The Copycat Kitchen Index

What does it actually cost — in dollars, calories, and sodium — to remake America's favorite restaurant dishes at home? We computed the numbers from our own dataset of 1,782 researched copycat recipes. Every figure below comes straight from a published recipe, and every row links to it.

Data recomputed automatically from the live recipe dataset · last built 2026-11-01

1,782
recipes in the dataset
410
median calories per serving (n=1,732; mean 436)
67%
median stated saving vs. the restaurant price (242 recipes with like-for-like pricing)
610mg
median sodium per serving (n=1,702) — about 30% of the 2,300mg FDA daily value

The home-vs-restaurant price index

273 of our recipes state both a home cost and the restaurant price for the same dish. In 242 of them the homemade version is cheaper — a median stated saving of 67%. (And in the spirit of honest data: in 31 recipes the homemade batch costs more than the menu item — usually because you're making a full batch versus buying a single item. They're listed too.) Figures are exactly as stated in each recipe's cost note; portions are not always identical.

Show all 242 recipes where home wins (+ the 31 where it doesn't)
# Recipe Home cost Restaurant Stated saving
26 Starbucks Vanilla Latte $0.8 $5.25 85%
27 Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini $3 $20 85%
28 Dunkin' Tiramisu Shakin' Espresso $0.8 $5 84%
29 Dunkin' Tiramisu Cloud Latte $0.9 $5.29 83%
30 Starbucks Iced Lavender Cream Oat Milk Matcha $1.1 $6.35 83%
31 Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso $1 $6 83%
32 Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Chicken $3.5 $19 82%
33 Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Rolls $1.1 $6 82%
34 Rezdôra Tagliatelle al Ragù Modenese (The Famous Flatiron Pasta, Made at Home) $5 $28 82%
35 Starbucks Egg Bites $1 $5.45 82%
36 Chili's Molten Lava Cake $1.5 $8 81%
37 Crumbl Pink Sugar Cookie $0.8 $4.28 81%
38 Morton's Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake $3.5 $18 81%
39 Olive Garden Tiramisu $1.5 $8 81%
40 Starbucks Tiramisu Velvet Latte $1.25 $6.5 81%
41 Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie $0.9 $4.79 81%
42 Apple Cider Margarita $3 $16 81%
43 Crumbl Cornbread Cookie $0.9 $4.5 80%
44 Dunkin' Pumpkin Cloud Dunkalatte $1.2 $6 80%
45 Erewhon Hailey Bieber Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie (Save $16) $4 $20 80%
46 Levain Bakery Fall Chocolate Chunk Cookies $1 $5 80%
47 Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole (The Famous Praline Crust, Made at Home) $3 $15 80%
48 Viral TikTok Chipotle Copycat Bowl $3 $15 80%
49 Balthazar's Coq au Vin $9 $42 79%
50 Beard Papa's Cream Puffs (The Double-Shell Technique That Makes Them Crispy) $0.85 $4 79%
51 Dutch Bros Caramel Pumpkin Brûlée $1.5 $7 79%
52 Nothing Bundt Cakes Classic Vanilla (The Famous Recipe, Made at Home) $9 $43 79%
53 On the Border Chicken Enchiladas $3 $14 79%
54 Viral TikTok Garlic Confit $3 $14 79%
55 Proffee — Protein Coffee (The Gym TikTok Drink That Replaced Breakfast) $1.5 $7 79%
56 Fogo de Chão Picanha (Brazilian Rock Salt Sirloin at Home) $14 $65 78%
57 Olive Garden Lasagna Classico $4 $18 78%
58 Portillo's Chocolate Cake $12 $55 78%
59 Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Cream Shaken Espresso $1.5 $6.75 78%
