Wendy's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger Copycat Recipe (Makes 2)
Square 2.25 oz patty, oven-baked smoked bacon, American cheese and mayo: rebuild Wendy's value-menu classic at home in 30 minutes.
To make a Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger copycat at home, press 60–70 g (about 2.25 oz) of 80/20 ground beef into a thin 10–11 cm (4-inch) square, salt it and sear it 2–3 minutes per side on a very hot griddle. Top it with one slice of American cheese, two strips of oven-baked applewood-smoked bacon, iceberg lettuce, a tomato slice and mayonnaise on a plain toasted bun. Two burgers take about 30 minutes. What this version gets right is the size. The JBC is built on a junior patty, and the best-known copycat uses a 1/3 lb one, which makes it a different burger.
Homemade reproduction, not the official recipe. Wendy’s does not publish an assembly spec for the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. I built this recipe from what Wendy’s has said publicly, third-party ingredient data and my own choices, and I flag which is which below. Reference market: United States (US menu and nutrition), with a note on the UK. Facts checked on October 9, 2026.
What’s on a Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger?
A Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger is a beef patty, applewood-smoked bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on a bun. That is the US lineup Wendy’s announced for its 1-cent promotion from December 30, 2023 to January 2, 2024 (KWQC). Wendy’s UK describes the same burger, which fans call the JBC, as made to order with fresh beef, Applewood smoked bacon, American cheese and Heinz mayo, with your choice of crisp lettuce and tomato (Wendy’s).
Side view of a Wendy’s Junior Bacon Cheeseburger: a thin junior patty with bacon strips laid on top, then lettuce and a tomato slice under the top bun. Photographed in 2015, when it sat on the Right Price Right Size menu. (Photo: Willis Lam, Wikimedia Commons (from Flickr), CC BY-SA 2.0)
The table below separates what Wendy’s says, what third-party sources add and what I chose for this recipe.
| Component | Wendy’s official | Third-party sources | My copycat choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bun | “Bun”, no type specified | Enriched wheat flour bun with high-fructose corn syrup and wheat gluten (Fast Food Nutrition) | Plain hamburger bun, toasted |
| Patty | Fresh, never frozen, 100% beef, square, sticks out past the bun (Wendy’s); junior patties given as 2.25 oz in the 2012 Son of Baconator launch | About 2 oz in nutrition databases; ground beef and salt | 60–70 g of 80/20 beef, 10–11 cm square, 6 mm thick |
| Seasoning | — | Salt is the only listed seasoning (The Daily Meal) | Salt only |
| Cheese | American cheese | Contains soy lecithin | 1 slice of American cheese |
| Bacon | Applewood smoked, oven baked | Cured with salt, sugar, sodium phosphate, sodium nitrite; usually 2 slices in copycat recipes | 2 strips smoked bacon, baked at 200 °C / 400 °F |
| Sauce | Mayonnaise (Heinz in the UK) | Soybean oil and egg yolk mayo | 1 tbsp mayonnaise |
| Lettuce | Lettuce | Iceberg leaf in Top Secret Recipes | 1 iceberg leaf |
| Tomato | Tomato | 1 slice | 1 slice |
How big is a Wendy’s junior patty?
A Wendy’s junior patty weighs about 2.25 oz (64 g) raw. That is the figure Wendy’s gave for the junior patties of the Son of Baconator at its July 2012 launch (Franchising.com), and The Daily Meal reports that the Son of Baconator uses the same “Jr.” patties as Wendy’s junior burgers (The Daily Meal). Nutrition databases put it closer to 2 oz (57 g). Wendy’s has never published a weight for the JBC itself. So I go with 60–70 g, which covers both figures and still stays juicy on a hot griddle. The well-known Top Secret Recipes copycat uses 1/3 lb (about 151 g), more than twice the real thing (Top Secret Recipes). For me that is the mistake that matters most: at 151 g, the bacon and cheese turn into garnish.
Wendy’s junior patty weight compared: about 2 oz (57 g, third-party estimate) for the Jr. patty, 60–70 g (2.25 oz) in this copycat, a quarter pound (113 g raw) for the Dave’s Single and 1/3 lb (151 g) in the Top Secret Recipes version. (Chart: Burger Breton, built with QuickChart from Wendy’s, Fast Food Nutrition and Top Secret Recipes data, CC BY 4.0)
Why is the Wendy’s patty square?
