Fakeaway — the kind of food you grew up ordering on a Friday night, now made in your own kitchen, often for a fraction of the price and almost always better than the original.
This guide collects every fakeaway recipe on this site into one place. Whether you’re after a Big Mac-style burger, a Chicken Tikka Masala that’s better than your local curry house, or proper Yorkshire puddings with your Sunday roast, you’ll find it here.
Three reasons.
It saves money. A McDonald’s meal deal for a family of four is around £25. Making the same at home — Big Macs, fries, shakes — costs about £8 and feeds the same mouths. Across a year of weekly fakeaway nights, that’s £850+ saved per family.
It tastes better. Takeaway is designed to travel well, not to taste incredible. The sauces are engineered for shelf life; the fries are engineered for delivery; the portions are engineered for value. At home, you control every element. Use real butter in the mash. Bloom the spices properly. Let the dough rest overnight. Your version will beat theirs, every time.
You know exactly what’s in it. No mystery oils, no stabilisers, no industrial cheese-substitute. Real food, made by you, for your family.
The recipes are organised two ways.
Use whichever organisation makes sense for what you’re cooking tonight. Browse, pick, cook.
Every cuisine below has its own page with the recipes you need to fake it at home.
Chinese , Sweet and sour pork, chow mein, crispy aromatic duck, char siu, salt and pepper chicken, egg fried rice, beef and broccoli. The UK’s most-ordered takeaway is also the easiest to make well , most of the recipes take 30 minutes and use one wok.
Indian , Chicken Tikka Masala, butter chicken, rogan josh, madras, korma, biryani, samosas, bhajis, garlic naan. The curry house canon, made in your kitchen. A pressure cooker turns out perfect curries in 40 minutes; a heavy pan does the same in an hour.
Italian , Spaghetti carbonara, lasagne al forno, penne arrabbiata, beef ragu pappardelle, mushroom risotto, bruschetta, tiramisu, margherita pizza. The pasta canon is mostly technique , get the soffritto right, finish the pasta in the sauce, and you’ll never order a takeaway pasta again.
Mexican , Beef tacos al pastor, chicken burrito bowl, chicken mole, churros, guacamole with chips, beef enchiladas, chilli con carne. The trick is the marinade and the salsa , both can be made in 5 minutes and transform everything.
Thai , Pad thai, chicken green curry, massaman beef curry, pad kra pao, tom yum prawns, beef panang curry, mango sticky rice, chicken satay. Thai cooking is fast, fresh, and forgiving. Most recipes are 25 minutes from pan to plate.
Japanese , Chicken katsu curry, sushi, ramen, chicken teriyaki, gyoza, tempura, okonomiyaki, yakitori. Some of these (sushi, ramen) take practice; others (katsu curry, teriyaki) are 20-minute weeknight wins.
Korean , Korean fried chicken, bibimbap, kimchi jjigae, bulgogi, tteokbokki, japchae, galbi short ribs, ramyeon. Korean home cooking is underrated , most dishes are one-pan and pack enormous flavour.
Vietnamese , Pho, banh mi, summer rolls, bun cha, banh xeo, cha gio, ca kho to. The pho broth takes 6 hours but the rest of these are weeknight-fast.
Greek , Moussaka, spanakopita, souvlaki, lamb kleftiko, dolmades, Greek salad, tzatziki, halva. Taverna food at home , most recipes are easy and forgiving.
Turkish , Lahmacun, pide, manti, iskender kebab, adana kebab, kumpir, kunefe, menemen. The breakfast alone (menemen + simit) is worth it.
Lebanese , Hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, kibbeh, manakish, mujadara, fattoush, knafeh. Lebanese home cooking is mostly mezze , small plates you put out with drinks and bread.
Middle Eastern , Chicken shawarma, doner kebab, lamb kofta, shish kebab, falafel, shakshuka, sabich, musakhan, maqluba. A region that spans Lebanon, Turkey, the Levant and North Africa , built on olive oil, lemon, fresh herbs and slow cooking.
African , Jollof rice, suya, bobotie, bunny chow, chakalaka, egusi soup, doro wat, misir wat, pilau rice. West, East, and South African , one of the most under-represented cuisines in UK cooking.
