New Recipes
You tried it in the restaurant, now make it at home. Re-create your favorite restaurant dishes with copycat recipes you won't find anywhere else from America's most trusted food hacker, Todd Wilbur. New recipes are posted each week.
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Marie Callender's Fresh Peach Pie
Read moreBe prepared for a short wait when ordering one of the fresh peach pies from this West Coast chain, which has gained fame for its wide range of homestyle pies. Like the Fresh Strawberry Pie (I cloned it here), the Fresh Peach Pie is available only from March through November and is made with hand-sliced, glazed fruit.
And, just like the strawberry pie, the glaze on the peach pie is a mostly flavorless sweet goo that could be improved by using real fruit. So that’s what I did.
For my Marie Callender’s Fresh Peach Pie copycat recipe, the glaze is made from real peaches and gently tossed with the sliced peaches before filling the pie. Adding the glaze this way results in more evenly flavored bites than the restaurant version, where the glaze is just spooned over the top.
I’m including a great scratch recipe for the pie shell, but you can also choose to skip this step and buy a pre-made frozen pie shell. If you get the one made by Marie Callender’s, your clone will be a great knockoff.
Try more of my Marie Callender's copycat recipes here.
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Ruth's Chris Steak House Ruth's Chop Salad
Read moreA dozen ingredients tossed in a refreshing lemon-basil dressing make Ruth's Chris's signature salad taste great, but it's the presentation that earns the "wows."
Now, you can make a salad tower just like the one at this upscale steakhouse chain after you track down forming rings (3 inches wide and 4 inches tall), or, for do-it-yourselfers, pick up 3-inch PVC pipe at your local hardware store and grab a saw. Saw a 4-inch length off the pipe, then use sandpaper to smooth the edges. Find a glass or bottle with a flat bottom to use as a press.
Once you prepare the dressing and crispy onions, and chop and toss the other ingredients, you can use this inexpensive mold to create a perfectly hacked salad masterpiece every time.
Try my Ruth's Chris Chop Salad copycat recipe and find more of my Ruth's Chris copycat recipes here.
Source: Top Secret Recipes Step-by-Step by Todd Wilbur.
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Sonic Drive-In Double Sonic Smasher
Read moreSonic’s new premium cheeseburger features two Angus beef patties, hand-smashed on a hot grill until a crispy crust forms, then stacked on a soft potato bun with American cheese, onions, pickles, and Smasher Sauce. Sonic calls it “America’s Smashional Cheeseburger,” and I call it “mission accomplished” after I figured out how to perfectly hack it at home.
Smashing the burgers properly is essential for a great clone, but for my Sonic Double Sonic Smasher copycat recipe to work out, I first needed an easy version of the chain’s Smasher Sauce. After several attempts, I finally replicated the secret formula using the simple mixture of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and seasonings included here.
After the sauce was hacked, I turned my attention to the smashed Angus beef patties. To smash the ground beef properly, I needed a burger press, which can be found online. But rather than spending $20 online and waiting for it to be delivered, I located a paving stone supplier and convinced them to give me a free sample of a square brick. I wrapped it in aluminum foil and created an effective—and super cheap—burger press, which, thanks to its weight, worked even better than tools specifically designed for the job.
To cook the burger patties, use a flattop griddle if you have one, or two heavy pans like cast iron. When the pans are hot, smash the beef patty in the center of each pan with a press until flat, then slide a thin metal spatula underneath to flip it. Add cheese, stack the patties, build the burger with sauce, onions, and pickles, and you’ve just made a pro-style smashburger at home.
Find more of my Sonic Drive-In copycat recipes here.
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Starbucks Berry Blondie
Read moreIn the spring of 2026, Starbucks introduced several new pastries, including this buttery white chocolate blondie topped with ribbons of berry jam. The snack is a perfect coffee partner, served either warm or at room temperature.
For my Starbucks Berry Blondie copycat recipe, you'll make a buttery blondie batter with both brown and white sugar, plus chopped white chocolate chips. The layer of berry jam on top is a mix of blueberry and raspberry jam or preserves, which is first thinned by heating it, making it easier to drizzle over the dough.
After it bakes and cools, the blondie is removed from the pan with a parchment paper sling and sliced into nine square servings that look and taste just like the real thing.
Pair this with your favorite drink from Starbucks. Find more of my Starbucks copycat recipes here.
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Taco Bell Jalapeno Citrus Salsa
Read moreIntroduced in the summer of 2026 for the Cantina menu, this Taco Bell specialty sauce combines red jalapeños with sweet-and-sour citrus and fruit flavors. Like the chain’s Avocado Verde Salsa, introduced in 2024, the Jalapeno Citrus Salsa is not free. Each packet costs 20 cents and contains about 1 tablespoon of the sauce. If you really dig the stuff, you’ll be glad to know that this recipe will give you 2 cups of cloned sauce, or the equivalent of more than 32 packets!
The special ingredient in the sauce is red jalapenos, which can be hard to find at grocery stores. Fortunately, I had been growing jalapenos in my garden, and several had ripened to bright red just in time to hack this recipe. If you can’t find red jalapenos and don’t have your own jalapeno pepper bush, you can substitute the more common red Fresno peppers. They are about the same size as jalapenos and have approximately the same Scoville heat rating.
After making chili powder from dried guajillo peppers and apricot puree made with dried apricots, you’ll blend everything until smooth. I’ve added the ground mustard and honey to emulsify the sauce. Those ingredients, plus a 2-hour chill in your refrigerator between blends, will help suspend the oil particles within the other ingredients so that your sauce won’t separate.