60 Texas Roadhouse Herb Crusted Chicken $4 $18 78%
61 Dutch Bros Caramelizer (Copycat Recipe) $1.3 $6 78%
62 Salmon Tartare (The Fine-Dining TikTok Appetizer Anyone Can Make) $4 $18 78%
63 Crumbl Lemon Glaze Cookie $1.1 $4.79 77%
64 Lotus of Siam Khao Soi (The Best Thai in America, Made at Home) $5 $22 77%
65 Semma's Gunpowder Dosa (Podi Dosa) $6 $26 77%
66 Starbucks Dragon Drink (Mango Dragonfruit Refresher) at Home for $1.30 $1.3 $5.75 77%
67 Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies $1.2 $5 76%
68 Nobu Black Cod Miso (The Famous One, Made at Home) $12 $50 76%
69 Panera Bread Chicken Noodle Soup $1.7 $7 76%
70 Ruth's Chris Stuffed Chicken $9 $38 76%
71 Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino (Copycat Recipe) $1.5 $6.25 76%
72 Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Cream Matcha $1.5 $6.25 76%
73 4 Charles Prime Rib (The Famous NYC Version, Made at Home) $20 $80 75%
74 Benihana Yum Yum Sauce $1 $4 75%
75 Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira $7 $28 75%
76 IHOP Buttermilk Pancakes $3 $12 75%
77 Panera Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll $1.25 $4.99 75%
78 Ruth's Chris Potatoes au Gratin (The Sizzling Cast-Iron Version, Made at Home) $4 $16 75%
79 Starbucks Pink Drink (Cheaper, Customizable, Better) $1.5 $6 75%
80 Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew $1.5 $6 75%
81 Wagamama Chicken Katsu Curry (The Famous Katsu, Made at Home) $4.5 $18 75%
82 Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte $1.5 $6 75%
83 Starbucks Tropical Butterfly Refresher (Copycat) — the Color-Shift Summer Drink $1.5 $6 75%
84 Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso $1.5 $6 75%
85 Cookie Butter Latte (The Biscoff TikTok Drink That Tastes Like the Holidays) $1.5 $6 75%
86 Viral TikTok Korean Corn Dogs $1.5 $6 75%
87 Dirty French Halloween Duck Confit $12 $46 74%
88 Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha $1.5 $5.75 74%
89 Starbucks Toasted White Chocolate Mocha $1.5 $5.75 74%
90 Dunkin' Bacon Egg and Cheese $1.5 $5.59 73%
91 Peter Luger Extra-Thick Bacon Appetizer $6 $22 73%
92 Pizzeria Bianco Rosa Pizza (No-Sauce, Red Onion, Rosemary, Pistachios) $6 $22 73%
93 The Butter Board (TikTok's Most Controversial Trend) $12 $45 73%
94 Viral TikTok Birria Ramen $5 $18 72%
95 Chicken Salad Chick Grape Salad Copycat Recipe (The Famous Southern Side, Made at Home) $1 $3.5 71%
96 Dutch Bros Cookie Butter Latte $1.75 $6 71%
97 McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese $2 $7 71%
98 Pizza Hut Breadsticks $2 $7 71%
99 Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew $1.5 $5.25 71%
100 Waffle House Waffles $1.5 $5.2 71%
101 BJ's Restaurant Pizookie $3 $10 70%
102 Din Tai Fung Garlic Green Beans (The Famous Side, Made at Home) $3 $10 70%
103 Garlic Expressions Classic Vinaigrette $1.5 $4.99 70%
104 Jean-Georges Black Truffle Pizza (The $50 Mark Hotel Pizza, Made at Home) $15 $50 70%
105 Olive Garden Chicken Marsala $6 $20 70%
106 Panera Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup — Discontinued Menu Favorite $1.5 $5 70%
107 Taco Bell Chalupa Supreme $1.5 $4.99 70%
108 Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme $1.5 $5 70%
109 Walkers Shortbread Fingers $3 $10 70%
110 Bob Evans Wildfire Chicken Salad $4 $13 69%
