20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (2024)

Staying in but still want to enjoy your favorite restaurant’s food? Try making your own at home with these copycat recipes from some of America’s most beloved restaurants!

Everything from iconic side dishes like Cracker Barrel Fried Apples and Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potatoes, to main dishes such as CPK’s BBQ Chicken Pizza and IHOP pancakes. And, of course, we didn’t forget famous copycat desserts like Cheesecake Factory’s Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake.

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (1)

1. Cracker Barrel Fried Apples

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (2)

Nothing brings back memories of Sunday dinner like these copycat Cracker Barrel fried apples! These slow cooked sugar and cinnamon glazed apples are best paired with a salty main dish, like ham.

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2. Cheesecake Factory Honey Wheat Bread

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (3)

If you’ve ever been to the Cheesecake Factory you know how delicious their honey wheat bread is, so you’ll be super excited to try this at-home version. The best part? It freezes well so you can make a big batch and always have some on hand.

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3. Instant Pot Honey Baked Ham

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (4)

Buying a Honey Baked Ham can be quite expensive. Save money by making your own at home with this copycat Instant Pot version. It serves up to 10 people and comes out to just $2.26 per serving!

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4. Chipotle Corn Salsa

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (5)

Homemade chipotle corn salsa makes the perfect Netflix and chill snack with tortilla chips, or a delicious complement to homemade burritos or nachos. Don’t like heat? Swap out the jalapeños for sweet red bell peppers.

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5. Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (6)

This copycat version of Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad tastes just like the real thing, but with a fraction of the calories. There are instructions for making it ahead in case you want to prep it for lunch the next day.

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6. Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (7)

Cheddar Bay Biscuits are easily the best thing on Red Lobster’s menu. This easy homemade version brings all the cheesy flavor you’re used to and can be put together in just one bowl.

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7. Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (8)

Crispy sweet pecan topping with creamy sweet potatoes underneath, even a person who doesn’t like veggies will be diving into this dish. It’s one of the most popular side dishes at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse for a reason!

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8. CPK BBQ Chicken Pizza

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (9)

The BBQ Chicken Pizza is arguably the most iconic pizza from California Pizza Kitchen and now you can make it at home! Crispy crust, BBQ sauce, cheese, chicken breast, red onions, and cilantro make it a pizza to remember.

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9. Olive Garden Breadsticks

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (10)

If you love buttery, garlic breadsticks, then you will swoon for this Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks recipe. Simple to make & tastes just like your favorite Italian restaurant.

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10. Melting Pot Strawberry & Spinach Salad

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (11)

Candied walnuts, strawberries, spinach, and feta make this dish so flavorful it could turn anyone into a salad-lover! The lemon poppyseed dressing really brings it all together.

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11. Cracker Barrel Chicken & Dumplings

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (12)

This copycat recipe for Cracker Barrel’s chicken and dumplings is practically the definition of home-cooked comfort food! Just like Grandma used to make…

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12. IHOP Pancakes

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (13)

These IHOP Pancakes are super soft and fluffy, and amazingly delicious! Make your own at home with this recipe so you don’t have to go out for weekend brunch. You can even make a double batch and freeze half for later.

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13. Cheesecake Factory Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (14)

This decadent Cheesecake Factory Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake Copycat Recipe is simply amazing! The perfect dessert to “wow” your guests for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Birthdays, and dinner parties.

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14. Benihana Ginger Sauce

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (15)

This copycat recipe tastes just like the Benihana’s ginger dipping sauce that everyone loves! It pairs well with hibachi steak, chicken, shrimp, veggies, and rice so you’ll always want to keep some in the fridge.

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15. Famous Dave’s BBQ Ribs

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (16)

Learn how to make sweet & smokey restaurant quality bbq ribs at home with this easy recipe. They’re always a big hit at family dinners and backyard BBQs!

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16. Ruby Tuesday’s Pasta Salad

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (17)

Obsessed with Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar? Now you can make their pasta salad recipe from it in the comfort of your own home! Using pre-diced ham makes it an ultra-quick side dish to prep.

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17. Chili’s Salsa

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (18)

This is the closest tasting copycat recipe for Chili’s salsa you can find. It’s super easy to make and has the perfect consistency and flavor! Warning – it’s highly addictive!

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18. Olive Garden Baked Tortellini Alfredo

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (19)

Olive Garden came out with several oven-baked pastas and this copycat tortellini Alfredo version is spot on! It even uses the OG Olive Garden Alfredo recipe as a base. Perfect for any time you’re craving cheese and carbs.

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19. Applebee’s 4 Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (20)

Ultra creamy and savory homemade 4 cheese mac and cheese is topped with incredibly crunchy buttermilk fried chicken tenders, glazed with a lip-smacking honey pepper sauce. The ultimate comfort food!

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20. Outback Loaded Aussie Cheese Fries

20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (21)One of Outback’s most popular appetizers is their Loaded Aussie Cheese Fries. This recipe makes cooking a homemade version super easy by using frozen french fries.