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McDonald's Apple Pie
Read moreWhen McDonald’s introduced fast food apple pies to America in 1968 they were originally deep-fried, but in 1992 the chain replaced the fried pies on the standard menu with a healthier baked version. However, the original fried pies are not entirely extinct. You can still find the clasic fried version at few U.S. locations (such as in Hawaii) and at McDonald’s restaurants overseas.
The secret to a perfect McDonald's Apple Pie home clone is a great crust which is best made from scratch. The filling can be quickly duplicated with canned apple pie filling that has been chopped and enhanced with a bit of ground cinnamon. The baked version also has a flavorful dusting of cinnamon on top before goes into the oven.
If you're the nostalgic type and would like to re-create the original fried version of the pie, pop on down to the Tidbits for an easy recipe variation that should bring back some tasty memories.
Source: "Top Secret Recipes Step-by-Step" by Todd Wilbur.
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Chick-fil-A Peach Milkshake
Read moreChick-fil-A culinary developer Angela Duncan was inspired by her grandmother’s homemade peach ice cream when she created this seasonal summer shake that debuted on the chicken chain’s menu in 2009. It’s made with peach purée plus some minced bits of fresh peach, along with the chain’s Icedream, a lighter ice cream with less butterfat.
For my Chick-fil-A Peach Milkshake copycat recipe, I made a peach purée with one fresh peach and about two-thirds of another one. I blended the peaches, then reduced the purée on my stovetop to intensify the flavor. The leftover peach was just enough to mince up and stir into the shake at the end to match the chunks found in the original.
The purée will take about an hour to cool in your refrigerator, so plan ahead for your milkshake. If your peaches are underripe and not especially sweet, you may need to add more sugar to your purée. Also, your shake will be thicker if you chill the blender and a 16-ounce serving glass along with the purée.
Try more of my Chick-fil-A copycat recipes like their famous chicken sandwich here.
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St. Elmo Steak House World Famous Shrimp Cocktail
Read moreWhile in Indianapolis for some live cooking demos, I discovered the best shrimp cocktail I've ever tasted at St. Elmo Steak House, a 124-year-old institution in the heart of the city. The jumbo shrimp were tender and succulent, and the cocktail sauce was mind-blowing. I knew then I had a hacking assignment on my hands, so I ordered some sauce to go. I was told the secret is freshly grated horseradish, which creates a tastier and more potent sauce than typical cocktail sauces made with bottled horseradish.
When shopping for horseradish for my St. Elmo Steak House Shrimp Cocktail copycat recipe, I discovered that the most flavorful horseradish roots are firm to the touch and not at all spongy, so give them the squeeze test before you buy. Once you peel, grate, and mince the horseradish, mix it with vinegar and a little salt to keep it from turning brown and to enhance the flavor.
To make a perfect copy of the original, the shrimp must be perfectly poached so that they are tender, but not rubbery. I've got that technique for you here. Follow this recipe as described and you will have a great home kitchen copy of the famous restaurant appetizer that is sure to leave your diners breathing clearly and begging for more.
Find more famous steakhouse copycat recipes here.
Source: Top Secret Recipes Step-by-Step by Todd Wilbur.
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Lotus of Siam Nam Kao Tod (Crispy Rice Salad)
Read moreA Google search for the best Thai restaurants in America will list Lotus of Siam high in the results, and it will likely appear in the #1 spot. The award-winning Northern Thai cuisine is exceptionally good, and practically every dish I’ve had there is memorable. But the small Las Vegas chain does have a few standout signature dishes, and this crispy rice salad is one of them.
For my Lotus of Siam Crispy Rice Salad copycat recipe, I found the best way to fry pre-cooked white rice: first, toss it with flour. The flour helps keep the rice kernels separate when they're dropped into the oil, so they fry without clumping. You’ll start by adding ¼ cup of flour to the cooked rice. If it starts to become sticky and clump, sprinkle on more, a tablespoon at a time, until the rice kernels stay separate.
After frying the rice, toss it with a chili powder blend made from toasted Guajillo and arbol peppers. Once the rice is fully coated, add red onion, green onions, slivered ginger, peanuts, cilantro, Thai sour sausage, and a simple dressing of lime juice and fish sauce. Finish with torn mint leaves, then serve the salad with an optional garnish of lettuce cups on the side to eat with the rice, or just eat it straight up.
Find more of my salad knock-off recipes here.
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Whataburger Patty Melt
Read moreThere is no patty melt more beloved on the planet than Whataburger’s. It’s the Texas chain’s signature specialty sandwich, and Whataburger has perfected the recipe with 2 beef patties, 2 slices of Monterey Jack, grilled onions, and a creamy pepper sauce so popular that they sell it by the bottle.
Because the sauce is crucial to the sandwich's flavor, I dedicated most of my time to perfecting it. I found that pureeing a can of chipotle peppers for the sauce was the best approach, even though you’ll only need 2 teaspoons of the puree, leaving plenty for another recipe. You’ll also need to plan ahead, since the sauce needs about 30 minutes to rest before you use it on the sandwich.
While researching my Whataburger Patty Melt copycat recipe, I found that the chain claims the burgers are 4 ounces each before cooking. In my kitchen, that produced cooked patties that were much too big compared to the chain's patties, even with beef that’s 20% fat. To stay true to the chain’s recipe, my hack here calls for 4-ounce patties, but I suggest starting with 3-ounce patties if you’d like a sandwich that's closer to the original and that can more easily fit into your mouth.