111 Carmine's Chicken Parmigiana (The Famous NYC Family-Style One) $22 $70 69%
112 Crown Shy Halloween Short Rib $15 $48 69%
113 Dunkin' Pumpkin Cake Donut $0.55 $1.79 69%
114 Starbucks Bacon Gouda Sandwich $1.8 $5.75 69%
115 Texas Roadhouse Chicken Critters $4 $13 69%
116 Texas Roadhouse Country Fried Chicken $5 $16 69%
117 Texas Roadhouse Portobello Mushroom Chicken $5 $16 69%
118 Chipotle Smoked Brisket (The Serrano-Chipotle Sauce Secret) $4 $12.5 68%
119 Gramercy Tavern Halloween Beef Stew $12 $38 68%
120 Viral TikTok Garlic Butter Steak and Shrimp $13 $40 68%
121 Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl $4 $12 67%
122 Five Guys Grilled Cheese $2 $6 67%
123 Houston's Grilled Artichoke with Remoulade $6 $18 67%
124 Nothing Bundt Cakes Lemon (The Famous Recipe, Made at Home) $10 $30 67%
125 Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino (Copycat Recipe) $2 $6 67%
126 Sweetgreen Kale Caesar Salad $5 $15 67%
127 Taco Bell Caramel Apple Empanada $1 $2.99 67%
128 Texas Roadhouse Green Beans $1 $2.99 67%
129 Wegmans Ultimate White Cake $10 $30 67%
130 Sushi Bake Casserole (The TikTok Party Dish That Replaced Sushi Platters) $20 $60 67%
131 Nothing Bundt Cakes Carrot (The Famous Recipe, Made at Home) $12 $35 66%
132 Nothing Bundt Cakes Chocolate Chocolate Chip (Their #1 Bestseller, Made at Home) $11 $32 66%
133 Nothing Bundt Cakes Pumpkin Spice (The Famous Seasonal Recipe, Made at Home) $12 $35 66%
134 Nothing Bundt Cakes Red Velvet (The Famous Recipe, Made at Home) $12 $35 66%
135 Nothing Bundt Cakes White Chocolate Raspberry (The Famous Recipe, Made at Home) $12 $35 66%
136 Everything Bagel Salmon — The 15-Minute TikTok Dinner That Actually Delivers $9.5 $28 66%
137 Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken $8 $23 65%
138 ABC Kitchen Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad $8 $22 64%
139 Benihana Hibachi Night at Home $60 $160 63%
140 Marie's Coleslaw Dressing $1.5 $4 63%
141 How to Make an Açaí Bowl at Home (Better Than the Juice Bar) $4.5 $12 63%
142 Joe & the Juice Tunacado Sandwich $5 $13 62%
143 Marea Halloween Black Squid Ink Pasta (Made at Home) $16 $42 62%
144 Starbucks Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade $2 $5.25 62%
145 Wendy's Baked Potato $1.5 $3.99 62%
146 Night + Market Khao Soi $7 $18 61%
147 Texas Roadhouse Grilled Salmon $9 $23 61%
148 Benihana Hibachi Noodles (Yakisoba) $4 $10 60%
149 Carmine's Rigatoni Country Style (NYC Family-Style at Home) $20 $50 60%
150 Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie $8 $20 60%
151 Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza $6 $15 60%
152 Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi $10 $25 60%
153 Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark $12 $30 60%
154 Viral TikTok Street Tacos $2 $5 60%
155 Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino (Copycat Recipe) $2.5 $6 58%
156 Texas Roadhouse Country Fried Sirloin $8 $18.99 58%
157 TGI Fridays Mozzarella Sticks $5.5 $13 58%
158 IHOP Colorado Omelette (Four Meats, Not a Denver) $9 $20.99 57%
159 Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Pizza (The Lou) $12 $28 57%
160 Panda Express Broccoli Beef $3 $7 57%
161 Sweetgreen Shroomami Bowl $6 $14 57%
162 The Steam Method for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs $3 $7 57%
