Five Guys Cheeseburger: What's Inside and a Copycat Recipe
Two 80/20 patties, American cheese, a toasted sesame bun and 15 free toppings: the Five Guys cheeseburger decoded, US vs France, plus my copycat at 160°F.
A Five Guys cheeseburger is two fresh 80/20 beef patties with American cheese melted between them, on a soft, toasted sesame bun, plus as many of the 15 free toppings as you want. Five Guys US lists it at 980 calories before toppings. My copycat stays close: two thick patties grilled to 160°F (71°C), a slice of American cheese on each, a buttered and toasted bun, and the eight-topping ‘All The Way’ build. Below you’ll find the official build, the US and French topping lists side by side, and my five-step recipe.
What’s in a Five Guys cheeseburger?
A Five Guys cheeseburger is two fresh beef patties with melted cheese between them, on a soft, toasted sesame bun. Everything else is your call. I checked the official US and French sources on October 7, 2026.
- Beef: ‘80/20, 100 percent beef that has no additives or fillers’, according to Five Guys’ US nutrition and allergen page.
- Cheese: in the US it’s Kraft American cheese, made without animal enzymes or animal rennet. The French menu only says ‘melted cheese’ and doesn’t name a brand.
- Bun: a proprietary recipe in the US made from water, salt, sugar, vegetable shortening (soy), milk, eggs, bleached flour, yeast and sesame seeds.
- Patties: two. The Hamburger, Cheeseburger and Bacon Burger all get two patties. The Little versions get one.
- Calories: 980 Cal for the US Cheeseburger, per fiveguys.com. I couldn’t find an official French figure.
What’s in a Five Guys cheeseburger: 2 fresh 80/20 beef patties, Kraft American cheese (US), proprietary sesame bun, 15 free toppings, 980 Cal (US). Official Five Guys US and France data, checked October 7, 2026 (Table: Burger Breton, data from fiveguys.com/nutritional-allergy-information, fiveguys.com/menu/burgers and fiveguys.fr burgers menu)
The French menu sums it up in one line: melted cheese ‘between two fresh patties, on a soft, toasted bun. Add as many toppings as you like.’ That last sentence is the real product. The toppings get their own section.
Five Guys toppings: the full list, US vs France
The US and France both offer 15 toppings at no extra charge: ‘free’ on fiveguys.com, ‘included in the price’ on fiveguys.fr. The lists are nearly identical. Only the steak sauce changes.
| US topping (fiveguys.com) | France topping (fiveguys.fr) |
|---|---|
| Mayo | Mayonnaise (Heinz) |
| Lettuce | Salade (lettuce) |
| Pickles | Cornichons (pickles) |
| Tomatoes | Tomates |
| Grilled Onions | Oignons grillés |
| Onions | Oignons |
| Grilled Mushrooms | Champignons grillés |
| Jalapeño Peppers | Piments jalapeño |
| Green Peppers | Poivrons verts |
| Ketchup | Ketchup (Heinz) |
| Mustard | Moutarde |
| Relish | Relish |
| Bar-B-Que Sauce | Sauce BBQ |
| Hot Sauce | Sauce piquante (Frank’s Original) |
| A1 Sauce | Sauce steak (generic steak sauce) |
All 15 free Five Guys toppings, US vs France: the lists match except the steak sauce (A1 Sauce in the US, generic steak sauce in France). The 8 All The Way toppings are highlighted (Table: Burger Breton, data from fiveguys.com/menu/toppings and fiveguys.fr/menu/garnitures, checked 2026-10-07)
Five Guys US says its toppings are ‘Prepped Fresh Daily’. Lettuce is hand-torn, onions are chopped, and green peppers and jalapeños are sliced each morning. I couldn’t verify the Spanish menu (fiveguys.es doesn’t list its toppings), so I’m not claiming any differences for Spain.
What ‘All The Way’ means at Five Guys
Ordering ‘All The Way’ gets you eight toppings: mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup and mustard. It’s the same in the US and in France, mayo included. My advice: start there and add one sharp extra. For me that’s jalapeños. They cut through the double cheese better than another squirt of sauce.
Five Guys cheeseburger topped with grilled mushrooms, one of the 8 toppings in an All The Way order (Photo: jasonlam (Flickr), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/93512023@N00/4383560463)
How Five Guys prepares the cheeseburger
Five Guys says every burger is made to order. Its French site leans on ‘Préparés à la main. Frais.’ (hand-made, fresh) and ‘fresh food, not fast food’. That’s marketing, not my verdict. What you can actually verify is shorter: fresh 80/20 patties, toppings prepped each morning, fries cut in-store and soaked in water, and fries cooked only in refined peanut oil in dedicated fryers.
Staff assembling made-to-order burgers behind the counter at Five Guys Covent Garden, London (Photo: Tjeerd Wiersma (Flickr), CC BY 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/76396789@N00/20403434959)
Five Guys doesn’t publish its griddle temperature, its raw patty weight or any choice of doneness. You’ll often read that the patties are always cooked well-done, but the company hasn’t confirmed it. I cook them well-done at home anyway, with the same method I tested for my Little Hamburger Five Guys copycat with one 80/20 patty. Treat it as a home hypothesis, not house data.
