The Buddy burger is one of my favorite menu items at A&W. Recently, the other burgers have been getting more expensive so I've found myself eating more of the Buddy burgers. Obviously it is even cheaper to make them at home. I've made this a few times, and I have to say they taste pretty damn close to the original.

Can't get enough of A&W burgers? Try my Teen Burger next!

🍔 Deconstructing the Buddy Burger

Just like my copycat Teen burger recipe, the Buddy burger isn't hard to deconstruct. You can just remove the ingredients one by one and inspect what is inside. From what I gather, it is mustard, ketchup, grilled onions, beef, and mayonnaise.

If you need more reassurance, A&W lists the ingredients on their website. Apparently they use a special "Teen sauce," but I am 99% sure it is just mayonnaise, and they are just trying to make it seem more special than it is. I use Hellman's mayo and it tastes exactly the same.

For each of the sections below, I provide more in-depth details for each of the ingredients.

Buns

For the buns, I recommend using Wonder white hamburger buns. They taste exactly the same as the ones on the buddy burger. Here is a picture of mine:

Patty

The patty is just ground beef. I don't think there are any other ingredients in it. You will want to use full-fat or regular ground beef for this. It will give the patties a much juicier flavor.

Grilled Onions

This is honestly the best part of the Buddy burger. They are very soft, rich, and have a bit of a caramelized flavor. I did a lot of testing and cooking them down with beef stock makes them taste very close to A&W's.

I used 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon beef base mixed with ¼ cup of water. This is actually more than the instructions recommend, as you're supposed to mix 1 teaspoon of beef base for every 1 cup of stock. If you use regular beef stock, add a little bit more salt to replicate what I did.

Condiments

The condiments are mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise. You want to use a ratio of 1 part mustard, 2 parts ketchup, and 2 parts mayonnaise.

For the ketchup and mustard, I recommend using Heinz. Any brand will work but just make sure the mustard is classic yellow mustard and not dijon.

For the mayonnaise, I recommend using Hellman's. It tastes exactly the same as whatever they use (supposedly it's Teen sauce but I don't believe them).

🔪 Instructions

STEP 1: In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of beef broth concentrate with ¼ cup of water. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. Add the onions and the beef broth. Cook for 10 minutes until all the moisture is evaporated and the onions are soft and some parts are getting caramelized.

STEP 2: Divide the ground beef into six equal portions. Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add a patty to the center of the pan, quickly cover it with parchment paper, and use a burger press to flatten it to ¼-inch thick patty. Peel back and discard the parchment paper, then season the patties with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute then flip and cook the other side for 1 minute.

overhead shot showing the bottom bun, patty, and top bun

STEP 3: Now, it's time to assemble the burgers. First, toast the buns until they are slightly golden brown on the outside.

On the bottom bun, spread one teaspoon of mustard, followed by two teaspoons of ketchup, grilled onions, and the beef patty. On the top bun, spread two teaspoons of mayonnaise. Combine the buns, and enjoy!

Copycat A&W Buddy Burger

🍔 Deconstructing the Buddy Burger