Try more of my famous burger and sandwich copycat recipes here.
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Pepperidge Farm Milano Dark Chocolate Cookies
Read moreThe Milano Dark Chocolate Cookies from Pepperidge Farm is the most popular of the "places" cookies, which are named after various locales where I'd like to go on vacation, including Brussels, Geneva, Tahiti, Maui, and Sausalito. The Milano sandwich cookie was once a nonsandwich cookie called Naples with a layer of dark chocolate on top of one cookie, but when the cookies began to stick together during shipping, another cookie was placed on the chocolate and the Milano was born.
The secret to my Milano Dark Chocolate Cookies copycat recipe is the combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour to give the cookie its light texture. For the chocolate layer, use the dark chocolate melting wafers from Ghirardelli or a dark chocolate intended for candy making and dipping. You'll need a pastry bag or gun with #12 round tip to form the cookies. And if you have a silicone baking mat, use it here to bake the cookies. If you don't have one of those, a parchment paper–lined baking sheet also works well.
Click here for more fun, copycat cookies and brownies.
Source: "Top Secret Recipes Step-by-Step" by Todd Wilbur. -
Zippy's Chili
Read moreHawaii locals have loved Zippy’s fusion of American, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Hawaiian cuisine since the casual restaurant chain debuted in Honolulu in 1966. In 2025, the chain opened its first mainland restaurant—in Las Vegas, which is nicknamed “The Ninth Island” for its large Hawaiian community.
In less than a year, four Zippy’s opened in Vegas, and one was just minutes from my house. Clearly, the universe was telling me it was time to clone this chain’s signature dish—a chili that’s moderately spicy and slightly sweet, with beans, Portuguese sausage, and a scoop of white rice. Thankfully, I found a box of Zippy’s frozen chili at a local market, and the label listed each of its ingredients. That’s the moment I confirmed that the widespread rumor about mayonnaise in the chili is not true.
The ingredients for my Zippy’s Chili copycat recipe are standard stuff, except for the Portuguese brand sausage also known as Linquica, which you can find online or at Costco. The bouillon adds great flavor to the chili, and I’ve found that Better Than Bouillon tastes better than dry bouillon cubes, so try to find that. The recipe here includes a can of beans, but you can also make the chili without beans. If you go beanless, be sure to add an additional ½ cup of water to the pot.
Find more soup and chili copycat recipes here.
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Stouffer's French Bread Pizza
Read moreI owe many years of a blistered roof of my mouth to these pizzas I ate often as a kid, usually right after school when I was apparently too hungry to let them cool after coming out of the toaster oven. But the classic recipe for this snack that many of you might also fondly remember, has recently changed.
According to most accounts, the manufacturer changed the production process in the summer of 2025 so that the pizzas are no longer made with sliced French bread. Today, the bread is molded to resemble sliced French bread, but it lacks the crusty quality that made the pizzas special. Critics also say the sauce recipe has changed to one that’s sweeter and less tangy than the original.
For my Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza copycat recipe, I’m going back in time to when these pizzas were better. For this knockoff, we'll use real French bread for the crust, and the sauce here is less sweet than the current version, more like the original from back in the day. Find thick slices of pepperoni, and for the best melted cheese, shred your own mozzarella from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
Also, I suggest waiting a bit for these to cool before taking your first bite.
Find more of my Stouffer's copycat recipes here.
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Chin Chin Famous Chinese Chicken Salad
Read moreFounded by Bob Mandler in California in 1983, Chin Chin quickly became a West Hollywood hotspot, where celebrities dined on dim sum and the iconic Chinese chicken salad with red ginger dressing. The original Sunset Boulevard location closed in 2025 after more than 40 years, but four others are still open in California. And there’s also a Chin Chin in Las Vegas at the New York, New York casino, which made it easy for me to dive into the salad and get a sample to go.
To create my Chin Chin Famous Chinese Chicken Salad copycat recipe, I started by hacking the famous red ginger dressing. The secret ingredient is julienned ginger pickled in a red brine, and it’s easy to find online. It isn’t true red ginger, but the taste and color work great when combined with soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sesame oil, and the other ingredients. You’ll get 1¼ cups of cloned dressing, which is plenty for two big salads, or four smaller ones.
After roasting and chilling a few chicken breasts, and making wonton crisps and fried rice noodles, you’ll be ready to toss your salads with the dressing and pile them high on serving plates. Sprinkle the salads with crispy noodles, green onions, and sliced almonds, and treat your taste buds to a classic dish from Hollywood’s Sunset Strip.
Find more of my salad knock-off recipes here.
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McDonald's Big Arch
Read moreMcDonald’s goes big with its latest burger, featuring two quarter-pound beef patties, three slices of white cheddar, and a new secret sauce. And the whole thing is easy to knock off at home, including the special sesame- and poppy-seed buns.
For my McDonald’s Big Arch copycat recipe, I made a sauce by mixing ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise with a few other common ingredients. But the key to the flavor was adding dill pickle relish, finely minced with a sharp knife, before mixing it in. You'll end up with nearly a cup of this secret sauce, leaving plenty left over for more burgers after making the two this recipe yields.
