Recreate the UK's top takeaways at home

We are currently living through the age of 'one-click away', where we can hop on our phones and order pretty much anything directly to us. With most takeaways, the food you've ordered will even arrive within the hour! But convenience comes at a price - takeaways are the most expensive they've ever been and frequently ordering them is no good for your health. That's why fakeaways are the tasty solution to your fast food cravings.

Deliveroo recently published the UK's top trending dishes and we are going to show you exactly how you can cook up your very own fakeaway versions of each dish landing in the top 10. First up is the all-time classic - the cheeseburger!

Ingredients (for four servings)

Burger Patties:

• 500g minced beef (choose a higher fat content for juicier burgers, such as 20% fat)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

To Serve:

• 4 burger buns
• 4 slices of cheddar cheese (or any preferred cheese)
• Lettuce leaves
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• Ketchup and mustard (or any sauces you fancy) 
• Pickles (optional)

Method

Prepare the Patties:

• In a bowl, mix the minced beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the patties tender.
• Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and form each into a patty slightly larger than your buns (they will shrink as they cook).

Cook the Patties:

• Preheat a grill pan or frying pan over medium-high heat. No need to add oil if your pan is non-stick and your beef has a high-fat content.
• Place the patties on the hot pan, pressing them down lightly. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on one side.
• Flip the patties and place a slice of cheese on each. Cook for another 3 minutes for medium doneness. Adjust the cooking time based on your preferred level of doneness.

Toast the Buns:

• While the patties are cooking, toast the buns cut-side down in another pan over medium heat until lightly golden.

Assemble the Burgers:

• On the bottom half of each bun, place lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a slice of red onion.
• Add the cooked patty with the melted cheese on top.
• Top with ketchup, mustard, and pickles (or your sauce of choice).
• Add the top half of the bun and enjoy!

Approximate cost & savings

(As of Feb 2024)

Five Guys cheeseburger - £11.95 for one servingFakeaway cheeseburger - £9.40 for four servings (2.35 for each burger)

• Minced Beef (500g): £3.00 - £4.00 for mid-range quality.
• Burger buns (pack of 4): £0.75 - £1.50 depending on the brand and type.
• Cheddar cheese (4 slices): £0.50 - £1.00, if buying a block and slicing it, or pre-sliced cheese.
• Lettuce: £0.70 - £1.00 for a whole lettuce (you'll use just a part).
• Tomato: £0.20 - £0.50 for one large tomato.
• Red onion: £0.20 - £0.40 for one onion (again, you'll use just part of it).
• Ketchup, mustard, pickles: Assuming you already have condiments, the marginal cost is minimal, but let's estimate £0.50 for the portions used.
• Seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce): £0.50 for the small amounts used from existing supplies.

Total estimated savings: £9.60 (for one serving)

This is an approximate cost breakdown based on generic supermarket prices in the UK. Prices can vary based on the store, brand, and quality of ingredients. Keep in mind that prices can fluctuate and specials or bulk purchases can reduce costs.

That is a MASSIVE saving and a simple but tasty fakeaway recipe. Keep checking back for more recipes that recreate your favourite takeaways.