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Dairy Queen Copycat Cheeseburger Recipe (Original Stackburger)

Make DQ's Original Cheeseburger at home: two thin 75 g seasoned patties, sharp American, pickles, ketchup and mustard on a toasted bun. Ready in 20 minutes.

By ClaraPublished

Double cheeseburger with two thin seared beef patties, melted American cheese and pickle chips on a soft toasted bun, the Dairy Queen copycat cheeseburger look

To make a Dairy Queen copycat cheeseburger at home, stack two thin 2.6 oz (75 g) seasoned beef patties with sharp American cheese, pickles, ketchup and mustard on a soft toasted bun. That is the whole official build of DQ’s Original Cheeseburger, one of the Signature Stackburgers Dairy Queen launched in the US on March 30, 2022. Nothing else goes on it. This recipe makes 2 double burgers in about 20 minutes, and it is my homemade reproduction, not Dairy Queen’s own recipe.

What is in the Dairy Queen Original Cheeseburger?

The Dairy Queen Original Cheeseburger is a double or triple stack of seasoned beef patties with “perfectly melted Sharp American, pickles, ketchup and mustard” on a soft, toasted bun. That wording comes from Dairy Queen’s own announcement of March 30, 2022, and Eat This, Not That! reported the same build. Every Stackburger uses “100% seasoned real beef” on a “soft and toasted bun,” according to Meat+Poultry and Eat This, Not That!

The official description has no onion, no lettuce, no tomato and no secret sauce. I like that restraint. With four toppings on two patties, nothing can hide behind a sauce.

Dairy Queen calls the Signature Stackburger line “the most significant product rollout for ADQ in the past 20 years” (ADQ being American Dairy Queen). In the US it launched with five burgers: FlameThrower, Loaded A.1., Bacon Two Cheese Deluxe, Two Cheese Deluxe and the Original Cheeseburger. Canada got its own lineup of six a month earlier, on February 28, 2022, per Daily Hive.

Dairy Queen Grill & Chill restaurant with its drive-thru menu board in Hiawassee, Georgia A Dairy Queen Grill & Chill in Hiawassee, Georgia, in February 2023. The drive-thru menu board advertises the Signature Stackburgers launched in the US in March 2022. (Photo: Harrison Keely (Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A\_modern\_Dairy\_Queen\_restaurant\_in\_Hiawassee,\_Georgia.jpg), CC BY 4.0)

What is known and what is my guess

Dairy Queen publishes the toppings, the ingredient lists and the beef weight per burger. It does not publish the seasoning ratio, the cooking method or whether that weight is raw or cooked. The table below separates what DQ states in its 2022 US and Canadian launch descriptions (checked on October 7, 2026) from the choices I made at my own stove.

Element What DQ publishes What I chose at home
Beef “100% seasoned real beef”; patty listed as beef, encapsulated salt and spice 80/20 ground chuck, fine salt and black pepper
Patty weight Double = 1/3 lb of beef, triple = 1/2 lb (raw or cooked not stated) 2.6 oz (75 g) raw per patty
Cheese Sharp American, a processed cheese made from milk and cream 1 slice of sharp American per patty
Toppings Pickles, ketchup, mustard Pickle chips, ketchup, yellow mustard
Bun Soft, toasted; enriched flour, sugar, yeast, soybean oil, with a glaze Soft enriched bun, buttered and toasted
Cooking method Not published Smashed on a very hot cast-iron skillet

“Stackburger” does not mean smash burger. Dairy Queen has never said it smashes its patties. I smash mine anyway, because on a home stove it is the most reliable way to get a thin patty with a real crust.

Ingredients for 2 Dairy Queen copycat double cheeseburgers

You need 10.6 oz (300 g) of ground beef, 4 slices of sharp American cheese and 2 soft buns for two double burgers. Weigh the beef: equal balls cook in the same time, so both patties in the stack come out alike.

  • 10.6 oz (300 g) ground beef, 80/20, divided into 4 balls of 2.6 oz (75 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon (about 3 g) fine salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 slices sharp American cheese
  • 2 soft burger buns, about 3.5 in (9 cm) wide, store-bought or my soft homemade brioche burger buns
  • 1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter, softened, for the buns
  • 8 dill pickle chips, patted dry
  • 2 tablespoons (34 g) ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons (10 g) yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon neutral oil (canola or sunflower)
  • Optional, not part of the original: 2 tablespoons finely diced white onion

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes. Total time: 20 minutes. Yield: 2 double cheeseburgers.

How much does a Dairy Queen Stackburger patty weigh?

Each patty weighs about 1/6 lb, or roughly 2.6 oz (75 g). At launch, Dairy Queen sold the double with 1/3 lb of beef (about 5.3 oz, 151 g) and the triple with 1/2 lb (8 oz, 227 g). Divide either by the number of patties and you land on 75 g each.

