A very cravable burger. This is the closest I’ve gotten to perfecting it, along with its little sibling, the single drive-thru hamburger.
Mechanic
The McDouble is built on two thin patties, a single slice of cheese between them, and a sharp dressing ratio. Double-grinding the beef (or triple-grinding, for softer still) is what gives the patty its soft, almost pillowy texture rather than a coarse, chewy one. The seasoning is a 4:2:1 ratio of salt, MSG, and black pepper by weight, plus 0.25 parts onion powder if you like.
Smash-and-freeze before cooking locks the shape. Press between parchment sheets using two flat surfaces until 5–10% wider than your target bun, then par-freeze.
Patties
- 150 g ground beef (80/20; a blend of chuck, top round, and sirloin is ideal), double-ground, for two 75 g patties
- Seasoning: 4:2:1 salt, MSG, and black pepper by weight, plus 0.25 parts onion powder (optional)
Form two balls of double-ground beef. Flatten into patties slightly larger than the bun (they will shrink). Freeze on a flat tray until firm, 20–30 minutes.
Cook from frozen on a hot griddle or cast iron pan, about 220°C (425°F) at the surface. Press flat as they hit the pan if you want a smash texture. Cook until well browned on the bottom, 2–3 minutes. Flip and add the cheese to one patty. Cook another minute. Season as soon as they come off the heat.
Build
- 1 small bun (about 9 cm), slightly pressed flat
- 2 tsp ketchup
- ½ tsp mustard (5:1 ketchup to mustard)
- 2 extra-sour dill pickle slices, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dried minced onion, rehydrated (or fresh white onion, diced, soaked in cold water, and drained)
- ½ slice Kraft Deluxe American cheese
Toast the cut sides of the bun in a dry non-stick pan over medium heat until golden. Stack the patties with the cheese between them. Add the ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onion. Close the bun.
Wrap in parchment or burger paper, or cover in a pan with a lid, for a minute to steam the burger slightly and soften the bun.
To serve
Immediately. These hold badly.
Variations
Single hamburger
The little drive-thru slider. Use one 45 g patty on a small bun (Dempster, 7.5 cm / 3 inch). Build it bottom up: bottom bun, a few drops of mustard, 2 tsp ketchup, pickles, onion, half a cheese slice (optional), patty, top bun. Steam it in its wrapper.
Bacon McDouble
Cook 1 slice of bacon until crisp and cut it in half. Lay the two halves on the cheese before stacking the second patty.
Notes
- The 5:1 ketchup:mustard ratio gives that distinctive fast-food sweet-savoury balance.
- Double-ground beef: put the ground beef through the grinder twice, or blitz briefly in a food processor.
- A bun pressed to about 11 cm (4⅓ inch) matches the patty diameter after smashing.
- The restaurant uses 45 g patties for both, but they’re a pain to work with at that size at home.
- Kraft Deluxe cheese is thicker than what the golden king uses, so use half a slice.
- No extra-sour pickles? Regular non-kosher dills with a little citric acid or vinegar added work.