Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger Copycat Recipe

To make a Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger at home, cook a thin, beef-only patty of 3.5 to 4 oz (100 to 113 g) in a hot skillet, melt one slice of American cheese on top and set the patty on a second slice. Build it on a toasted sesame seed bun with tomato, lettuce, dill pickles, chopped onion, mayo-onion sauce and ketchup. My copycat makes 2 burgers in about 25 minutes. It’s my own version, not Jack in the Box’s recipe: the chain publishes its ingredients, but not the patty weight, the sauce formula or where the cheese goes.

This is the cheese version of my Jumbo Jack copycat recipe, and it’s all about the 2 slices: where they go, how to melt them, which cheese to buy, and what they add in calories and allergens. Every composition fact here comes from the US market, from the menu I checked on November 11, 2026, and the chain’s 2016 ingredient statement.

What’s on a Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger?

A Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger is a beef patty with 2 slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, chopped onions, mayo-onion sauce and ketchup on a sesame seed bun. The US menu lists it as the “Jumbo Jack With Cheese”: a “jumbo beef patty topped with 2 slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, chopped onions, mayo-onion sauce and ketchup on a sesame seed bun” (Allmenus, Jack in the Box menu, checked November 11, 2026).

Take the cheese away and you have the plain Jumbo Jack, word for word. So the 2 slices are the whole difference, and they’re what this recipe gets right. One caveat: the menu pages on jackinthebox.com returned errors when I tried them on November 11, 2026, so I couldn’t confirm whether the chain currently calls it “Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger” or “Jumbo Jack With Cheese”.

Jumbo Jack at Jack in the Box (November 2014): the sesame seed bun, lettuce and thin beef patty that the Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger copycat recipe builds on, shown here without cheese. The cheeseburger version adds 2 slices of American cheese. (Photo: Willis Lam, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jack\_In\_The\_Box\_Jumbo\_Jack\_and\_Drink\_(15620925108).jpg)

Jumbo Jack with cheese: what’s official and what I worked out

Jack in the Box publishes the cheese, the toppings and a beef-only patty. It doesn’t publish the patty weight, the sauce recipe or where the cheese goes. I worked from the US menu and from the chain’s Ingredient & Allergen Statements, dated July 27, 2016, at the foot of every page (Jack in the Box PDF). It’s old. It’s also the most recent official ingredient document I could find, and it covers the US.

Jumbo Jack with cheese, official vs homemade: what Jack in the Box publishes (2 slices of American cheese, a beef-only patty, a sesame seed bun, mayo-onion sauce, ketchup) and the choices in this copycat (1 slice under and 1 over the patty, 3.5 to 4 oz of 80/20 beef, salt in the skillet). (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0; data: Jack in the Box Ingredient & Allergen Statements (2016) and Allmenus US menu, checked 2026-11-11)

Why 2 slices of American cheese, and where they go

The menu confirms 2 slices of American cheese but not where they sit. The Jack in the Box fan wiki and several nutrition aggregators put one under the patty and one on top, and after testing it, I’m convinced that’s right. The top slice melts over the beef. The bottom one softens against the hot patty and acts as a seal between the meat juices and the bun.

I tried it both ways. With a single slice on top, my bottom bun was soggy by the last few bites. With the second slice underneath, it held to the end. For me, that bottom slice is the reason to make this version at all.

That’s also where the best-known copycat falls short. Top Secret Recipes makes cheese optional and uses a single slice on the patty (Top Secret Recipes). One slice gives you a Jumbo Jack with some cheese on it. Two give you cheese in every bite, top and bottom, which is what the menu describes.

Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger build order, bottom to top: bottom bun, mayo-onion sauce, American cheese slice, beef patty, melted American cheese slice, 2 tomato slices, lettuce, 2 pickle chips, chopped onion, mayo-onion sauce, ketchup, top bun. (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0; topping order from Top Secret Recipes (Todd Wilbur), cheese placement from Jack in the Box fan sources)

Why American cheese melts so smoothly

American cheese melts into a smooth sheet instead of splitting because it contains emulsifying salts. The 2016 statement lists sodium citrate and sodium phosphate in the chain’s sliced American cheese, alongside cultured milk and skim milk, water, cream, salt, sorbic acid, citric acid, artificial color, acetic acid, enzymes and soy lecithin. Sodium citrate is the one to care about at home: it stops the fat from separating as the slice melts.

