"This Recipe Is A Staple In Our House": People Are Sharing The Best "Copycat" Recipes That Actually Taste Like The Real Deal

"This Recipe Is A Staple In Our House": People Are Sharing The Best "Copycat" Recipes That Actually Taste Like The Real Deal

We may never know exactly what goes into McDonald's chicken nuggets, but that will never stop some of us from trying to replicate this classic fast food recipe — and many others — at home. That's because there's something so satisfying about a really great recipe dupe. So, Redditor u/SignificantClass2906 asked, "What is a copycat recipe you’ve tried that actually tasted identical to the real thing?" Here are the recipes people swear by (including one tried-and-true copycat dish I've made myself).

1."The Girl Who Ate Everything has an amazing copycat of Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar soup. My whole family likes this better than the OG now!"

A bowl of creamy vegetable soup with broccoli, served on a woven placemat

2."Stella Parks' homemade cookies and cream 'Blizzard' recipe (Dairy Queen dupe) is spot-on."

A milkshake with crushed cookies on top, served in a tall glass

3."This dupe for Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme from Spend With Pennies always hits the spot. As a bonus, I use the leftover tostadas to make chilaquiles."

A quesadilla with melted cheese and filling on a white plate
Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

4."PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps from Damn Delicious. This recipe is a staple in our house."

Two lettuce wraps filled with savory mix, topped with seeds on a plate

5."The Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits recipe from Spend With Pennies. It's on regular rotation in my house. Just don't skimp on the butter; it definitely makes a difference."

Freshly baked biscuits on a cooling rack, sprinkled with herbs

6."This recipe from Dinner then Dessert for Panda Express orange chicken. I have zero changes to this recipe."

A plate of glazed chicken with orange slices on the side

7."Belle of the Kitchen's Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars. They are the first hit on Google, but damn, they are identical to the original and maybe even a little better. I've made them a bunch of times, and they are very dangerous."

Hand holding a slice of cake topped with cream and cranberries, on a wooden table

8."I was surprised at Serious Eat's Faux Chick-fil-A Sandwiches, a Kenji López-Alt recipe. They were delicious! I hate frying, but these are worth it."

A half-eaten chicken sandwich on open fast-food wrapper

9."I love Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi, and this dupe from Dinner then Dessert is my favorite to make at home."

A plate of spaghetti with creamy sauce, chicken, shrimp, and sprinkled cheese

10."Halal cart chicken over rice. I had it in NYC and found the recipe on Serious Eats. Now it's in the regular rotation in my kitchen."

A plate of chicken kabobs with rice, chopped vegetables, and a creamy sauce

11.This Chick-fil-A mac 'n' cheese copycat recipe from Simply Side Dishes is pretty on point."

A bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese on a speckled countertop

12."My wife made copycat Crumbl cookies. They were so good, we agreed they were banned from the house, and we would never dabble in the dark arts again."

A freshly baked chocolate chip cookie on parchment paper

13."This Din Tai Fung cucumber salad copycat recipe from Platings and Pairings. No other cucumber salad recipe holds a candle to this one."

Sliced cucumbers with red chili pieces on top, displayed on a plate

14."This Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll dupe from Beauty and Bedlam is perfect, except for the frosting. I make the frosting with one stick of softened butter, 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, and 3 cups of powdered sugar."

Tray of freshly baked cinnamon rolls with one partially taken out

15."The Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana copycat recipe from Gimme Some Oven. The secret is lots of kale, which gives it that subtle peppery zing."

A pot of soup with sausage, kale, and potatoes
A pot of soup with sausage, kale, and potatoes
Hand serving soup from a crockpot with sausage, potatoes, and kale
Hand serving soup from a crockpot with sausage, potatoes, and kale

Gimme Some Oven / Via gimmesomeoven.com

u/GingerIsTheBestSpice

16."The Nobu miso black cod recipe from The Kitchn. I've made this many times, and it's so easy and so good."

Seared pork belly slice on a white plate garnished with a green onion

17."I’m a sucker for the Cheesecake Factory farfalle pasta with chicken and roasted garlic, and this Just A Pinch version is a really good recipe dupe I’ve tried."

A plate of pasta with chicken, vegetables, and a slice of butter, topped with grated cheese, on a table with salt and pepper shakers

18."This copycat version of KFC coleslaw from Top Secret Recipes. It's the one I've been using for years, and it really does taste the same. I make mine even better than KFC's version by adding a teaspoon or two of horseradish to the mix."

Close-up of coleslaw with shredded carrots and cabbage in creamy dressing
Vwb Photos / Getty Images

19.And finally, "This faux McDonald's McGriddle recipe I found on Thrillist was actually excellent. The homemade McGriddle is wildly satisfying, and the flavors are very similar to the real thing. And actually, the homemade egg made the breakfast sandwich taste much higher quality and fresher. 10/10 would make again for a special treat."

Breakfast sandwich with pancakes, bacon, and melted cheese on a plate

Have you tried a chain or fast-food restaurant recipe dupe that actually compares to the real thing? Tell us in the comments (leave a link!) or drop it into this Google form.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.