Scottish , Haggis pakora, munchie box, Glasgow pakora, deep-fried Mars bars, scotch broth, tablet, shortbread biscuits, burnt Glasgow morning rolls. Scotland’s South Asian food culture at home , the chip-shop classics that built the country.
British , Fish and chips, bangers and mash, Sunday roast, Cornish pasty, steak and ale pie, Yorkshire pudding. Britain’s comfort-food canon , golden battered fish, Sunday roasts with all the trimmings, pub pies, the works of of proper pub food.
Moroccan , Chicken tagine, lamb and apricot tagine, couscous royale, harira, pastilla, kefta meatballs, msemen, mechoui. Slow-cooked stews built on preserved lemons and ras-el-hanout , easier than you’d think.
Mediterranean street food , Chicken shawarma, lamb shawarma, chicken shish, chicken souvlaki, halloumi wrap, lachmacun, falafel pita, falafel wrap, Greek gyros, Turkish doner wrap. The shared street-food canon of the eastern Med , wraps, grills, and stuffed pittas.
American , Cheeseburger, BBQ ribs, fried chicken, Buffalo wings, mac and cheese, hot dog, Caesar salad, apple pie, cheesecake, pancakes, Southern fried chicken. Proper American diner food , bigger portions, deeper flavours.
Every chain below has its own page with the menu items you actually order, recreated at home.
McDonald’s , Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, McChicken, Filet-O-Fish, Chicken McNuggets, Egg McMuffin, hash browns, apple pie, world-famous fries. The Big Mac sauce is the thing , make it once, you’ll never go back.
KFC , Original Recipe, Zinger Burger, hot wings, popcorn chicken, chicken wrap, mini fillet burger, fillet burger, rice box, boneless pieces. The 11 herbs and spices matter, but the buttermilk soak matters more.
Burger King , Whopper, Double Whopper, Bacon Double Cheese XL, Rodeo Burger, Big King, Crispy Chicken Burger, Chicken Royale, Long Chicken, plant-based Whopper. The flame-grilled taste comes from a cast-iron pan at home , no grill needed.
Pizza Hut , Margherita, Pepperoni, Hawaiian, Meat Feast, Veggie Lovers, Four Cheese, BBQ Chicken, stuffed crust, hot and spicy veg. A pizza stone in a screaming oven beats Pizza Hut every time.
Domino’s , Pepperoni Passion, Margherita, Hawaiian, Cheese and Tomato, Vegi Supreme, Texas BBQ, Meateor, Chicken Feast, hot-dog stuffed crust, stuffed-crust pepperoni. Stuffed crust is the differentiator , learn the dough.
Subway , Italian BMT, Meatball Marinara, Chicken Teriyaki, Chicken Bacon Ranch, Tuna, Turkey Breast, Steak and Cheese, Veggie Delite, Subway Melt. A sub at home takes 10 minutes; a takeaway sub costs £7 and arrives limp.
Nando’s , Peri-peri chicken, butterfly chicken, chicken wrap, peri-peri chicken burger, macho peas, corn on the cob, spicy rice and chips, chicken livers, halloumi sticks. The peri-peri sauce is everything , make your own and adjust the heat.
Five Guys , Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheeseburger, Little Cheeseburger, Little Bacon Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Cheese Dog, Hot Dog, Cajun Fries, regular fries, veggie sandwich. Smash technique is the trick , high heat, no movement.
Greggs , Sausage roll, steak bake, chicken bake, cheese and onion bake, yum yum, Belgian bun, apple turnover, ham and cheese baguette, vegan sausage roll, tuna crunch baguette. The sausage roll alone is worth the home version , rough puff pastry, proper seasoning.
Taco Bell , Crunchwrap Supreme, cheesy gordita crunch, burrito supreme, chalupa supreme, Mexican pizza, loaded nachos, crunchy taco, soft taco, cinnamon twists, cheese quesadilla. Make the seasoned beef and refried beans once, freeze in portions, the rest is assembly.
German Doner Kebab , Doner kebab wrap, doner box, falafel wrap, hummus and pita, king fries, lachmacun. The German-Turkish high-street classic , shaved meat, garlic sauce, fresh salad, hot chips.
