White Castle Burgers
Updated
Updated
I’ve been hooked on White Castle Burgers for years, and now whenever the craving hits, I make them at home. With thin seasoned beef patties topped with American cheese on slider buns, these White Castle Burgers are a simplified copycat recipe and taste like what you’d order at the restaurant. Great for an easy family lunch or dinner, and a guaranteed hit for game day with friends, too!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItThis post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
5 STAR REVIEW
(Almost) Copycat White Castle Burgers
If you crave White Castle burgers like I do, but aren’t anywhere near one of their restaurants, you’ll love this easy copycat recipe to make at home.
I call these (almost) copycat burgers because they’re not exactly like the original but they’re very close.
Authentic White Castle Burgers have 5 holes stamped into the patties (that resemble the 5 from a set of dice) before being frozen. Then the frozen patties are cooked on a bed of re-hydrated chopped onions on a Blackstone – they’re super thin so they cook through without flipping.
Our version is a little simplified—formed into one giant slab, then scored, and baked on a sheet pan in the oven. The flavor is perfect though!
White Castle Burgers
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. lean ground beef
- 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix, (1 ounce)
- 2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Beef paste
- ¼ cup milk, (or water, if necessary)
- ½ tsp pepper
- 24 small square dinner rolls, (2 ½-inch)
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 24 dill pickle slices
- 8 Kraft American cheese slices, each slice cut into 4 squares
- optional condiments: mayo, ketchup, mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion soup mix, milk, and pepper until thoroughly incorporated.
- Coat a 10×15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Press the beef mixture, spreading it to the sides of the pan in an even layer. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the uncooked large slab into 24, 2½-inch squares, then gently stamp them with the back of a small round wooden spoon to make 5 hole impressions within each small square (watch the video if you need a visual aid.)
- Bake for 7 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 160°F.
- Remove from the oven and drain off grease. Then place the cheese slices on top of each square. Put back in the oven just for a minute or so for the cheese to melt.
- Cut the giant cooked beef patty along the perforations.
- Add any desired condiments to a roll, then place a cheesy beef patty on top, followed by a dill pickle slice and sprinkle of diced onion.
Video
Notes
- Skip the holes. We’ve tested this with simply pricking the beef slab all over with a fork, instead of stamping the holes, and it still works great.
- The burger should reach 160°F before you remove it from the oven. Since the burger is so thin, it cooks quickly.
- You can cut the giant burger patty into any size patty you’d like.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make White Castle Burgers Step by Step
Prepare the beef: In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion soup mix, milk, and pepper until thoroughly incorporated. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Press into pan and score: Coat a 10×15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Press the beef mixture evenly into the pan, spreading it to the edges. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the slab into 24, 2½-inch squares, then gently stamp them with the back of a small round wooden spoon to make 5 holes within each square (watch the video if you need a visual aid).
Bake for 7 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 160°F.
Drain and add cheese: Remove from the oven and drain off grease. Then place the cheese slices on top of each square. Put it back in the oven just for a minute or so for the cheese to melt.
Cut: Cut the giant cooked beef patty along the perforations.
Assemble and serve: Add any desired condiments to a roll, then place a cheesy beef patty on top, followed by a dill pickle slice and a sprinkle of diced onion.
How to Store
Assembled sliders should be consumed immediately but extra burger patties can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheat burger patties in the microwave and then assemble the sliders as desired.
Cut parchment paper into 4-inch wide strips. Arrange cooked and assembled burgers onto the parchment. Roll parchment over burgers and fold like a present to enclose. Then wrap parchment in foil; freeze for up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, unwrap foil and parchment (discard.) Microwave on medium until hot, 1 to 2 minutes.
What to Serve With White Castle Burgers
These White Castle sliders can be enjoyed as lunch, dinner, or even as an appetizer. They are traditionally served with onions and a pickle, though feel free to add or omit toppings as desired. You can also add mayo, ketchup, or mustard.
These would be perfect paired with flavorful onion rings, crispy French fries, or tater tots for a quick, kid-approved lunch.
I’ve actually never been to a white castle but I liked the ingredients and method in this recipe so decided to try it. Made them for Super Bowl and everyone loved them! Super easy too since it’s made in the oven not on the grill (which I don’t have.) I will definitely make these again.
I think I need to try “steaming” the buns by putting them on top of the beef while cooking. That and my pickles were too thick. Otherwise very good.
These were GREAT!