Little Cheeseburger vs Cheeseburger: what’s the difference?
The Little Cheeseburger has one patty and the Cheeseburger has two. The bun, the cheese and the free toppings are the same. My take: the double is the better burger. Two patties with cheese between them have enough beef to carry a full All The Way load, while on the single the toppings take over. If you prefer that lighter balance, my one-patty recipe is linked above.
Five Guys cheeseburger copycat recipe
This copycat makes two double-patty cheeseburgers in about 25 minutes. It’s my home method, not the proprietary formula. Five Guys doesn’t publish its patty weight, seasoning or cooking times, so those numbers are mine.
| Five Guys (official) | My copycat | |
|---|---|---|
| Patties | 2 fresh 80/20 patties, weight not published | 2 × 3.3 oz (93 g) 80/20 per burger |
| Cheese | Kraft American (US), ‘melted cheese’ (France) | 2 slices American cheese per burger |
| Bun | Proprietary toasted sesame bun | Soft sesame bun, about 3 oz (85 g), buttered and toasted |
| Cooking | Not published | 3 to 4 minutes per side to 160°F (71°C), no pressing |
| Toppings | 15 free, your choice | All The Way: 8 toppings |
Five Guys original vs my homemade cheeseburger: patties (80/20, about 3.3 oz each), cheese, bun (about 3 oz), cooking (3 to 4 minutes per side, 160°F) and toppings (Table: Burger Breton, original data from fiveguys.com and fiveguys.fr; home values are the author’s own choices)
Ingredients for 2 cheeseburgers
- 2 soft sesame burger buns, about 3 oz (85 g) each, split. If you’d rather bake your own, follow my homemade sesame burger buns recipe with weights and proofing times.
- 13 oz (372 g) cold 80/20 ground beef, divided into 4 loose balls of about 3.3 oz (93 g). That’s my working weight, not a Five Guys figure.
- About 1/4 tsp fine sea salt.
- 4 slices American cheese. In the US, the original uses Kraft American.
- 1 tbsp neutral oil for the griddle, plus softened butter for the buns.
- All The Way toppings: mayo, shredded iceberg lettuce, dill pickle chips, sliced tomato, grilled sliced onion, grilled sliced mushrooms, ketchup and yellow mustard.
A homemade double-patty cheeseburger with two thick beef patties and melted cheese, the build this copycat recipe recreates (stand-in until the original ingredient flat lay is shot) (Photo: amirali mirhashemian (Unsplash), Unsplash License, https://unsplash.com/photos/double-patty-cheeseburger-jh5XyK4Rr3Y)
Step by step: how to make a Five Guys cheeseburger at home
Five steps give you two juicy, well-done patties with the cheese melted between them, and a toasted bun that doesn’t go soggy.
1. Prep the toppings and buns
Slice the tomato, pickles and onion, shred the lettuce, and keep the mayo, ketchup and mustard cold. Cook the onions and mushrooms in a skillet with a little oil until soft and browned, about 8 minutes. Split the buns and lightly butter the cut sides.
2. Form four thick, loose patties
Divide the cold beef into 4 portions of about 3.3 oz (93 g). Pat each one gently into a patty about 3.5 inches (9 cm) wide. Don’t overwork the meat. Press a shallow thumb dent into the center of each and chill for 10 minutes so they don’t puff up on the heat.
3. Toast the sesame buns
Toast the buns cut-side down on a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat for 60 to 90 seconds, until golden. Set them cut-side up so the steam escapes and the crumb stays soft.
4. Grill to well-done without smashing, then melt the cheese
Heat a cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat until it just smokes, then add a film of oil. Salt the patties and grill them 3 to 4 minutes per side without pressing, until the center reads 160°F (71°C). For the last minute, lay a slice of American cheese on each patty and cover. Then stack two patties per burger so the cheese melts between them.
Overhead view of beef patties on the griddle as American cheese slices melt on top, the step before stacking two patties per burger (cook to 160°F) (Video: Ron Lach (Pexels), Pexels License)
5. Dress it All The Way and wrap it in foil
Spread mayo on the bottom bun and add lettuce, pickles and tomato. Add the stacked patties, then the grilled onions and mushrooms, ketchup and mustard, and close the bun. Wrap each burger in foil for 2 minutes. The bun softens the way it does in a Five Guys bag, without turning wet.
Five Guys vs Shake Shack: two premium chain cheeseburgers
Five Guys and Shake Shack sit at opposite ends of the patty spectrum. Five Guys grills two thick patties. Shake Shack smashes thin ones for a lacy crust.
| Five Guys Cheeseburger | Shake Shack ShackBurger | |
|---|---|---|
| Patty style | Two thick grilled patties | Smashed patties |
| Toppings | 15 free, your choice | Fixed build with ShackSauce |
| Home method | Grill without pressing, 160°F (71°C) | Smash hard on a very hot griddle |
Five Guys Cheeseburger vs Shake Shack ShackBurger: two thick grilled patties and 15 free toppings vs a smashed patty with a fixed ShackSauce build (Table: Burger Breton, from fiveguys.com and the author’s home cooking tests)
Which one should you cook first? If you’re new to burgers at home, cook the Five Guys version. A thick patty forgives an extra minute on the heat, and a smashed one doesn’t. Then make my ShackBurger copycat recipe with a smashed patty and Shack sauce the same weekend and taste the difference.