YO! Sushi , Salmon nigiri, spicy tuna roll, California roll, chicken katsu curry, chicken teriyaki donburi, edamame beans, miso ramen, prawn tempura, yakisoba noodles, vegetable gyoza. Restaurant-quality sushi at home takes a sushi mat and 30 minutes.
The recipes everyone is cooking this week:
Is it actually cheaper to fake it at home? Yes , substantially. A family-of-four McDonald’s meal costs £25; making it at home (Big Macs, fries, shakes) costs about £8. A Chinese for two from the takeaway is £20-25; making it at home is £5-8. A curry house meal for four is £50-60; making it at home is £12-15.
How long does fakeaway cooking actually take? Most recipes on this site are 30-60 minutes start-to-finish. A few (slow-cooked curries, tagines, ramen broth) take longer but yield multiple meals. The Chinese and Thai canon is the fastest , most dishes are 20-30 minutes.
Are the recipes actually like the takeaway? Better, in most cases. We’ve reverse-engineered the public menu items using restaurant techniques. Where the takeaway uses shortcuts (sauce concentrates, MSG), the home version uses real equivalents (anchovies for umami, Marmite for depth). You’ll find the home version is closer to the restaurant’s “real” version than the takeaway itself is.
Do I need special equipment? A heavy pan (cast iron or stainless) and a sharp knife get you 90% of the way. A pizza stone helps for pizza; a wok helps for Chinese; a tagine helps for Moroccan stews but is not essential. No deep-fryer needed , most recipes use shallow frying.
Can I meal-prep fakeaway? Most of the recipes freeze well for 1-3 months. Cook in bulk, portion, freeze. Reheat from frozen in the oven or microwave. The sauces (Big Mac sauce, peri-peri, tikka marinade) all keep for a week in in the fridge and a month in the freezer.
Is it healthier? Almost always, yes. You control the oil, the salt, the portions. Most of these recipes are around 500-600 kcal per serving , comparable to a takeaway main but without the sauces, sides and drinks adding 50% more.
What about dietary requirements? Every recipe is marked with tags (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free where relevant). Use the search bar at the top to filter. Most can be adapted , coconut milk instead substitutes cream, nutritional yeast instead of parmesan, tamari instead of soy sauce.
Do I have to make everything from scratch? No. Use the all-butter shop-bought pastry, the jar of curry paste, the bag of pre-cut fries. Fake it yourself means using your kitchen, not your entire evening. The recipes are designed to be friendly to shortcuts.
A few things that make every fakeaway recipe better:
Taste as you go. Restaurant kitchens taste constantly. Home cooks season at the start and at the end. Add a pinch of salt at every stage, taste before serving, adjust.
Bloom your spices. Whole spices toasted in a dry pan for 30 seconds, then ground, give a depth that pre-ground spice can’t match. Five minutes of work for a 30% improvement.
Rest your meat. Chicken thighs after cooking , 5 minutes under foil. Steak , 5 minutes on a board. Lamb kofta , 3 minutes. The carryover heat finishes the cook; the rest redistributes the juices.
Salt your pasta water. It should taste like the sea. Without it, pasta is bland no matter what sauce you put on it.
Use real butter. Not margarine, not spread, not “vegetable oil fat”. Real butter. The flavour difference is enormous, and fakeaway cooking uses a lot of butter.
Finish with acid. A squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a pinch of sumac. Acid brightens everything and lifts flavours that would otherwise sit flat. The final 30 seconds of cooking, almost always.
Taste your sauces. Every fakeaway sauce on this site has a balanced salt/acid/sweet/spicy profile. If yours doesn’t, adjust. Don’t follow the recipe blindly , your limes might be sharper, your soy sauce might be saltier, your honey might be sweeter.
That’s the guide. Pick a cuisine, pick a chain, pick a dish. The kitchen’s warm and the recipes are tested. Save a tenner, eat better, and stop pretending the takeaway version is better , because it almost never is.
Start with Chicken Tikka Masala or Big Mac , both are weeknight-fast and will change how you think about fakeaway forever.