Tommy’s Original Chili Burger (Copycat) is a well-loved Californian burger recreated to get an authentic taste in your own home! Try today!
Copycat Recipes of a Burger chain are a favorite in my house. Try my In-N-Out Double Double Animal Style Cheeseburger or Big Mac. It’s easy to recreate a classic fast food burger right in your own kitchen!
Sabrina’s Chili Burger (Copycat) Recipe
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of sinking your teeth (and tastebuds) into a Tommy’s Original Chili Burger, you are probably coming into this recipe with high expectations! And you should be, Tommy’s Chili Burgers are in a class of their own and they hold their recipes close to their chest. My copycat won’t disappoint. Down to the cheese and pickles, the research and testing for this recipe was lovingly conducted to get it exactly right. Not that it’s a bad thing, but a lot of that research was getting to eat many, many Tommy’s Chili Burgers and Tommy’s Chili Fries (and chili cheese dogs).
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef chuck
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon course ground black pepper
- 2 cups Tommy's Chili , see recipe to prepare
- 4 slices extra sharp American cheese , doubled slices or thick slices
- 1/2 cup large dill pickle slices
- 1/2 cup white onions , diced
- 4 slices beefsteak tomato
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 4 white hamburger buns
Instructions
- Form the ground beef into four patties, press your thumb into the center of the patty to make an indent (this prevents the patty from becoming misshapen).
- Season patties with salt and pepper, set aside in refrigerator.
- Prepare Tommy's Chili, let sit off heat and cool down while grilling burger patties (Reheating makes it more authentic and thick).
- On high heat cook the beef patties for 3 minutes on each side.
- Reheat Tommy's Chili and assemble burgers according to note below.
Notes
Hamburger Patty
½ Cup Tommy’s Chili
Slice Extra Sharp American Cheese (if using)
Diced White Onions
Slices of Dill Pickles
Large Slice Beefsteak Tomato
Yellow Mustard
Top Bun
Nutrition
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Sabrina Tips
To make the famous Tommy’s Chili Burger (Copycat), you first have to make my copycat chili recipe Tommy’s Chili (Copycat). While you can make the meaty chili at the same time as this recipe (it’s super quick), you should definitely try making it a day or two ahead of time. Tommy’s Original Chili tastes the most authentic when it’s been cooled down and then reheated.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
If you haven’t had a Tommy’s Chili Burger and there’s not one around you, this recipe is perfect! This copycat burger is all about bold flavor, soft buns, juicy beef, and a rich chili sauce that covers nearly every bite. Part of the appeal of this burger is that it’s messy, indulgent, and packed with comfort food nostalgia. Every bite is rich, saucy, and satisfying, making it perfect for casual dinners, game days, or recreating that old school roadside burger stand feel at home.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef Chuck: I’m using the more flavorful ground beef chuck. It’s got a bit more fat content but that gives it a juicier and richer flavor. You can use whatever ground beef you have though if needed.
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt & 1 teaspoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper: You can use pink salt, or sea salt, or regular table salt. Pepper adds a subtle flavor to the patties.
- 4 slices Extra Sharp American Cheese: Some people think the cheese they use is Velvetta, but they actually use Extra Sharp American Cheese slices that are 100% real cheese.
- ½ cup Large Dill Pickle Slices: You must use dill pickles and the thicker, sturdier slices are the best.
- ½ cup White Onions: Diced white onions, not yellow or red onions but white (not sweet) onions.
- 4 slices Beefsteak Tomato: The beefsteak tomatoes are sliced nice and thick to hold up against the steaming hot chili. If beefsteak tomatoes are not available, you can use other tomatoes like Roma or vine-ripened tomatoes.
- 1 teaspoon Yellow Mustard: For the mustard you want to use yellow mustard, and none tastes quite like French’s yellow mustard.
- 4 White Hamburger Buns: You can use whole wheat or brioche buns, or whatever buns you have available.
- 2 cups Tommy’s Chili: When it comes to the Chili, the secret ingredient is using masa harina and finely grated carrots in the beef mixture. This gives the chili the thickness and slight sweetness that they are famous for. Check out the Tommy’s Chili Recipe for more insider tips and nostalgia about the Southern California classic Tommy’s Original! Sure, you could use canned chili, but homemade is better!
Chili Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, (85/15)
- 1 large carrot
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons masa harina (masa harina means corn flour in Spanish)
- 2 cups beef broth (or you can use 2 cups water or a combination of water and broth instead)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/4 cup flour
Chili Instructions
- Add your carrots to a food processor until they’re very finely chopped and the food processor stops making them smaller. Use a spatula to clean the food processor and get all the carrots.
- Add the ground beef and carrots to a large Dutch oven on medium-high heat and cook until the beef is no longer pink, breaking it apart as you go, about 5-6 minutes. You’ll want to make sure to have brown meat for safety.
- Lower the heat to medium and add in the chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and masa harina, stirring well to combine.
- In a small cup whisk together the beef broth, vinegar, and flour until the flour is completely absorbed, then add the brown roux into the pot.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 30 minutes to thicken.
Can this be made ahead of time?
These are actually best served fresh. You can make the individual ingredients the day before and reheat the chili, but the burgers will be best served fresh.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve your Burger with French Fries (also topped with chili) for an authentic meal, or other burger sides like Onion Rings, Coleslaw, or Loaded Garlic Fries. Turn these into Tommy’s Chili Sliders by splitting each patty into thirds before cooking and then serving on Hawaiian rolls.
How to Store
- Store: Serve your burger hot and keep it at room temperature for no more than 2 hours. Store leftover chili for up to 3 days. You can store the burger patties and the chili together or separately in an airtight container.
- Reheating Tips: This is best served fresh however, you can store the ingredients separately for up to 2 days in the fridge and reheat the burger in the microwave or the toaster oven.
- Freeze: Cooked hamburger patties and Tommy’s Chili can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container. Fully cool before storing. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Frequent Questions
Neither the original Tommy’s Chili recipe nor my copycat recipe contains beans.
In the 1940s, a man by the name of Tommy started a little chili burger stand in Los Angeles. It became a hit and has expanded to dozens of locations in California and Nevada.
Variations
- Sloppy Joes: Instead of making hamburger patties, brown your ground beef in a skillet with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in half the Tommy’s Chili and then spoon onto bottom buns. Cover with more chili, burger toppings, and the top bun.
- Meat: Use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef for your hamburger patties. For juicier patties, mix a tablespoon of oil into leaner ground meat.
- Bacon: Tommy’s Original doesn’t serve a Bacon Chili Burger, but that doesn’t mean you can’t cook up a few slices to top each Chili Burger at home.
- Caliente Burger: To recreate Tommy’s Caliente Burger, top each patty with Pepper jack cheese before adding the chili. Then top chili with Cascabella peppers, also known as Hot Chili Peppers you can find in the pickled food section.
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