Five Guys Little Cheeseburger Copycat Recipe (Single Patty, for 2)
One pressed 3.5 oz patty, American cheese, a dry-toasted sesame bun: my Five Guys Little Cheeseburger copycat for two, in 20 minutes.
To make a Five Guys Little Cheeseburger at home, press a 3.5 oz (100 g) ball of unseasoned 80/20 beef flat. Cook it on a dry, hot griddle, flipping it several times and pressing it again after the first flip, until it is well done at 160°F (71°C). Melt a slice of American cheese on top, then serve it on a toasted sesame bun wrapped in foil for a minute. This copycat recipe makes 2 burgers in about 20 minutes. It is my home version, not the official Five Guys recipe, which the chain doesn’t publish.
The Little Cheeseburger is the single-patty version of the Five Guys cheeseburger. The US menu describes it as “a fresh patty hot off the grill with American-style cheese” and lists it at 610 calories (Five Guys US burger menu, checked October 7, 2026). The press is the most important step. I learned that the hard way, after two earlier recipes on this site in which I cooked the patty thick.
What’s in a Five Guys Little Cheeseburger
A Five Guys Little Cheeseburger is one fresh beef patty, American cheese and a toasted sesame bun, plus any of 15 free toppings. Here is what the brand publishes about each part, checked on October 7, 2026.
- The patty: “100 percent beef that has no additives or fillers.” It is gluten-free, with no breadcrumbs, flour, soy sauce or spices, according to the Five Guys nutrition and allergen guide. Food Republic reports that the restaurants have no freezers.
- The cheese: Kraft American cheese in the US, made without animal-derived enzymes or rennet (same guide).
- The bun: a sesame bun made with water, salt, sugar, vegetable shortening (contains soy), milk, eggs, bleached bread flour, yeast and sesame seeds (same guide).
- The toppings, all free: mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, raw onions, grilled mushrooms, jalapeños, green peppers, Heinz ketchup, French’s mustard, relish, Cattlemen’s BBQ sauce, Frank’s Original Hot Sauce and A1 Original Steak Sauce (official toppings list).
Five Guys doesn’t say how much the patty weighs or how many cheese slices go on the Little. Reported raw weights run from 3.3 oz (about 94 g, according to Mashed) to 3.5–3.7 oz (about 99–105 g, according to Business Insider via Food Republic). I use 3.5 oz (100 g), the middle of that range. That figure is my assumption, not a number from Five Guys.
Little Cheeseburger vs Cheeseburger at Five Guys
The difference is the patty count. The Little Cheeseburger has one, and the regular Cheeseburger has two, with the cheese melted between them. Calorie figures below come from the official US menu, checked October 7, 2026.
| Burger | Patties | Cheese | Calories (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Hamburger | 1 | None | 540 |
| Little Cheeseburger | 1 | American cheese on the patty | 610 |
| Hamburger | 2 | None | 840 |
| Cheeseburger | 2 | American cheese between the patties | 980 |
Five Guys Little Cheeseburger vs Cheeseburger: patties, cheese placement and US calories (Little Hamburger 540, Little Cheeseburger 610, Hamburger 840, Cheeseburger 980), from the official US menu checked October 7, 2026. (Data: Five Guys official US burger menu (fiveguys.com), checked 2026-10-07; table: Burger Breton)
On the official menu, the cheese accounts for the 70-calorie gap between the two Little burgers. If you want the double, my Five Guys cheeseburger copycat recipe covers it. For no cheese at all, my Five Guys Little Hamburger copycat uses the same single patty.
Which one do I order? The Little. One thin patty leaves room for the cheese and the toppings to count, and the burger still holds together after a full load of grilled onions and pickles. The double is more beef than the bun can manage.
Five Guys Little Cheeseburger copycat recipe for 2
This recipe makes two single-patty cheeseburgers in about 20 minutes: 10 minutes of prep and 8 of cooking. Weigh everything. A few grams either way change how thin the patty presses.
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 8 minutes
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 burgers
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 g) cold 80/20 ground beef
- 2 soft sesame seed hamburger buns
- 2 slices American cheese (Kraft American or deli American)
- Toppings to taste, for example: 2 tbsp mayo, 2 lettuce leaves, 6 dill pickle slices, 2 tomato slices, ½ small onion thinly sliced for grilling, Heinz ketchup and French’s yellow mustard
- Kosher salt, optional (see the seasoning note below)
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet or flat griddle
- Sturdy flat metal spatula, or a burger press
- Parchment paper cut into four 5-inch (12 cm) squares
- Two 12-inch (30 cm) sheets of aluminum foil
- Instant-read thermometer
- Kitchen scale
How to make a Five Guys burger at home, step by step
To make a Five Guys burger at home, press the beef between parchment and cook it on a dry griddle. Flip it several times, press it again on the heat, take it to 160°F (71°C) and wrap the finished burger in foil.