What to use if you can’t find American cheese

Buy individually wrapped processed cheese slices, the burger kind, and check the label for emulsifying salts. That’s what makes them melt like the original. If you’re cooking outside the US, this is the swap you’ll need, since Jack in the Box has no restaurants in Europe. Failing that, a thin slice of young, mild cheddar is the next best thing. It tastes good, but on a hot patty it melts unevenly and can leave a slick of grease.

An individually wrapped slice of processed American-style cheese, the kind to buy for a Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger copycat. Its emulsifying salts make it melt into a smooth layer. (Photo: Amin, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Single\_wrapped\_slice\_of\_processed\_cheese.jpg)

Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger ingredients (2 burgers)

These quantities make 2 burgers. They’re the same as in my plain Jumbo Jack copycat, plus 4 slices of cheese.

Mayo-onion sauce

• 3 tbsp (45 g) mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp (10 g) white onion, very finely minced
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• 1 small pinch of salt

Burgers

• 2 sesame seed buns
• 7 to 8 oz (200 to 226 g) ground beef, 80/20, cold
• Salt
• 4 slices American cheese
• 4 thin tomato slices
• 2 large iceberg lettuce leaves
• 4 dill pickle chips
• 2 tbsp (20 g) chopped white onion
• 2 tsp (10 g) ketchup

Times: prep 15 minutes, cook 10 minutes, total 25 minutes.

How to make a Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger: step by step

Make the sauce, shape thin patties, toast the buns and lay the bottom slice of cheese. Then sear the patties and melt the top slice in the pan. Only the cheese timing needs your full attention.

1. Make the mayo-onion sauce

Stir the mayonnaise, minced onion, onion powder and salt together in a small bowl and leave it in the fridge while you prep the rest. 10 minutes is enough for the onion to come through. This is my reconstruction: the sauce is named on the menu, but its formula isn’t in the official statement.

2. Prep the toppings and the cheese

Slice the tomato thin, about ¼ inch (6 mm), and tear the lettuce to the size of the bun. Chop the onion finely and pat the pickle chips dry. Then take the 4 cheese slices out of the fridge. Straight from the fridge, my top slice was still stiff when the patty was done. At room temperature, it melts in the 30 seconds you give it.

3. Shape thin patties

Split the cold beef into 2 equal portions of 3.5 to 4 oz (100 to 113 g). Press each one into a thin patty about ½ inch (1.3 cm) wider than the bun, since it shrinks as it cooks. Mix nothing into the meat: the official statement lists the Jumbo Jack patty as beef only.

4. Toast the buns and lay the bottom slice

Toast the buns cut side down in a dry skillet over medium heat for 45 to 60 seconds, until golden. Turn them cut side up, spread a little mayo-onion sauce on each bottom bun and lay 1 slice of cheese on it, ready for the hot patty.

5. Sear the patties and melt the top slice

Heat the skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, around 400 °F (200 °C) at the surface. Lay the patties down, salt the top, and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until well browned and 160 °F (71 °C) in the center. For the last 30 seconds, put 1 slice of cheese on each patty and cover the pan so the steam melts it.

6. Build the Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger

Slide each patty, melted cheese up, onto the slice waiting on the bottom bun. Add 2 tomato slices, lettuce, 2 pickle chips, chopped onion, more mayo-onion sauce, ketchup and the top bun. The toppings follow the Top Secret Recipes build order, with cheese added under and over the patty. Eat it right away, while the bottom slice is still soft.

Why this copycat tastes like the original

This version stays close to the original because it follows the chain’s published ingredients and only guesses where Jack in the Box says nothing.

• 2 slices, not 1. The menu says 2 slices of American cheese. Top Secret Recipes makes cheese optional and uses only 1.
• Mayo-onion sauce, not plain mayo. The current menu names it. Top Secret Recipes still calls for plain mayonnaise.
• A beef-only patty. The 2016 statement lists just “Beef” for the Jumbo and Regular patty. The chain’s ¼ lb Signature patty, by contrast, comes seasoned with salt, yeast extract, onion powder, spices and garlic powder.
• Thin and wider than the bun. Todd Wilbur uses 1/5 lb (about 3.2 oz, 91 g) per burger, cooked 2 to 3 minutes per side. I go up to 3.5 to 4 oz because no weight is official, and I prefer a patty that holds its own between 2 slices of cheese.