Once you make the sauce, assembling the burger is easy, with both fresh and fried onions, sliced lettuce, and pickles. For buns similar to those used by McDonald's, look for Ballpark Everything Burger Buns, which are baked with poppy and sesame seeds on top, just like the real thing.
I've cloned a ton of items from McDonald's. See if I hacked your favorites here.
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Panda Express Dynamite Chicken
Read moreHave a drink nearby when you enjoy this new white-meat chicken entrée from Panda Express. Chunks of chicken breast are breaded with crispy puffed rice for extra crunch, then wok-cooked with onion, red bell pepper, and the hottest sauce ever offered by the popular Chinese takeout chain.
It was clear that perfecting the sauce was essential for my Panda Express Dynamite Chicken copycat recipe, so I started there. After isolating and analyzing the sauce, I noticed it contained more chili bits than other Panda sauces, so I added a generous amount of sambal to boost flavor and color. My sauce was hot but not as fiery as the original until I added Buldak. This Korean chicken-flavored hot sauce gave the sauce a richer red hue and just the right amount of delicious heat.
Once the sauce was hacked, I moved on to the crispy chicken. For the breading, I used smashed Rice Krispies out of curiosity, thinking it probably wouldn't be the right approach since the cereal is slightly sweetened. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the lightly sugared cereal worked so well, delivering great flavor and excellent crunch. Rice Krispies cereal is very easy to find, so it’s a great solution.
The real challenge with the breading was deciding whether to use a wet batter or a dry coating for the best results. As it turned out, I achieved the best results with both. After dredging the chicken in a wet batter, I coated it with the dry, puffed-rice mixture. After frying, the chicken's breading was perfectly thick and craggy, with a great crunch even when tossed in the flavorful sauce.
Try more of my Panda Express copycat recipes here.
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Capital Grille Lobster Mac 'N Cheese
Read moreA video clip of an appearance that I discovered online from TV station WPRI in Rhode Islands features Capital Grill chef Matthew Gallagher demonstrating the technique his restaurant uses to create its signature Lobster Mac 'N Cheese side dish. Chef Gallagher explains that the chain uses four cheeses in the sauce: a soft cheese, a hard cheese, a flavorful cheese, and a sharp cheese, but he doesn't tell us exactly what those cheeses are.
After a trip to the restaurant to question the server, I discovered that the soft cheese is mascarpone, the flavorful cheese is Havarti, and the sharp cheese is white cheddar. My server said that the hard cheese is Parmesan, but after studying the menu and discovering Grana Padano being used to stuff the olives of the chain's 601 Martini Cocktail, I'm more inclined to use that in the recipe instead. If you can't find Grana Padano, go with the similar Parmigiano-Reggiano, or less expensive Parmesan.
The chain uses claw meat for the dish, which probably comes from the freshly cooked lobster it serves as entrees, but it's tough to find claw meat in store without buying a whole fresh lobster. For my Capital Grille Lobster Max & Cheese copycat recipe, we'll use the meat from two lightly poached medium lobster tails, which are much easier to procure. The restaurant uses campanelle pasta because it hold onto the sauce, but feel free to use bow-tie pasta, tube shaped pasta, even pasta shaped like dinosaurs if that's the mood you're in.
Find more of my Capital Grill copycat recipes here.
Source: Top Secret Recipes Step-by-Step by Todd Wilbur.
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Arby's Greek Gyro Sandwich
Read moreAccording to a 2017 QSR Web article, Arby’s Greek Gyro is the best-selling gyro sandwich in America, with over 27 million sold annually. Which means this Top Secret Recipes gyro clone is long overdue.
For my first attempt at making a Greek gyro clone, I started by re-creating the meat traditionally cooked on a vertical rotisserie spit. I formed a dense loaf of ground beef and lamb and baked it like a meatloaf in a small loaf pan. Arby’s combines lamb with beef to keep the gyro authentically Greek, but since beef is cheaper, it's probable that they add a bit less lamb to their blend than I did for this hack.
You can use the gyro meat immediately after it's baked, but to get the thinnest and most authentic slices, I find it best to chill the baked loaf thoroughly before slicing. Freezing it for about an hour also helps make it firmer, so you can slice it extra thin, just like real gyro meat.
The sliced meat is piled on warm pita, slathered with an easy tzatziki sauce made with mayo, like Arby's version (rather than traditional yogurt—and it's good!), along with lettuce, tomato, onion, and a sprinkle of the top-secret Greek seasoning hack that’s also revealed here.
Try my Arby's Greek Gyro Sandwich copycat recipe below and, find more of my Arby's copycat recipes here.
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IHOP Coffee Cake Pancakes
Read moreStreusel is added to IHOP’s signature buttermilk pancake batter, then the flapjacks are coated with cinnamon spread, topped with cream cheese icing, more streusel, and a pile of whipped cream. The stack tastes like a mixture of coffee cake and a cinnamon roll, and with all those sweet toppings, maple syrup won't be needed.
To make my IHOP Coffee Cake Pancakes copycat recipe, start by preparing the streusel, and you’ll notice a surprising ingredient. After closely inspecting the real IHOP streusel, I found that crumbled Nilla wafers are added to the mix. For your recipe, 16 Nilla wafers will do the trick, and they can be easily crushed in a resealable plastic bag with a heavy object.
My recipe makes 14 pancakes, which is enough for 3 1/2 large stacks or many smaller stacks, with plenty of streusel, cinnamon spread, and cream cheese icing for any size serving you prefer.