1. Weigh and shape the beef
Divide 7 oz (200 g) of cold 80/20 beef into two 3.5 oz (100 g) balls. Don’t salt or season the meat. Keep the balls in the fridge until the pan is hot.
2. Press the patties on parchment
Set each ball between two parchment squares and flatten it with your palm. Then press it with the bottom of a heavy pan into a disc about 4.5 inches (11 cm) wide and ⅓ inch (8 mm) thick. Leave the parchment on until the patty goes into the pan, because cold, thin beef tears easily.
Step 1–2: shaping balls of cold, unseasoned ground beef into burger patties on a sheet before pressing them flat, about 3.5 oz (100 g) each for a Five Guys-style single patty. (Photo: Fábio Alves, Unsplash License — https://unsplash.com/photos/a-person-using-a-cookie-sheet-to-make-hamburger-patties-w-Y6dVIfbXE)
3. Heat the griddle dry
Heat the cast iron over medium-high for 5 minutes, without oil. If you have an infrared thermometer, aim for about 400°F (205°C) on the surface. For grilled onions, cook the sliced onion at one edge of the pan for 3–4 minutes, then push it aside.
4. Toast the buns without butter
Toast the buns cut side down on the dry griddle for 45–60 seconds, until golden. Set each bottom bun on a foil sheet.
5. Sear, flip and press
Peel off the parchment and lay the patties in the pan. Cook for about 90 seconds, until the edges turn gray, then flip and press firmly with the spatula for 10 seconds. Keep flipping about every minute, for roughly 5 minutes in total. If the first flip sticks, the pan wasn’t hot enough. Slide the spatula flat under the crust rather than prying from the edge.
6. Cook to 160°F (71°C) and melt the cheese
Check that the center of each patty reads 160°F (71°C) on the thermometer. Mine got there at about the 5-minute mark. A patty this thin overshoots quickly, so start checking at 4. Lay one slice of American cheese on each patty and leave it for about 30 seconds, until it slumps over the edges.
Steps 5–6: thin burger patties searing on a dry flat-top griddle, with American cheese slices melting on top and onions grilling alongside, the same flat-griddle method used for a Five Guys copycat cooked to 160°F. (Photo: XP-ert (Flickr, via Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 2.0 — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr\_XP-ert\_489502412--Cheeseburgers\_on\_grill.jpg)
7. Build and wrap in foil
Slide each patty onto a bottom bun, add your toppings and close with the top bun. Wrap it tightly in foil and let it rest for 60 seconds before serving.
Step 7: a pressed single-patty cheeseburger resting on aluminum foil; wrapping it tightly for 60 seconds finishes melting the cheese and softens the toasted bun, as Five Guys does. (Photo: George Pagan III, Unsplash License — https://unsplash.com/photos/a-hamburger-sitting-on-top-of-a-piece-of-tin-foil-lPIeSuWyv\_E)
Seasoning note: Mashed reports that Five Guys uses no salt or pepper. The official guide only says the patty itself has no spices, and nobody has confirmed whether the grill gets salted in the kitchen. For a strict copycat, leave the beef plain. If you like seasoning, add a small pinch of salt to the patty after the first flip.
Why this copycat tastes like the original Five Guys burger
This recipe copies the four things that have been documented about Five Guys burgers: fresh beef with nothing added, a patty pressed twice, a well-done cook and a foil wrap around a toasted sesame bun. The table shows where each detail comes from.
| Element | Five Guys (reported) | My home version |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100% beef, no additives, no spices (official guide) | 80/20 ground beef, unseasoned |
| Patty weight | 3.3 oz (Mashed) or 3.5–3.7 oz (Food Republic) | 3.5 oz (100 g) |
| Shaping | Pressed by hand between parchment, then with a metal press, then again on the grill after flipping (Food Republic) | Hand plus heavy pan, then spatula press after the first flip |
| Cooking | Dry grill (Chowhound), several flips, about 5 min (Mashed); well done at 160°F (Tasting Table) | Dry cast iron, flip about every minute, 160°F (71°C) |
| Cheese | Kraft American in the US (official guide) | Kraft or deli American |
| Bun | Sesame bun, toasted without butter (Mashed) | Sesame bun, dry-toasted |
| Finish | Wrapped in foil (Chowhound), about 60 s (Mashed) | Foil, 60 s |
Five Guys original vs home copycat: beef, 3.3–3.7 oz patty weight, double pressing, dry griddle cooked well done to 160°F (71°C), Kraft American cheese, butter-free toasted sesame bun and 60-second foil wrap, with the source for each detail. (Data: Five Guys allergen guide, Food Republic (Eli Cohen, 2025), Mashed, Chowhound, Tasting Table; table: Burger Breton)
The pressing matters most. My earlier Five Guys recipes on this site, including the Little Hamburger, called for a thick patty that was never pressed. The reporting says the opposite: Food Republic, citing Business Insider, describes the ball being pressed twice, and Mashed describes it pressed as well. I follow that method here and I’m updating the older recipes to match.