How much beef is in a Dairy Queen Stackburger: about 2.6 oz (75 g) per patty, 1/3 lb (5.3 oz, 151 g) in the double and 1/2 lb (8 oz, 227 g) in the triple, from launch figures. DQ does not say whether these are raw or cooked weights. (Chart: Burger Breton, rendered with QuickChart; data from Dairy Queen launch announcement (March 30, 2022))

Dairy Queen does not say whether that weight is raw or cooked. I go with 75 g raw. The patty is thin enough to cook through in under 3 minutes, and a double still stands tall on the bun.

Step by step: how to make the DQ Original Cheeseburger at home

Toast the buns, smash four 75 g balls of beef on a smoking-hot skillet, season, flip, melt the cheese, then stack. Have every topping ready before the beef hits the pan: the patties take about 2 minutes.

1. Portion the beef

Divide 300 g of cold ground beef into 4 loose balls of 75 g each. Do not knead or pack them; keep them in the fridge until the skillet is ready.

2. Prepare the toppings

Pat the pickle chips dry with a paper towel. Measure the ketchup and mustard, unwrap the cheese slices and keep everything within reach of the stove.

3. Toast the buns

Spread the cut sides of the buns with the softened butter. Toast them cut side down in a skillet over medium heat for 60 to 90 seconds, until golden, then set aside.

4. Heat the skillet

Wipe the skillet, add the oil and heat it (cast iron or a griddle) over high heat for about 4 minutes, until the surface reaches around 450 °F (230 °C) and the oil just starts to smoke.

5. Smash and season the patties

Place 2 beef balls in the skillet, leaving room between them. Within the first 10 seconds, press each one firmly with a sturdy spatula into a thin patty about 4 in (10 cm) wide, then season the top with salt and pepper.

Beef patties being smashed flat on a hot griddle with a burger press for a copycat smash cheeseburger Smashing beef patties flat on a hot flat-top griddle with a burger press. At home, a sturdy spatula on a cast-iron skillet at about 450 °F does the same job in the first 10 seconds. (Photo: Cullen Roberts (Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/person-pressing-burger-patties-on-grill-K5iPiJL6CDo), Unsplash License)

6. Sear, flip and melt the cheese

Sear for 90 seconds without moving the patties, until the edges are deep brown. Scrape them up with the spatula, flip, lay a slice of sharp American on each and cook 30 to 45 seconds more, until the cheese melts. Move them to a warm plate and repeat with the last 2 balls; the first pair only waits about 2 minutes.

Slices of American cheese melting over thin smashed beef patties on a griddle American cheese melting over thin smashed patties on a griddle. Lay one slice on each patty right after the flip and give it 30 to 45 seconds. (Photo: Edward Howell (Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/a-person-cooking-food-on-a-grill-XXz7RvBO2N4), Unsplash License)

7. Assemble the stack

Spread ketchup and mustard on the bottom bun, add 4 pickle chips (and the diced onion, if using), then stack two cheese-covered patties. Close with the top bun and serve right away.

Ketchup being added to a double cheeseburger with molten American cheese Ketchup going onto a double cheeseburger with molten American cheese. In the DQ Original Cheeseburger, ketchup, yellow mustard and pickles are the only toppings. (Photo: Anto Meneghini (Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/wlehgn1YeZ8), Unsplash License)

Why this recipe tastes like the original

This copycat matches the Original Cheeseburger because it keeps DQ’s exact topping lineup and the 75 g patty, and only changes what Dairy Queen does not publish. The flavor rests on contrast: sharp cheese against the acid of pickles and mustard, then the sweetness of ketchup and a sugared bun.

Dill pickle chips on melted American cheese over a smashed beef patty Dill pickle chips over melted American cheese on a smashed patty. The acid of pickles and mustard cuts through the cheese, and that contrast is what makes a DQ-style cheeseburger work. (Photo: Christopher Stites (Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/77265qWj-Gk), Unsplash License)

The cheese carries this burger. In The Takeout’s taste test of April 1, 2022, the Original Cheeseburger ranked 2nd of 5 Stackburgers. The reviewer liked the Sharp American’s “pretty great flavor” but found the beef pale, with a “slightly springy” texture. That is where I depart from the restaurant on purpose. A firm smash on a smoking skillet gives a browner, crunchier edge, and I think the burger is better for it.

My first test batch had the salt mixed into the beef before shaping. Those patties came out tight and a little bouncy, close to what The Takeout described. Salting only the top, right after the smash, kept the meat loose and the edges crisp, so that is the method written here.