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20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home (2024)

FAQs

How to cook restaurant quality food at home? ›

HOW TO MAKE RESTAURANT-QUALITY FOOD AT HOME
  1. Add chef-level fragrance to home-made food with quality oil and salt.
  2. Buy the best knives you can afford to chop like a chef at home.
  3. Use fresh herbs to add flavour to any dish.
  4. Revive old spices by frying them quickly.
  5. Organize Your Kitchen.
  6. It's okay to experiment.
Oct 1, 2020

How do I come up with my own recipe? ›

Tips to keep in mind when writing recipes:
  1. List ingredients in chronological order. ...
  2. Separate ingredients for major steps in a recipe. ...
  3. List steps in order, keeping instructions short and to the point. ...
  4. Give specifics about doneness. ...
  5. Include storage suggestions. ...
  6. Offer extra methods or substitutions (when tested).
Nov 19, 2020

How much do you need to change a recipe to make it your own? ›

The general rule [...] is that three major [emphasis added] changes are required to make a recipe "yours." However, even if you make such changes, it is a professional courtesy to acknowledge the source of or inspiration for the recipe.

How to make tasty food at home? ›

10 Simple Tips to Make Food Taste Better
  1. Don't Prepare Garlic and Onions in Advance. ...
  2. Don't Seed Tomatoes. ...
  3. Keep Fats Tasting Fresh. ...
  4. Strike Only When the Pan Is Hot. ...
  5. Never Discard the Fond. ...
  6. Season with Sugar, Too. ...
  7. Bloom Spices and Dried Herbs in Fat. ...
  8. Brown Breads, Pies, and Pastries.

How do you make home cooking taste like a restaurant? ›

Here are some low-cost tips to elevate your home-cooked meals: Fresh Herbs and Citrus Zest:Add fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, or basil to bring brightness and flavor. Grate citrus zest (lemon, lime, or orange) over dishes for a burst of freshness.

Why does restaurant food taste better than home cooking? ›

One of these factors is the ingredients and equipment. Lack of ingredients or the special type of kitchen equipment can affect the taste of food. As the restaurant has access to all these, home cooking is at a loss here. Time preparation is another factor.

Can you legally own a recipe? ›

The first thing to understand is that recipes are not copyrightable. Copyright law protects original works of authorship, and while a recipe may be original, it is not an "original work of authorship." This means that anyone can freely copy and use a recipe without fear of infringement.

How do you become a chef DIY recipe? ›

Be a Chef! DIY Recipes+ can be obtained from Nook Stop for 3,000 Nook Miles. The item only appears in Nook Stop after the player has upgraded Resident Services and completed the DIY customization workshop, and a day has passed since K.K. Slider's initial visit to the island.

What is the first thing you should do when you get a recipe? ›

First, you take the recipe that you intend to cook and read it thoroughly to familiarize yourself with the timing, techniques, equipment, and ingredients you will need. Second, you pull all of the necessary equipment and arrange it near your cooking station, so that it is at the ready.

Is copying recipes illegal? ›

Can You Copyright a Recipe? Recipes are usually not protected by copyright due to the idea-expression dichotomy. The idea-expression dichotomy creates a dividing line between ideas, which are not protected by copyright law, and the expression of those ideas, which can be protected by copyright law.

Is it cheaper to buy or make your own food? ›

Is It Cheaper to Cook or Eat Out? For those who want a quick and easy answer: It's generally cheaper to cook food at home than eat out.

Are homemade meals cheaper? ›

It is 5 times more expensive to order delivery from a restaurant than it is to cook at home. Meal kits are 3 times more expensive than cooking from scratch. When cooking at home, you'll save most money on carb-based meals (vs eating them at a restaurant).

What can I cook in 5 minutes? ›

25 healthy recipes you can cook in 5 minutes or less
  • Pea and broad bean couscous.
  • Fast home-made baked beans.
  • Porridge.
  • Pasta with cherry tomatoes and rocket.
  • Home-made hummus.
  • Smashed avocado and wilted spinach.
  • Cucumber (or potato) raitha.
  • Quick pitta pizzas.

How do you cook like a 5 star restaurant? ›

TIPS TO COOK LIKE A MICHELIN STARRED CHEF
  1. 1 Mise en place. This French culinary phrase refers to carefully preparing all your ingredients before starting to cook. ...
  2. 2 Nothing goes to waste. ...
  3. 3 Know your seasonings. ...
  4. 4 Invest in proper kitchenware. ...
  5. 5 Taste everything.
Jun 2, 2020

What makes a dish restaurant quality? ›

We first discover a dish with our eyes. The dish must be harmonious and balanced; its colours, shape, presentation or originality must be eye-catching. It must arouse our curiosity and make us really want to taste it, regardless of the technique or culinary style used (classic, new-style or evolutionary).

How do you make high quality food? ›

First and foremost, consider quality in everything you buy. The fresher and less traveled your produce, meat and fish are, the better flavor you'll get, and the more nutritional value they'll retain. This goes for everything, not just produce. Think about your vinegars, oils, herbs and spices as well.

How do restaurants make food so good? ›

Chefs season at every step of the cooking process

For restaurant chefs, this means seasoning at every step and tasting as they go to ensure each component tastes great. Salt can help coax the natural flavor out of ingredients like vegetables and meat, while herbs and spices infuse them with additional flavors.

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