I cooked both patties in the same pan to check. The thick one browned only on its two faces and stayed soft and gray inside. The pressed one had crust from edge to edge, tasted more like seared beef than meatloaf and was done in about 5 minutes. The dry pan matters too. Without oil, the fat that renders out does the browning, and the burger doesn’t come out greasy. To see a different press-and-sear approach side by side, compare this recipe with my ShackBurger copycat recipe.
Five Guys Little Cheeseburger calories
A Five Guys Little Cheeseburger has 610 calories in the US, according to the official menu, before you add toppings. The Little Hamburger has 540 and the double Cheeseburger has 980.
Bar chart of Five Guys burger calories before toppings: Little Hamburger 540, Little Cheeseburger 610, Hamburger 840, Cheeseburger 980. The American cheese slice adds 70 calories to the single-patty burger. (Data: Five Guys official US burger menu, checked 2026-10-07; chart: Burger Breton)
Detailed fat, protein and sodium figures for the Little Cheeseburger circulate online, but they come from third-party sites. I couldn’t match them to an official Five Guys document, so I’ve left them out. The calories in my home version depend on your beef, bun and toppings.
Five Guys doesn’t publish a national price for the Little Cheeseburger, and what you pay depends on the restaurant. Our report on the 2026 burger value wars covers how chain burger prices moved this year.
Five Guys Little Cheeseburger FAQ
What is the difference between the Little Cheeseburger and the Cheeseburger at Five Guys?
The Little Cheeseburger has one patty with American cheese. The Cheeseburger has two patties with the cheese melted between them. On the US menu, that’s 610 calories against 980.
How many calories are in a Five Guys Little Cheeseburger?
The official US menu lists 610 calories for the Little Cheeseburger, before toppings. The Little Hamburger, the same burger without cheese, is listed at 540.
What cheese does Five Guys use?
In the US, Five Guys uses Kraft American cheese, made without animal-derived enzymes or rennet, according to its allergen guide. At home, any sliced American cheese melts just as smoothly.
How much does a Five Guys patty weigh, and what beef should I buy?
Five Guys doesn’t publish the patty weight. Reports range from 3.3 oz (Mashed) to 3.5–3.7 oz raw (Business Insider via Food Republic). I use 3.5 oz (100 g) of 80/20 ground beef.
Does Five Guys smash its burgers?
It presses them. Food Republic, citing Business Insider, says each ball is pressed by hand between parchment, then with a metal press, and pressed again after it is flipped on the grill. The patty never gets as thin or as lacy as a Shake Shack smash burger.
Can you order a Five Guys burger medium-rare?
No, according to Tasting Table: Five Guys cooks every patty well done, to 160°F (71°C). That is the USDA safe threshold, and the chain uses it for safety and consistency. The brand itself doesn’t publish its grill temperature or cooking time.
What bun should I use for a Five Guys-style burger?
Use a soft sesame seed bun and toast it without butter. To bake your own, follow my homemade burger buns recipe and sprinkle sesame seeds on top before baking.
Why does Five Guys wrap its burgers in foil?
Five Guys serves its burgers wrapped in foil, and the copycat methods from Mashed and Chowhound include that step. A rest of about 60 seconds holds the heat and steam in, so the cheese finishes melting and the bun softens around the patty. At home, skipping the foil left my bun dry and stiff around the edges.
A Five Guys cheeseburger and fries unwrapped from the foil and brown bag: the well-done, foil-steamed result this copycat recipe aims for at home. (Photo: William F. Yurasko (Flickr), CC BY 2.0 — https://www.flickr.com/photos/55676959@N00/4915257143)
Is this the official Five Guys recipe?
No. This is a home reproduction built from what Five Guys publishes and what the food press has reported. The chain doesn’t publish its recipe.
Sources and method
Every Five Guys fact in this article was checked on October 7, 2026. Where the brand doesn’t publish a detail, I name the press source and label my own choices as mine.
- Five Guys US burger menu
- Five Guys nutrition and allergen information
- Five Guys official toppings
- Food Republic, how Five Guys shapes its patties (Eli Cohen, June 5, 2025)
- Mashed, how to make a perfect Five Guys burger (Jake Vigliotti, updated November 3, 2023)
- Chowhound, the Five Guys cooking method at home (Jennifer M. McNeill, February 27, 2026)
- Tasting Table, why Five Guys burgers are well done (Luna Regina, February 4, 2026)
For more chain copycats and techniques, browse all our burger recipes.
