It's made with adobo sauce, olive oil, ancho chile powder, cumin, and oregano. Serve it with rice and a scoop of guacamole. Get the recipe for copycat Chipotle chicken here.

    18. Copycat Shake Shack Burgers

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (13)

    Umami Girl / Via umamigirl.com

    What separates Shake Shack's burgers from the rest is the homemade sauce, which calls for nothing more than some pantry staples: ketchup, mayo, Dijon mustard, dill pickle brine, and spicy cayenne pepper. Get the recipe for copycat Shake Shack burgers here.

    The Chunky Chef / Via thechunkychef.com

    With just three ingredients — vanilla ice cream, Nesquik powder, and milk — there's absolutely no reason not to whip up a delicious Frosty at home. Get the recipe for the copycat Wendy's Frosty here.

    20. Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (14)

    The Anthony Kitchen / Via theanthonykitchen.com

    These buttery and garlicky biscuits require little more than the ingredients that are already sitting in your pantry. You'll need buttermilk, baking powder, baking soda, flour, cheddar cheese, and some spices. Get the recipe for copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits here.

    Butter Your Biscuit / Via butteryourbiscuit.com

    Butter, flour, chicken stock, whole milk, and sharp cheddar cheese make this one of the most indulgent and heartwarming bowls of soup around. Get the recipe for copycat Panera Bread broccoli cheese soup here.

    21 Copycat Recipes To Make Your Favorite Restaurant Foods At Home (2024)

    FAQs

    How much do you need to change a recipe to make it your own? ›

    The general rule [...] is that three major [emphasis added] changes are required to make a recipe "yours." However, even if you make such changes, it is a professional courtesy to acknowledge the source of or inspiration for the recipe.

    When was the first recipe written? ›

    The earliest known written recipes date to 1730 BC and were recorded on cuneiform tablets found in Mesopotamia. Other early written recipes date from approximately 1600 BC and come from an Akkadian tablet from southern Babylonia. There are also works in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting the preparation of food.

    What is the oldest recipe still in use? ›

    Nettle Pudding

    Originating in 6000 BCE, England; it is the oldest dish of the world that's rich in nutrients. Nettle pudding is made with stinging nettles (wild leafy plant), breadcrumbs, suet, onions, and other herbs and spices. This dish is steam cooked until it attains a mousse-like consistency.

    What is the oldest food in the world? ›

    Here is the answer for you! Bread is considered to be first prepared probably some 30000+ years back and is one of the very first foods made by mankind. The earliest proof of making bread loaf occurred with the Natufian hunter-gatherers that lived in the Levant.

    What is the oldest known cooked food? ›

    A recent study found what could be the earliest known evidence of ancient cooking: the leftovers of a fish dinner from 780,000 years ago. Cooking helped change our ancestors. It helped fuel our evolution and gave us bigger brains.

    How do chefs create their own recipes? ›

    Every chef has their own creative process and preferred method for documenting their ideas — ideas which eventually morph into recipes. This can range from notebooks, scrap paper and post-it notes, to note apps like Evernote and Apple Note, Google Docs and countless other ways.

    How do professional chefs organize their recipes? ›

    One of the most common ways of keeping recipes organized is with recipe binders. Rather than keeping recipe books to flick through for recipe referencing, chefs will have the recipes they need collated in binders. This means that they can quickly and easily find necessary items without other recipes getting in the way.

    Who creates menus for restaurants? ›

    The most common people are: The restaurant owner or manager. The owner or manager of a restaurant is ultimately responsible for the menu, so they often take the lead on creating it. They will work with the chef to develop the dishes, and then they will work with a designer to create the final menu.

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