Wendy’s patties are square so the corners stick out past the round bun and customers can see the beef. Wendy’s ties it to founder Dave Thomas’s motto, “we don’t cut corners” (Wendy’s). Those corners are the burger’s visual signature. With a round patty you get a decent bacon cheeseburger, but not a JBC.
Ingredients for 2 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers
For 2 burgers you need 120–140 g of ground beef, 4 strips of smoked bacon, 2 slices of American cheese and the classic toppings. The weights are mine, not Wendy’s.
- 120–140 g (4.25–5 oz) ground beef, 80/20, split into two portions of 60–70 g
- Fine salt
- 4 strips applewood-smoked bacon (any smoked bacon works; in the UK, smoked streaky)
- 2 slices American cheese
- 2 plain hamburger buns
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 iceberg lettuce leaves
- 2 tomato slices
Equipment: a cast-iron skillet or griddle, a baking sheet lined with parchment, and an instant-read thermometer. Want to bake the buns too? Use my homemade burger buns recipe and skip the sesame seeds: the JBC bun is plain.
Step by step: the Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger copycat
Bacon goes in the oven first. Then you sear the thin square patties hard and fast, and build. Count about 30 minutes, most of it bacon time.
1. Bake the bacon
Heat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Lay the 4 bacon strips flat on the lined baking sheet and bake 12–18 minutes, until browned and crisp at the edges. Drain on paper towel; the strips firm up a little more as they cool. Baking imitates the oven-baked applewood bacon Wendy’s describes in its January 22, 2024 Breakfast Burrito release (Wendy’s).
Step 1: smoked bacon strips baked flat on a foil-lined sheet pan at 400 °F (200 °C) for 12–18 minutes, like the oven-baked applewood bacon Wendy’s uses. (Photo: Wright Brand Bacon, Unsplash License (https://unsplash.com/photos/zewhuIAHMAM))
2. Shape the square patties
Divide the beef into two 60–70 g portions. Press each one between two sheets of parchment into a square 10–11 cm (about 4 in) wide and 6 mm (1/4 in) thick. Hold it against a bun: the four corners should stick out well past the edge, because the patty shrinks on the griddle. Chill until the pan is hot.
3. Toast the buns
Toast the cut sides of the buns in the dry skillet over medium heat until lightly golden, about 1 minute, then set them aside. Do it now, while the pan is only medium hot. A few minutes later it will be far too hot for bread.
4. Sear the patties
Heat the skillet or griddle until the surface reaches about 200–230 °C (400–450 °F). Salt the patties on both sides and sear 2–3 minutes per side. Don’t press them down: at 6 mm there is no juice to spare. Cook them through to 71 °C (160 °F) inside, the USDA recommendation for ground beef (USDA FSIS).
5. Melt the cheese
Right after flipping, lay one slice of American cheese on each patty. It melts during the remaining 2–3 minutes. If the corners of the slice are still stiff, cover the pan for 20 seconds.
Steps 4–5 on a pro flat-top: American cheese goes on right after the flip so it melts while the second side sears. This 2005 photo is from an In-N-Out kitchen with round patties; at home you shape yours square. (Photo: XP-ert, Wikimedia Commons (from Flickr), CC BY-SA 2.0)
6. Assemble the burger
Spread 1 tbsp mayonnaise on each top bun. On the bottom bun, stack the cheesy patty, 2 bacon strips side by side, the lettuce leaf and the tomato slice, then close. This bottom-to-top order is the one Top Secret Recipes describes; Wendy’s has never published its official build.
Why this recipe tastes like the original
This copycat comes close because it copies the five things that define the JBC.
- The right patty size. A thin 60–70 g square keeps the balance of a junior burger, where bacon and cheese matter as much as the beef. A 151 g patty turns it into a different burger.
- Salt only. Salt is the only seasoning listed for Wendy’s patties, so I leave out the pepper some copycats add.
- Oven-baked bacon. Baking gives flat, evenly crisp strips that lie side by side, like the bacon Wendy’s says it bakes.
- The square overhang. You get beef corners in every bite, which is what Wendy’s designed the square for.
- Mayo, not a special sauce. Wendy’s lists mayonnaise, nothing else, so the cold creamy top layer stays simple.
Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger calories and nutrition
A US Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger has 360 to 390 calories, depending on the nutrition database. Fast Food Nutrition lists 390 kcal; FatSecret and other databases give 360 kcal. Wendy’s official nutrition pages returned errors when I checked on October 9, 2026, so treat these as third-party figures.
| Per burger (US, third-party data) | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories | 390 kcal (360 kcal in other databases) |
| Fat | 24 g |
| Carbohydrates | 25 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Sodium | 660 mg |
| Allergens | Egg, gluten, milk, soy, wheat |
Source: Fast Food Nutrition. It lists no fish, peanuts, shellfish or tree nuts. I don’t give nutrition for the homemade version: it depends too much on your bun, bacon and cheese.
A short history of the Junior Bacon Cheeseburger
The Junior Bacon Cheeseburger has been a Wendy’s value staple since 1989, when it was on the chain’s first Value Menu with every item at $0.99. The menu later became the Super Value Menu, and the single $0.99 tier ended in January 2013 (Sporked). Wendy’s itself dates back to November 15, 1969, when Dave Thomas opened the first restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, a story told in our history of the hamburger.
Sign at the first Wendy’s, opened by Dave Thomas in downtown Columbus, Ohio, on November 15, 1969. Photographed in July 2006; the restaurant closed in March 2007. (Photo: Joe Ross (Corvair Owner), Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
The JBC has spun off limited versions. The Swiss Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, with Swiss cheese and ranch, joined the 4 for $4 in October 2016 (Franchising.com). The Giant Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, with double beef, double bacon and double cheese, arrived in a $5 deal in late August 2017 (Franchising.com).
How much is a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger in 2026?
Since January 14, 2026, the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger is one of the choices in the $6 Biggie Bag and the $8 Biggie Bundle in the US. Those are suggested prices: Wendy’s says US price and participation may vary, with higher prices in Alaska, California, Hawaii and through third-party delivery (Wendy’s Investor Relations). The à la carte price is set by each franchisee, and Wendy’s publishes no national figure. So the burger that once stood for the 99-cent menu is now mostly sold inside a bundle. For the bigger picture, read our report on the 2026 burger value wars.
More fast-food cheeseburger copycats
If you like this one, these other US chain copycats are small, classic burgers worth comparing.
- Son of Baconator copycat: Wendy’s own bigger bacon burger, with two of the same junior patties and four strips of bacon.
- Five Guys Little Cheeseburger copycat: another single-patty cheeseburger, round and loaded with toppings.
- Five Guys cheeseburger copycat: the double-patty version.
- Dairy Queen Original Cheeseburger copycat: a classic US chain cheeseburger.
- Whataburger Sweet and Spicy Bacon Burger copycat: bacon burger with a sweet-heat twist.
- What’s in a Whopper, plus the copycat recipe: Wendy’s historic rival, built on the same composition-plus-recipe format.
Browse all our burger recipes for more chain copycats and techniques.
Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger FAQ
What sauce is on a Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger? Mayonnaise, not a special sauce. Wendy’s US lists mayonnaise, and Wendy’s UK specifies Heinz mayo. The mayo brand used in the US is not confirmed.
How many slices of bacon are on a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger? Usually two, according to copycat recipes and a third-party source. I found no official Wendy’s page stating the count, so this recipe uses two strips per burger.
What kind of bacon does Wendy’s use, and how do I copy it? Wendy’s uses applewood-smoked bacon that is baked in the oven. At home, bake any smoked bacon at 200 °C (400 °F) for 12–18 minutes for the same flat, crisp strips.
How many calories are in a Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger? Between 360 and 390 calories in the US, depending on the database (390 kcal at Fast Food Nutrition, 360 kcal at FatSecret), checked October 9, 2026.
Is this the official Wendy’s recipe? No. It is a homemade reproduction. Wendy’s publishes no assembly spec for the JBC, so the cooking times and build order are my choices or come from Top Secret Recipes, and the patty weight is based on the 2.25 oz junior patty Wendy’s gave in 2012.
Where can I eat a Wendy’s outside the US? Wendy’s sells its fresh beef burgers in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the UK and some other international markets. In Europe, Cork, Ireland opened in October 2025, and two Milan restaurants were announced for mid-2026. There is still no Wendy’s in France (Toute la Franchise).