163 Strawberry Matcha Latte (Iced, Layered, Better Than the Café) $3 $7 57%
164 Jollibee Chickenjoy with Mushroom-Chicken Gravy $4 $9 56%
165 Karo Classic Pecan Pie $11 $25 56%
166 Olive Garden Chicken Scampi $8 $18 56%
167 Wendy's Baconator $3.5 $8 56%
168 Five Guys Milkshake $2.5 $5.69 56%
169 Homemade Alfredo Sauce (Better Than the Olive Garden Jar) $4 $9 56%
170 Birria Tacos (Traditional Recipe — Chile-Braised Beef with Consomé) $1.75 $4 56%
171 Costco Heavenly Hunks $4.5 $9.99 55%
172 Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch $2 $4.49 55%
173 Quesabirria Tacos (Full Recipe — Crispy, Cheesy, Consomé-Dipping) $2.25 $5 55%
174 Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl (The Famous One, Made at Home) $7 $15 53%
175 Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake $12 $25 52%
176 Houston's Chicago-Style Spinach Dip $10 $21 52%
177 Panera Bread Bowl (Broccoli Cheddar) $5 $10.49 52%
178 Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco $1.94 $3.99 51%
179 Ben's Original Long Grain & Wild Rice $1.5 $3 50%
180 Jimmy Dean Premium Pork Breakfast Sausage $2.5 $5 50%
181 KFC Pot Pie $3 $6 50%
182 Sonic Cherry Limeade $1 $2 50%
183 Texas Roadhouse Ribeye $15 $30 50%
184 Union Square Cafe Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Chestnuts $10 $20 50%
185 McDonald's McFlurry $2.5 $4.89 49%
186 LongHorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken $11 $21 48%
187 Uno's Spinach & Artichoke Dip $7 $13 46%
188 Cheesecake Factory Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes $9 $16.5 45%
189 Taco Bell Mexican Pizza $3 $5.49 45%
190 V8 Original Vegetable Juice $2 $3.63 45%
191 Cheesecake Factory Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip $9 $16 44%
192 Wingstop Seasoned Fries $2.5 $4.49 44%
193 Chipotle Honey Chicken Recipe $8 $14 43%
194 Hickory Farms Summer Sausage and Port Wine Cheese Ball $20 $35 43%
195 Steak 'n Shake Frisco Melt $4 $7 43%
196 Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks $4 $7 43%
197 Giordano's Famous Stuffed Deep Dish Pizza $15 $26 42%
198 McDonald's Hash Browns $1.5 $2.59 42%
199 Wingstop Louisiana Rub Wings $7 $12 42%
200 Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup $3.5 $5.79 40%
201 Din Tai Fung Pork Chop Fried Rice $12 $20 40%
202 Popeyes Blackened Chicken Tenders $4.5 $7.49 40%
203 Shake Shack Crinkle-Cut Fries $3 $5 40%
204 Wingstop Lemon Pepper Wings $7 $11.49 39%
205 Applebee's Honey BBQ Boneless Wings — The Copycat That Gets the Sauce Right $8 $13 38%
206 Portillo's Chocolate Cake Shake $4 $6.49 38%
207 Steak 'n Shake Garlic Double Steakburger $4 $6.2 35%
208 Houston's Hawaiian Ribeye $40 $60 33%
209 KFC Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders $8 $12 33%
210 Raising Cane's Copycat Recipe: The Complete Box Combo at Home $10 $15 33%
211 Domino's Pizza Recipe $8 $12 33%
212 Wingstop Cajun Wings Copycat $8 $12 33%
213 Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (Crispy, Juicy, No Drive-Thru Required) $8.3 $12 31%
214 TGI Friday's Tuscan Spinach Dip $9 $13 31%
215 Dairy Queen Blizzard $3.5 $5 30%
216 Taco Bell Nacho Fries $1.4 $2 30%
217 Freddy's Maple Pecan Concrete (Bacon Fest 2026) $5 $7 29%
218 Wingstop Atomic Wings Copycat $10 $14 29%
219 Wingstop Mango Habanero Wings Copycat $10 $14 29%