Do not skimp on the bun. Dairy Queen’s ingredient list shows sugar and a glaze, so a lean, crusty roll tastes wrong here. A soft, slightly sweet enriched bun toasted in butter gets much closer.

Which cheese to use: sharp American vs regular American

Use sharp American slices, not mild American and not cheddar. Dairy Queen’s Sharp American is a processed cheese made from milk and cream with sodium citrate, which is why it melts into a smooth, glossy layer instead of turning oily.

Regular American slices melt the same way but taste milder. Cheddar has more bite, yet on a patty this thin it tends to split and leak fat before it fully melts. If you cannot find sharp American, use regular American: I would rather lose a little tang than the texture.

Tips to get closer to the DQ result

Cold beef, a very hot pan and fast assembly made the biggest difference in my tests.

  • Keep the beef cold until the moment it goes in the pan: it smashes thinner and stays juicy.
  • Smash once, in the first 10 seconds, then leave the patty alone. Pressing later squeezes out the juices.
  • Season after smashing, not before, so the salt stays on the surface and builds the crust.
  • Put the pickles under the patties, not on top, so the bun does not slide.
  • Serve within 2 minutes. A Stackburger is built to be eaten hot, while the cheese is still molten.

Dairy Queen Original Cheeseburger nutrition facts

A Dairy Queen Original Cheeseburger double has 560 calories, 31 g of fat, 33 g of carbohydrates and 39 g of protein, according to archived nutrition listings on FatSecret. The triple reaches 760 calories.

DQ Original Cheeseburger Calories Fat Carbs Protein
Double 560 31 g 33 g 39 g
Triple 760 45 g 33 g 55 g

Dairy Queen Original Cheeseburger nutrition facts: the double has 560 calories, 31 g fat, 33 g carbs and 39 g protein; the triple has 760 calories, 45 g fat, 33 g carbs and 55 g protein (archived FatSecret listings). (Chart: Burger Breton, rendered with QuickChart; data from FatSecret (https://mobile.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/dairy-queen/original-cheeseburger-double, …/original-cheeseburger-triple))

These figures describe the restaurant burger, not this homemade version. Your numbers will depend on the fat ratio of your beef and the size of your bun. For comparison, Taste of Home’s smash-style copycat of the same burger makes 4 servings in 15 minutes and calculates 339 calories and 760 mg of sodium per burger.

Frequently asked questions

What is in a Dairy Queen Original Cheeseburger?

It is seasoned 100% beef patties, sharp American cheese, pickles, ketchup and mustard on a soft, toasted bun. That is Dairy Queen’s official US description from its March 30, 2022 Signature Stackburgers launch.

Does the Dairy Queen Original Cheeseburger have onions?

No, not according to Dairy Queen’s official 2022 descriptions, which list only sharp American, pickles, ketchup and mustard. Some unofficial menu sites add onion, but treat it as an optional extra, not part of the original.

How much does a DQ Stackburger patty weigh?

About 2.6 oz (75 g). Dairy Queen launched the double with 1/3 lb of beef and the triple with 1/2 lb, which works out to roughly 1/6 lb per patty. DQ does not say whether that weight is raw or cooked.

What is the difference between a Stackburger and a smash burger?

A Stackburger is Dairy Queen’s brand name for its line of double and triple burgers; a smash burger is a cooking technique where a ball of beef is pressed thin on a hot surface. Dairy Queen has not published how it cooks its patties, so a Stackburger is not officially a smash burger. At home, smashing is simply the best way to get thin, browned patties.

How many calories are in a Dairy Queen Original Cheeseburger double?

The double has 560 calories, with 31 g of fat, 33 g of carbs and 39 g of protein, according to archived FatSecret listings. The triple has 760 calories.

What is the best bun for a fast-food style burger?

A soft, slightly sweet enriched bun, toasted on the cut side. Dairy Queen’s bun contains sugar and soybean oil and carries a glaze, so a brioche-style or potato bun gets closer than a crusty roll. You can also bake soft homemade burger buns a day ahead.

Is this the official Dairy Queen recipe?

No. This is a homemade copycat built from Dairy Queen’s published description and ingredient lists. The seasoning ratio, the cooking method and the bun recipe are my own choices, because DQ does not publish them.

More burger recipes to try

If thin stacked patties are your thing, my ShackBurger copycat recipe uses the same smash and American cheese melt, and the Sonic Jalapeno Double Cheeseburger copycat is the spicier double from another American drive-in chain. Everything else is in our copycat and homemade burger recipes. For the real thing, see our burger restaurant guides around the world. Dairy Queen counted around 7,500 restaurants worldwide in 2024, according to The Local, so there is a fair chance you can taste the original next to this one.

Sources

All sources checked on October 7, 2026.