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California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) Braised Short Rib Ragu
Read moreThis new pasta dish introduced as a limited-time entrée at the 200-unit chain is so popular that it's still at the top of the "pasta" section on the menu as I post this. Just one taste makes it clear why this pasta is in such high demand: it’s fantastic, with big chunks of fork-tender short rib tossed with umpteen slices of toasted garlic in a creamy tomato sauce. And if this tasty dish eventually disappears from the menu, now you have a blueprint to re-create a perfect version at home.
My home clone of California Pizza Kitchen Braised Short Rib Ragu begins by braising short ribs until they fall off the bone. Then, you’ll combine the tender chunks of beef with thinly sliced garlic and an easy-to-make tomato sauce that includes some of the flavorful short rib braising liquid.
To finish your servings, you'll add pappardelle pasta to the pan and toss until coated. Sprinkle each of the four plates with freshly minced Italian parsley, and prepared to receive your well-deserved “wows.”
I've cloned a ton of dishes from California Pizza Kitchen. See if I hacked your favorites here.
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Jason's Deli Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Read moreChicken pot pie, reformulated as soup, is now a popular dish on several chain menus, but Jason’s Deli has a standout recipe. It includes everything you’d expect in a chicken pot pie, including carrots, peas, celery, onion, and potatoes in a flavorful sauce. The crust, which is made from a square of frozen puff pastry, looks beautiful, tastes great, and is quick and easy to prepare.
For my Jason’s Deli Chicken Pot Pie Soup copycat recipe, I was able to get a server to recite the ingredients list to me from her screen at checkout, so this hack should come closer than any other copycat out there. I found that a combination of flour and cornstarch worked great for thickening the soup, and a couple of teaspoons of chicken Better Than Bouillon perfected the flavor.
Use serving bowls that are at least 5 inches across so the puff pastry fits nicely on top of the soup. (4x4-inch pastries measure 5 inches from corner to corner). If you don’t have bowls this big, just be sure to make your puff pastry crusts a bit smaller.
Find more amazing copycat soup recipes here.
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Panda Express Chili Crisp Chicken
Read moreThis limited-time-only offering from the country’s biggest Chinese chain debuted in 2025 from May through July in just five markets: Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Albuquerque-Santa Fe, and Las Vegas. Fortunately, Vegas is my home, so this excellent new dish literally came to my doorstep. Thank you, Uber Eats.
This sauceless entrée uses the chain’s breaded chicken bites, along with chopped white onion, green bell pepper, and dried chilies. At the restaurant, I ordered a large box to go, which triggered the preparation of a new batch in the open kitchen for me to observe. I watched as the cook measured the same amount of onion as pepper, and about half that volume of dried chilies, so I used the same ratio for my clone. I used a slightly tweaked version of my previous Panda Express breading hack, except this time I was sure to use both white and dark meat chicken like the chain does.
For the chili crisp, I found that Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp or Momofuku Chili Crunch were closest to what Panda Express uses. Both are easy to find online.
After tossing the chili crisp with everything in the wok, the dish is served with a drizzle of hot honey on top. You can use real Mike’s Hot Honey, or you can whip up a batch with my hack here that combines honey with scotch bonnet pepper juice and vinegar for a cost-effective home clone.
Try my Panda Express Chili Crisp Chicken copycat recipe below, and find more of my Panda Express copycat recipes here.
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Mike's Hot Honey Original Hot Honey
Read moreDuring a trip to Brazil in 2004, Mike Kurtz sampled pizza topped with chile-infused honey for the first time and fell in love with the flavor. He enjoyed the distinct sweet-and-spicy taste so much that he began developing his own version of hot honey when he returned to Brooklyn, New York. He experimented with various formulas using different types of chile peppers until he perfected his hot honey recipe, which he bottled for personal use and to share with friends.
In 2010, while working at Paulie Gee’s Pizzeria in Brooklyn, Mike brought his hot honey and generously drizzled it over the pizza. Customers loved it and asked to buy bottles of the honey for home use, so Mike sold his hot honey by the bottle from the pizzeria. Eventually, word spread about Mike’s Hot Honey, and when Whole Foods became interested in his product, Mike realized its huge potential. Since then, sales have steadily increased each year for the condiment, and in 2025, the brand’s revenue is projected to reach $60 million.
Like Mike, I also experimented with various types of red peppers for my Mike’s Hot Honey copycat recipe, and Scotch Bonnet peppers worked the best. These chilies have a Scoville rating similar to that of the Brazilian peppers Mike uses, so the heat level of this hack should be very close to the real thing.
After removing the stems and seeds from the peppers, simply purée them in a blender and then mix the concentrated pepper juice with honey and vinegar. This will yield about ½ cup of homemade hot honey for you to use as you see fit.
Find more of my copycat recipes for condiments here.
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Girl Scout Samoas / Caramel DeLites
Read moreMy Girl Scout Samoas/Caramel DeLites copycat recipe isn't quick, but it's fun.The process involves baking shortbread cookies, coating them with caramel, sprinkling freshly toasted coconut onto the caramel, dipping the bottom of the cookies into chocolate, and then adding a chocolate drizzle over the top.
It takes time to make each one, but the technique I'm revealing here produces a delicious copycat version of Girl Scout Cookies Samoas that will satisfy anyone who loves the snack, which are the #2 most popular of the brand (Thin Mints are #1, and here's my version). This is the perfect recipe to make when you can recruit some joyous and enthusiastic kitchen helpers.
Click here for more of your favorite Girl Scout Cookies.