220 Wingstop Spicy Korean Q Wings Copycat $10 $14 29%
221 Applebee's Spinach Artichoke Dip $8 $11 27%
222 Crispy Air Fryer Salmon Bites With Honey Sriracha Glaze $11 $15 27%
223 Wingstop Hot Honey Rub Wings $8 $11 27%
224 Wingstop Louisiana Voodoo Fries $4 $5.49 27%
225 Chick-fil-A Chicken Minis (Chick-n-Minis) $0.75 $1 25%
226 Chicken Salad Chick Classic Carol $6 $8 25%
227 IHOP Spicy Poblano Omelette (Shredded Beef, Not Chicken) $10 $12.99 23%
228 McDonald's Hot Apple Pie (Fried + Baked Versions) $1 $1.29 22%
229 15-Minute Butter Chicken (The TikTok Weeknight Version That Actually Tastes Like the Restaurant) $14 $18 22%
230 Domino's Parmesan Bread Bites $4 $5 20%
231 Harry & David Moose Munch $8 $10 20%
232 Dubai Chocolate Bar $12 $15 20%
233 Starbucks Cold Brew Recipe $4 $5 20%
234 Chili's Skillet Beef Queso (Copycat) $9 $11 18%
235 Wingstop Garlic Parmesan Wings $9 $11 18%
236 Subway Italian BMT $10 $12 17%
237 Bacon Wrapped Dates (3 Ingredients, 20 Minutes, Every Party Trick You Need) $10 $12 17%
238 Chick-fil-A Spicy Nuggets $7 $8 13%
239 Chili's Steak Fajitas $15 $17 12%
240 Chili's Texas Cheese Fries $10 $11 9%
241 Wingstop Hickory Smoked BBQ Wings Copycat $10 $11 9%
242 Five Guys Cajun Fries $6 $6.19 3%
– Jack in the Box Tacos (Crispy Deep-Fried with Beef-Bean Paste) $8 $0.69 home costs more
– McDonald's Sweet and Sour Sauce $2 $0.5 home costs more
– Dairy Queen Dilly Bar $8 $2.5 home costs more
– Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars $10 $3.25 home costs more
– Popeyes Chicken Sandwich $15 $5 home costs more
– Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole $10 $4 home costs more
– Texas Roadhouse Loaded Sweet Potato $8 $3.49 home costs more
– McDonald's McChicken Sandwich $6 $2.86 home costs more
– Burger King Whopper $12 $6 home costs more
– In-N-Out Animal Style Burger $12 $6 home costs more
– Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes $6 $3 home costs more
– Street Corn Ribs (TikTok's Curly Corn That Tastes Like Elote) $6 $3 home costs more
– Chipotle Steak Recipe (With the Real Adobo) $16 $10 home costs more
– In-N-Out Double-Double Burger (With Spread Recipe) $8 $5 home costs more
– Qdoba 3-Cheese Queso $8 $5 home costs more
– The Ultimate Wendy's Frosty: A 3-Ingredient Miracle $3 $1.99 home costs more
– Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies $6 $4.5 home costs more
– Texas Roadhouse Rattlesnake Bites with Cajun Horseradish Dip $10 $8 home costs more
– Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken Breast $14 $11.5 home costs more
– Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce $3 $2.47 home costs more
– Chick-fil-A Nuggets with Pickle Juice Brine $6 $5 home costs more
– Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger $14 $12 home costs more
– Panda Express Orange Chicken $10 $9 home costs more
– Sonic Double Cheeseburger $6 $5.49 home costs more
– Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings $13 $12 home costs more
– KFC Honey BBQ Wings $7.5 $6.99 home costs more
– Panera Caramel Pumpkin Slice $5 $4.99 home costs more
– The Grey Stuff (Disney's Be Our Guest Copycat) $5 $5 home costs more
– Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes $4 $4 home costs more
– Chicken Salad Chick Fancy Nancy $8 $8 home costs more
– Wingstop Mild Wings Copycat $8 $8 home costs more