How much does a Five Guys cheeseburger cost?
Five Guys doesn’t have one national price for the cheeseburger. It varies by restaurant and by channel, and delivery apps usually show higher prices than the counter. I couldn’t confirm an in-store price for this article, so I’m not printing one. Check the kiosk or the app for the location you’re ordering from.
Free toppings and in-store prep put Five Guys above the value bundles at McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s. I break down that gap in my 2026 burger value wars comparison.
Five Guys history and where you can find it
Five Guys was founded in 1986 in Arlington County, Virginia, by Janie and Jerry Murrell. The original ‘five guys’ were Jerry and his sons Jim, Matt, Chad and Ben. A fifth son, Tyler, was born two years later. Franchising began in early 2003, and the company has been headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, since 2023.
The first restaurant outside North America opened in London’s Covent Garden on July 4, 2013. Five Guys also made Alex’s list of the best burger restaurants in London. France followed on August 1, 2016, with a 140-seat restaurant at Bercy Village in Paris, and Spain on October 31, 2016, on Madrid’s Gran Vía. Five Guys now has more than 1,900 restaurants in more than 25 countries and turns 40 in 2026.
Five Guys Covent Garden on Long Acre, London, the first Five Guys outside North America (opened July 4, 2013) (Photo: Tjeerd Wiersma (Flickr), CC BY 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/76396789@N00/20083089623)
Map: Five Guys Covent Garden, 1-3 Long Acre, London WC2E 9LH (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)
Cour Saint-Émilion in Bercy Village, Paris 12th arrondissement, where the first Five Guys in France opened on August 1, 2016 (Photo: Grook Da Oger (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4485979)
Map: Five Guys Bercy Village, Cour Saint-Émilion, 75012 Paris, France’s first Five Guys (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)
Map: Five Guys Gran Vía 44, Madrid, Spain’s first Five Guys (opened October 31, 2016) (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)
Five Guys Place de la République in Paris, one of 38 Five Guys restaurants in France as of April 2026 (Photo: Chabe01 (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156531495)
In US restaurants, free roasted peanuts come with an allergen warning. The side to order is fries, cut in-house and served plain or Cajun style.
Free roasted peanuts at a Five Guys near Washington, D.C., served with an allergen warning (Photo: Ser Amantio di Nicolao (Wikimedia Commons), CC0 1.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127721700)
Five Guys timeline: founded 1986 in Arlington, Virginia; franchising 2003; London Covent Garden July 4, 2013; Paris Bercy Village Aug 1, 2016; Madrid Gran Vía Oct 31, 2016; 40th anniversary and 1,900+ restaurants in 2026 (Chart: Burger Breton, data from Five Guys Media Fact Sheet 2026, Wikipedia, Sortir à Paris, El Español and Zepros Resto)
FAQ: Five Guys cheeseburger
Short answers to the questions people ask most about the Five Guys cheeseburger.
How many patties are in a Five Guys cheeseburger?
Two. The regular Cheeseburger has two fresh patties, and the Little Cheeseburger has one.
What cheese does Five Guys use?
In the US, Five Guys uses Kraft American cheese made without animal enzymes or rennet. The French menu only says ‘melted cheese’ and doesn’t name a brand.
Are Five Guys toppings free, and how many can I get?
Yes. All 15 toppings are free in the US and included in the price in France, and you can add as many as you want.
How many calories are in a Five Guys cheeseburger?
Five Guys US lists 980 calories for the Cheeseburger. Toppings and sauces add more. I found no official figure for France.
Can you choose how your patty is cooked at Five Guys?
Five Guys doesn’t publish a choice of doneness. Patties are widely reported to be cooked well-done, but the company hasn’t confirmed it, so at home I cook them to 160°F (71°C).
Is the Five Guys menu the same in every country?
Mostly. The US and France both offer 15 toppings and an identical All The Way build. France lists a generic steak sauce instead of A1 and doesn’t name its cheese. I haven’t verified the Spanish menu.
Why is Five Guys more expensive than McDonald’s or Burger King?
Five Guys builds every burger to order with two fresh patties, preps its toppings each morning, includes them all for free and cuts its fries in-store. That puts it in the premium fast-casual tier, not the value-menu tier.
Sources, all checked October 7, 2026: Five Guys US burgers menu, Five Guys US toppings, Five Guys nutrition and allergen information, Five Guys France burgers menu, Five Guys France toppings, Five Guys 2026 media fact sheet, Wikipedia: Five Guys, Sortir à Paris on the Bercy Village opening, El Español on Five Guys in Spain. Patty weight, seasoning, cooking times and doneness in my recipe are home choices, not Five Guys data. More copycats are in the Burger Breton recipes section.