Source: Top Secret Recipes Step-by-Step by Todd Wilbur.
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Taco Bell Jalapeno Citrus Salsa
Read moreIntroduced in the summer of 2026 for the Cantina menu, this Taco Bell specialty sauce combines red jalapeños with sweet-and-sour citrus and fruit flavors. Like the chain’s Avocado Verde Salsa, introduced in 2024, the Jalapeno Citrus Salsa is not free. Each packet costs 20 cents and contains about 1 tablespoon of the sauce. If you really dig the stuff, you’ll be glad to know that this recipe will give you 2 cups of cloned sauce, or the equivalent of more than 32 packets!
The special ingredient in the sauce is red jalapenos, which can be hard to find at grocery stores. Fortunately, I had been growing jalapenos in my garden, and several had ripened to bright red just in time to hack this recipe. If you can’t find red jalapenos and don’t have your own jalapeno pepper bush, you can substitute the more common red Fresno peppers. They are about the same size as jalapenos and have approximately the same Scoville heat rating.
After making chili powder from dried guajillo peppers and apricot puree made with dried apricots, you’ll blend everything until smooth. I’ve added the ground mustard and honey to emulsify the sauce. Those ingredients, plus a 2-hour chill in your refrigerator between blends, will help suspend the oil particles within the other ingredients so that your sauce won’t separate.
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Starbucks Berry Blondie
Read moreIn the spring of 2026, Starbucks introduced several new pastries, including this buttery white chocolate blondie topped with ribbons of berry jam. The snack is a perfect coffee partner, served either warm or at room temperature.
For my Starbucks Berry Blondie copycat recipe, you'll make a buttery blondie batter with both brown and white sugar, plus chopped white chocolate chips. The layer of berry jam on top is a mix of blueberry and raspberry jam or preserves, which is first thinned by heating it, making it easier to drizzle over the dough.
After it bakes and cools, the blondie is removed from the pan with a parchment paper sling and sliced into nine square servings that look and taste just like the real thing.
Pair this with your favorite drink from Starbucks. Find more of my Starbucks copycat recipes here.
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Panda Express Dynamite Chicken
Read moreHave a drink nearby when you enjoy this new white-meat chicken entrée from Panda Express. Chunks of chicken breast are breaded with crispy puffed rice for extra crunch, then wok-cooked with onion, red bell pepper, and the hottest sauce ever offered by the popular Chinese takeout chain.
It was clear that perfecting the sauce was essential for my Panda Express Dynamite Chicken copycat recipe, so I started there. After isolating and analyzing the sauce, I noticed it contained more chili bits than other Panda sauces, so I added a generous amount of sambal to boost flavor and color. My sauce was hot but not as fiery as the original until I added Buldak. This Korean chicken-flavored hot sauce gave the sauce a richer red hue and just the right amount of delicious heat.
Once the sauce was hacked, I moved on to the crispy chicken. For the breading, I used smashed Rice Krispies out of curiosity, thinking it probably wouldn't be the right approach since the cereal is slightly sweetened. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the lightly sugared cereal worked so well, delivering great flavor and excellent crunch. Rice Krispies cereal is very easy to find, so it’s a great solution.
The real challenge with the breading was deciding whether to use a wet batter or a dry coating for the best results. As it turned out, I achieved the best results with both. After dredging the chicken in a wet batter, I coated it with the dry, puffed-rice mixture. After frying, the chicken's breading was perfectly thick and craggy, with a great crunch even when tossed in the flavorful sauce.
Try more of my Panda Express copycat recipes here.
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McDonald's Big Arch
Read moreMcDonald’s goes big with its latest burger, featuring two quarter-pound beef patties, three slices of white cheddar, and a new secret sauce. And the whole thing is easy to knock off at home, including the special sesame- and poppy-seed buns.
For my McDonald’s Big Arch copycat recipe, I made a sauce by mixing ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise with a few other common ingredients. But the key to the flavor was adding dill pickle relish, finely minced with a sharp knife, before mixing it in. You'll end up with nearly a cup of this secret sauce, leaving plenty left over for more burgers after making the two this recipe yields.
Once you make the sauce, assembling the burger is easy, with both fresh and fried onions, sliced lettuce, and pickles. For buns similar to those used by McDonald's, look for Ballpark Everything Burger Buns, which are baked with poppy and sesame seeds on top, just like the real thing.
I've cloned a ton of items from McDonald's. See if I hacked your favorites here.
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Chin Chin Famous Chinese Chicken Salad
Read moreFounded by Bob Mandler in California in 1983, Chin Chin quickly became a West Hollywood hotspot, where celebrities dined on dim sum and the iconic Chinese chicken salad with red ginger dressing. The original Sunset Boulevard location closed in 2025 after more than 40 years, but four others are still open in California. And there’s also a Chin Chin in Las Vegas at the New York, New York casino, which made it easy for me to dive into the salad and get a sample to go.
To create my Chin Chin Famous Chinese Chicken Salad copycat recipe, I started by hacking the famous red ginger dressing. The secret ingredient is julienned ginger pickled in a red brine, and it’s easy to find online. It isn’t true red ginger, but the taste and color work great when combined with soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sesame oil, and the other ingredients. You’ll get 1¼ cups of cloned dressing, which is plenty for two big salads, or four smaller ones.