Calories by restaurant chain

Average per-serving calories across each chain's copycat recipes in our dataset (chains with at least 6 recipes carrying nutrition data). This measures our homemade versions — not the chains' official menu nutrition.

# Chain Recipes Avg calories/serving Avg protein Avg sodium
1 Cheesecake Factory 30 796 33g 936mg
2 Red Robin 6 792 31g 1,322mg
3 IHOP 15 761 33g 1,335mg
4 Crumbl Cookies 6 708 7g 252mg
5 Denny's 8 694 29g 1,595mg
6 Applebee's 14 677 39g 1,010mg
7 Olive Garden 26 656 32g 995mg
8 Wendy's 9 591 33g 980mg
9 Red Lobster 10 580 28g 1,208mg
10 Chili's 19 571 33g 961mg
11 LongHorn Steakhouse 7 524 42g 776mg
12 Outback Steakhouse 8 520 27g 875mg
13 TGI Friday's 7 516 28g 849mg
14 Dairy Queen 6 501 8g 264mg
15 Taco Bell 14 473 22g 782mg
16 Cracker Barrel 14 470 21g 730mg
17 KFC 9 468 23g 830mg
18 Shake Shack 6 463 23g 804mg
19 Wingstop 16 443 29g 814mg
20 Texas Roadhouse 23 434 29g 803mg
21 P.F. Chang's 10 424 27g 944mg
22 McDonald's 23 415 15g 574mg
23 Subway 7 410 19g 909mg
24 Chipotle 22 399 25g 598mg
25 Panda Express 10 397 26g 693mg
26 Popeyes 8 391 22g 829mg
27 Chick-fil-A 20 381 13g 488mg
28 Panera Bread 24 364 17g 588mg
29 Krispy Kreme 6 337 4g 137mg
30 Dutch Bros 7 333 7g 119mg
31 Benihana 12 306 19g 743mg
32 Starbucks 54 284 7g 164mg
33 Dunkin' 18 253 7g 195mg
34 Buffalo Wild Wings 9 154 7g 698mg

The 25 highest-protein copycats

Protein per serving, as published on each recipe's nutrition panel (n=1,721 recipes with protein data; median 14g).

# Recipe Protein Calories Servings
1 Cheesecake Factory Crusted Chicken Romano 105g 1,790 4
2 LongHorn Outlaw Ribeye 98g 1,260 2
3 Houston's Hawaiian Ribeye 85g 1,080 2
4 The Capital Grille Kona-Crusted Sirloin with Caramelized Shallot Butter 78g 890 2
5 Texas Roadhouse Prime Rib 78g 850 8
6 IHOP Chicken Fajita Omelette (Poblano Is Not a Bell Pepper) 75g 911 2
7 Olive Garden Tour of Italy (Chicken Parm, Lasagna, and Fettuccine Alfredo on One Plate) 72g 1,550 2
8 Peter Luger Porterhouse (The Famous Williamsburg Steak, Made at Home) 72g 920 2
9 Chili's Baby Back Ribs 70g 900 4
10 Cheesecake Factory Chicken Bellagio 68g 1,790 4
11 Emilio's Ballato Chicken Parm (Obama's Favorite NYC Version) 68g 960 4
12 IHOP Bacon Temptation Omelette (The White Sauce Is What You're Missing) 68g 1,160 2
13 Maggiano's Linguine di Mare (Spicy Tomato Seafood Linguine) 67g 1,280 2
14 The NoMad Chicken for Two (Daniel Humm's Famous Foie Gras and Truffle Roast Chicken, Made at Home) 67g 920 2
15 IHOP Big Steak Omelette (Hash Browns Go Inside) 66g 1,040 2
16 Carrabba's Pollo Rosa Maria 65g 550 4
17 Keens Steakhouse Mutton Chop (The Famous One, Made at Home) 65g 680 2
18 Raoul's Steak au Poivre (The Famous $64 SoHo Dish, Made at Home) 65g 810 2
19 Maggiano's Linguine alle Vongole (Clams in White Wine-Butter Sauce) 64g 1,500 2
20 Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana 64g 1,020 4
21 Carbone Veal Parmesan (The $89 Bone-In Chop, Made at Home) 62g 810 2
22 Cheesecake Factory Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta 62g 880 4
23 Viral TikTok Garlic Butter Steak and Shrimp 62g 570 2
24 Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Chicken 60g 900 4
25 Olive Garden Chicken & Shrimp Carbonara 60g 940 4

The 25 lightest — and the 25 heaviest

Per-serving calories across all 1,732 recipes with nutrition data. The lightest list skews toward sauces, seasonings and drinks; the heaviest toward loaded mains and desserts — the full range runs 5 to 1,790 calories per serving.