What I can’t promise: the exact patty weight, the sauce formula, the current bun and the official cheese placement. The menu says sesame seed bun, some unofficial sites name a different one, and I couldn’t confirm which is in use today.

Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger calories and nutrition

A Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger has about 600 calories for a 245 g burger, according to unofficial nutrition data. The figures below come from the Nutrola database for the US menu, published June 26, 2026 (Nutrola). Several aggregators agree on 600 calories. None of them is Jack in the Box.

Take the sodium figure with caution. Nutrola gives 990 mg, but 1,310 mg turns up elsewhere, and the official nutrition PDF on jackinthebox.com returned errors when I checked on November 11, 2026. These numbers describe the restaurant burger, not my homemade version.

Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger nutrition per 245 g burger (US menu, unofficial Nutrola data, June 2026): 28 g protein, 33 g carbs including 6 g sugars, 40 g fat, 600 kcal and 990 mg sodium. Other sources give 1,310 mg sodium. (Chart: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0; data: Nutrola (https://nutrola.app/en/blog/jack-in-the-box-jumbo-jack-cheeseburger-calories), unofficial, rendered with QuickChart)

More Jack in the Box and cheeseburger copycats

Jack in the Box was founded in San Diego in 1951 by Robert O. Peterson. Its history and figures are on our Jack in the Box brand page. If you want a cheesier burger from the same chain, my Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger copycat doubles the patties and adds Swiss-style cheese.

From other chains, try Julia’s Whataburger with Cheese copycat or my Sonic Jalapeño Double Cheeseburger copycat if you like some heat. The full collection is on the Burger Breton recipes hub.

Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger FAQ

How many slices of cheese are on a Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger?

The US menu lists 2 slices of American cheese, without saying where they go. Fan sources and aggregators put one under the patty and one on top, and that’s the build I use.

What sauce is on a Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger?

It comes with mayo-onion sauce and ketchup, according to the current US menu. Jack in the Box doesn’t publish the mayo-onion sauce recipe. My version, mayonnaise with minced fresh onion and onion powder, is a reconstruction.

How much beef should I use for a Jumbo Jack copycat?

Use 3.5 to 4 oz (100 to 113 g) of 80/20 ground beef per burger. Jack in the Box doesn’t publish the patty weight. Top Secret Recipes uses 1/5 lb (about 91 g), and some other sites say a quarter pound without a source.

Is the Jumbo Jack patty seasoned?

No seasoning is mixed into it, according to the chain’s 2016 ingredient statement, which lists the Jumbo and Regular patty as just “Beef”. I salt the patty in the skillet, as Top Secret Recipes does.

How many calories are in a Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger?

About 600 calories for a 245 g burger, according to unofficial data from Nutrola. The same source gives 28 g protein, 33 g carbs, 40 g fat and 990 mg sodium. Other sources give 1,310 mg sodium, and I couldn’t check official figures.

What’s the difference between the Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger and the Ultimate Cheeseburger?

The Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger has one plain beef patty, 2 slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, mayo-onion sauce and ketchup. The Ultimate Cheeseburger has 2 seasoned patties, American and Swiss-style cheese, ketchup, mustard and mayo, with no vegetables, and it’s much heavier at about 820 calories. The recipe is in my Ultimate Cheeseburger copycat.

What allergens are in a Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger?

Expect milk and soy from the American cheese, according to the official 2016 statement, plus wheat and sesame from the sesame seed bun. The mayonnaise adds egg and soy, as I detail in my plain Jumbo Jack recipe. At home, check the labels on your own bun, mayo, ketchup and cheese.

Should I use a skillet, a griddle or a grill?

Use a skillet or a flat griddle. A thin patty needs flat, even contact to brown in 2 to 3 minutes per side, and a lid to melt the top slice fast. On a grill grate, thin patties stick and the cheese drips through the bars.

Can I eat a Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger in Europe?

No. Jack in the Box has no restaurants anywhere in Europe. In 2025 it had 2,712 restaurants across 22 US states, plus 3 in Mexico and 2 in Guam (Wikipedia). It returned to Mexico in February 2024 with a restaurant in Chihuahua. I couldn’t check the Mexican menu, so this recipe follows the US version.