After roasting and chilling a few chicken breasts, and making wonton crisps and fried rice noodles, you’ll be ready to toss your salads with the dressing and pile them high on serving plates. Sprinkle the salads with crispy noodles, green onions, and sliced almonds, and treat your taste buds to a classic dish from Hollywood’s Sunset Strip.
Find more of my salad knock-off recipes here.
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Jason's Deli Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Read moreChicken pot pie, reformulated as soup, is now a popular dish on several chain menus, but Jason’s Deli has a standout recipe. It includes everything you’d expect in a chicken pot pie, including carrots, peas, celery, onion, and potatoes in a flavorful sauce. The crust, which is made from a square of frozen puff pastry, looks beautiful, tastes great, and is quick and easy to prepare.
For my Jason’s Deli Chicken Pot Pie Soup copycat recipe, I was able to get a server to recite the ingredients list to me from her screen at checkout, so this hack should come closer than any other copycat out there. I found that a combination of flour and cornstarch worked great for thickening the soup, and a couple of teaspoons of chicken Better Than Bouillon perfected the flavor.
Use serving bowls that are at least 5 inches across so the puff pastry fits nicely on top of the soup. (4x4-inch pastries measure 5 inches from corner to corner). If you don’t have bowls this big, just be sure to make your puff pastry crusts a bit smaller.
Find more amazing copycat soup recipes here.
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Stouffer's French Bread Pizza
Read moreI owe many years of a blistered roof of my mouth to these pizzas I ate often as a kid, usually right after school when I was apparently too hungry to let them cool after coming out of the toaster oven. But the classic recipe for this snack that many of you might also fondly remember, has recently changed.
According to most accounts, the manufacturer changed the production process in the summer of 2025 so that the pizzas are no longer made with sliced French bread. Today, the bread is molded to resemble sliced French bread, but it lacks the crusty quality that made the pizzas special. Critics also say the sauce recipe has changed to one that’s sweeter and less tangy than the original.
For my Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza copycat recipe, I’m going back in time to when these pizzas were better. For this knockoff, we'll use real French bread for the crust, and the sauce here is less sweet than the current version, more like the original from back in the day. Find thick slices of pepperoni, and for the best melted cheese, shred your own mozzarella from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
Also, I suggest waiting a bit for these to cool before taking your first bite.
Find more of my Stouffer's copycat recipes here.
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Whataburger Patty Melt
Read moreThere is no patty melt more beloved on the planet than Whataburger’s. It’s the Texas chain’s signature specialty sandwich, and Whataburger has perfected the recipe with 2 beef patties, 2 slices of Monterey Jack, grilled onions, and a creamy pepper sauce so popular that they sell it by the bottle.
Because the sauce is crucial to the sandwich's flavor, I dedicated most of my time to perfecting it. I found that pureeing a can of chipotle peppers for the sauce was the best approach, even though you’ll only need 2 teaspoons of the puree, leaving plenty for another recipe. You’ll also need to plan ahead, since the sauce needs about 30 minutes to rest before you use it on the sandwich.
While researching my Whataburger Patty Melt copycat recipe, I found that the chain claims the burgers are 4 ounces each before cooking. In my kitchen, that produced cooked patties that were much too big compared to the chain's patties, even with beef that’s 20% fat. To stay true to the chain’s recipe, my hack here calls for 4-ounce patties, but I suggest starting with 3-ounce patties if you’d like a sandwich that's closer to the original and that can more easily fit into your mouth.
Try more of my famous burger and sandwich copycat recipes here.
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Zippy's Chili
Read moreHawaii locals have loved Zippy’s fusion of American, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Hawaiian cuisine since the casual restaurant chain debuted in Honolulu in 1966. In 2025, the chain opened its first mainland restaurant—in Las Vegas, which is nicknamed “The Ninth Island” for its large Hawaiian community.
In less than a year, four Zippy’s opened in Vegas, and one was just minutes from my house. Clearly, the universe was telling me it was time to clone this chain’s signature dish—a chili that’s moderately spicy and slightly sweet, with beans, Portuguese sausage, and a scoop of white rice. Thankfully, I found a box of Zippy’s frozen chili at a local market, and the label listed each of its ingredients. That’s the moment I confirmed that the widespread rumor about mayonnaise in the chili is not true.
The ingredients for my Zippy’s Chili copycat recipe are standard stuff, except for the Portuguese brand sausage also known as Linquica, which you can find online or at Costco. The bouillon adds great flavor to the chili, and I’ve found that Better Than Bouillon tastes better than dry bouillon cubes, so try to find that. The recipe here includes a can of beans, but you can also make the chili without beans. If you go beanless, be sure to add an additional ½ cup of water to the pot.
Find more soup and chili copycat recipes here.
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Du-Par's Legendary Buttermilk Hotcakes
Read moreJames Dunn and Edward Parsons combined parts of their surnames to name the restaurant they opened at the original Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles, California, in 1938. The eatery served a variety of diner foods, including sandwiches, burgers, and pies, but it’s the huge buttery pancakes that made the restaurant so iconic. Many who have tried these say they’re the best pancakes they’ve ever tasted. And yet, nobody has cracked the secret of the 88-year-old recipe. Until now.
There are enough rumors about the recipe to drive a food hacker crazy. Some suggest the batter takes hours to make, while others say the dry ingredients are pre-mixed in secret and cooks simply add buttermilk. Some claims suggest the recipe requires a special flour, while others say it’s just all-purpose flour. When I asked a server about the recipe, she claimed she couldn’t offer any information, or she would get fired and I would go to jail. Yes, she really said that.