# Lightest Cal Heaviest Cal
1 Emeril Lagasse's Essence (Creole Seasoning) 5 Cheesecake Factory Chicken Bellagio 1,790
2 Wingstop Lemon Pepper Seasoning 5 Cheesecake Factory Crusted Chicken Romano 1,790
3 Starbucks Cold Brew Recipe 5 Red Lobster Admiral's Feast (Fried Shrimp, Flounder, Clam Strips, and Bay Scallops) 1,670
4 Benihana Ginger Dipping Sauce 10 Olive Garden Tour of Italy (Chicken Parm, Lasagna, and Fettuccine Alfredo on One Plate) 1,550
5 Texas Roadhouse Steak Seasoning 10 BJ's Restaurant Pizookie 1,540
6 5 Essential Spices for Mexican Cuisine 10 Maggiano's Linguine alle Vongole (Clams in White Wine-Butter Sauce) 1,500
7 Viral TikTok Ranch Pickles — The 2-Ingredient Snack You Can't Stop Eating 10 Mastro's Butter Cake (The Famous Warm One, Made at Home) 1,370
8 Homemade Taco Seasoning (Better Than the Old El Paso Packet) 12 Cheesecake Factory Four Cheese Pasta 1,280
9 Homemade Vanilla Extract 12 Maggiano's Linguine di Mare (Spicy Tomato Seafood Linguine) 1,280
10 Heinz Tomato Ketchup 15 Denny's Lumberjack Slam Copycat 1,260
11 Viral TikTok Pickle de Gallo 15 LongHorn Outlaw Ribeye 1,260
12 Quick Pickled Red Onions 15 Red Robin Whiskey River BBQ Burger 1,200
13 Pickled Garlic (TikTok's Addictive Snack) 20 Spotted Pig Roquefort Burger (NYC's Most Famous Gastropub Burger, Made at Home) 1,180
14 Homemade Electrolyte Drink 21 IHOP Bacon Temptation Omelette (The White Sauce Is What You're Missing) 1,160
15 Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin' Sauce (Copycat) 25 Red Robin Royal Red Robin Burger 1,120
16 Uncle Julio's Salsa 25 Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta 1,100
17 Viral TikTok Halloween Ghost Meringue Cookies 28 Applebee's Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken 1,100
18 Peter Luger Steak Sauce (The Restaurant Secret Is Anchovies and Tamarind) 35 Wendy's Baconator 1,100
19 Whataburger Spicy Ketchup 35 Olive Garden Parmesan Crusted Chicken Fritta 1,090
20 Viral TikTok Frozen Yogurt Fruit Clusters (High-Protein, 3-Ingredient Bites) 35 Houston's Hawaiian Ribeye 1,080
21 Heinz HomeStyle Turkey Gravy 40 The Polo Bar Burger (Ralph's Special Sauce, Thick-Cut Bacon, Brioche) 1,080
22 Espresso Tonic 40 Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo 1,050
23 Benihana Onion Soup 45 IHOP Big Steak Omelette (Hash Browns Go Inside) 1,040
24 Buffalo Wild Wings Hot Sauce 45 Mastro's Lobster Macaroni and Cheese, Made at Home 1,040
25 V8 Original Vegetable Juice 45 Raising Cane's Copycat Recipe: The Complete Box Combo at Home 1,040

The sodium hall of fame

The 25 saltiest copycats per serving. For scale, the FDA daily value is 2,300mg — the top entry below gets you 207% of the way there in one serving. Median across all 1,702 recipes with sodium data: 610mg.

Methodology

All statistics on this page are computed automatically, at site build time, from the structured data of the 1,782 copycat recipes published on Copycat Spices — no external sources, no estimates. Per-serving calories come from 1,732 recipes with a structured nutrition panel, protein from 1,721, and sodium from 1,702. Cost comparisons use only the 273 recipes whose own cost note states both a home cost and a restaurant price ("about $X vs. $Y at the restaurant"); portions may differ between the homemade batch and the menu item, so we report the figures exactly as each recipe states them. Recipes without a given data point are excluded from that statistic — sample sizes are shown throughout. Nutrition figures describe our homemade versions, not any restaurant's official menu data. Browse the full dataset in the A–Z recipe index or by restaurant.

Citing this data? You're welcome to use any statistic on this page with a link back. Suggested citation: The Copycat Kitchen Index, Copycat Spices (2026) — copycatspices.com/copycat-index — analysis of 1,782 copycat recipes. For press questions, see the about page.