But according to my tests with several batches, the recipe requires two major tweaks to an ordinary pancake recipe to make these “legendary.” For my Du-Par’s Legendary Buttermilk Hotcakes copycat recipe, I increased the number of eggs typically used in pancake batter to re-create the custardy texture of the original. The second big secret is butter. The most notable step that makes Du-Par’s pancakes special is the clarified butter generously ladled over the top before serving.
The steps are simple, the recipe is easy, and the pancakes are incredible. This is one you need to try.
Find more cool breakfast copycat recipes here.
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California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) Braised Short Rib Ragu
Read moreThis new pasta dish introduced as a limited-time entrée at the 200-unit chain is so popular that it's still at the top of the "pasta" section on the menu as I post this. Just one taste makes it clear why this pasta is in such high demand: it’s fantastic, with big chunks of fork-tender short rib tossed with umpteen slices of toasted garlic in a creamy tomato sauce. And if this tasty dish eventually disappears from the menu, now you have a blueprint to re-create a perfect version at home.
My home clone of California Pizza Kitchen Braised Short Rib Ragu begins by braising short ribs until they fall off the bone. Then, you’ll combine the tender chunks of beef with thinly sliced garlic and an easy-to-make tomato sauce that includes some of the flavorful short rib braising liquid.
To finish your servings, you'll add pappardelle pasta to the pan and toss until coated. Sprinkle each of the four plates with freshly minced Italian parsley, and prepared to receive your well-deserved “wows.”
I've cloned a ton of dishes from California Pizza Kitchen. See if I hacked your favorites here.
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Costco (Kirkland) Triple Chocolate Muffins
Read moreAfter hacking the recipes for Costco’s other popular muffins, including the Blueberry Muffins, Almond Poppyseed Muffins, and Lemon Raspberry Muffins, I would be remiss not to satisfy my fellow chocoholics by cracking the formula for the big box chain’s delicious Triple Chocolate Muffins. And I decided that these need to be really big. Much to the chagrin of many customers, Costco recently reduced the size of all their muffins, so for this recipe, these muffins have been re-created in their former “jumbo” size.
My Costco Triple Chocolate Muffins copycat recipe is simple, requiring basic ingredients, including chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, and Dutch-process cocoa (the dark one), for a rich, dark chocolate flavor. You’ll need a jumbo muffin pan to make these like the big muffins Costco used to sell, but you can also use a standard muffin pan to make smaller muffins if that’s all you’ve got.
Find more favorite famous bread recipes here.
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IHOP Coffee Cake Pancakes
Read moreStreusel is added to IHOP’s signature buttermilk pancake batter, then the flapjacks are coated with cinnamon spread, topped with cream cheese icing, more streusel, and a pile of whipped cream. The stack tastes like a mixture of coffee cake and a cinnamon roll, and with all those sweet toppings, maple syrup won't be needed.
To make my IHOP Coffee Cake Pancakes copycat recipe, start by preparing the streusel, and you’ll notice a surprising ingredient. After closely inspecting the real IHOP streusel, I found that crumbled Nilla wafers are added to the mix. For your recipe, 16 Nilla wafers will do the trick, and they can be easily crushed in a resealable plastic bag with a heavy object.
My recipe makes 14 pancakes, which is enough for 3 1/2 large stacks or many smaller stacks, with plenty of streusel, cinnamon spread, and cream cheese icing for any size serving you prefer.
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Trader Joe's Roasted Hatch Chili & Jalapeno Cheese Dip
Read moreThe nautical-themed store that Joe Columbe opened in Pasadena, California, in 1967, took its name from the well-known Los Angeles bar, Trader Vic’s. And if you look closely around the store, there’s a good chance you’ll spot the plastic lobster they hide there every day.
The chain has gained popularity for its branded products, which began with granola in 1972. One of its most popular items is this hot dip, a seasonal product available after the summer Hatch chile season. If you want to knockoff this delicious dip today, and Hatch chilies aren’t available where you are, don’t worry. Anaheim peppers are similar and can be found year-round.
For my Trader Joe’s Roasted Hatch Chile and Jalapeño Dip copycat recipe, you’ll roast some garlic and peppers, then combine them with cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheddar, and spices. Heat it in your oven for 15 minutes, then bust out the chips or crackers for a big serving of the popular dip, which is more than twice the size of the original.
Find more of your favorite dip copycat recipes here.
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Chipotle Red Chimichurri Sauce
Read moreChipotle’s new sauce, inspired by a traditional Argentinian recipe, is made to enhance several of the chain’s dishes, especially the carne asada. The Mexican restaurant modifies the classic sauce, which typically includes parsley, garlic, oil, vinegar, oregano, peppers, and salt. Instead of parsley, Chipotle uses cilantro and adds lemon juice, lime juice, and smoked paprika to the mix.
My Chipotle’s Red Chimichurri Sauce copycat recipe is simple. After roasting the minced garlic, mix it with all the other ingredients in a small bowl... and wait. Yes, patience is a virtue when it comes to this sauce. Let your chimichurri sit for at least an hour, and you'll be rewarded with a flavorful sauce that elevates dishes like burrito bowls, grilled salmon, chicken, steak, and many other dishes that need a boost of great flavor.
Find more of my Chipotle copycat recipes here.

For over 35 years I've been deconstructing America's most iconic brand-name foods to make the best original copycat recipes for you to use at home. Welcome to my lab.
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