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June was a great month in the CopyKat kitchen. Five brand-new recipes just went live on the site — and they cover everything from the buttery toast that makes Raising Cane’s worth the trip, to Chipotle’s smoky, citrusy chicken al pastor that’s been going absolutely wild since it dropped, to a Big Mac salad that somehow captures every single thing you love about the original. I’ve been cooking through all of them, and I am so excited to finally share the full June roundup with you. Whether you’re looking for a fast weeknight dinner or something completely new to try this weekend, at least one of these is about to become a regular at your table. Let’s get into it!

🍞 The 4-Ingredient Side That Elevates Everything

​Raising Cane’s Texas Toast — Thick-cut bread cooked in a buttery, garlicky skillet until golden on one side and pillowy soft on the other — this is the toast that makes Raising Cane’s worth the trip, and it turns out you only need 4 ingredients and 90 seconds to pull it off at home. Serve it alongside grilled chicken, dunk it in your favorite dipping sauce, or just eat a stack of it while it’s still warm from the pan. Once you make this yourself, regular toast will feel like a downgrade.

🐼 The Panda Express Dish You’ll Make on Repeat

​Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken — Silky velveted chicken thighs and crisp celery in a rich, bold black pepper sauce — done in one skillet in under 30 minutes. Velveting is the technique that makes restaurant chicken stay so incredibly tender while homemade versions turn rubbery, and this recipe walks you through exactly how to do it. The black pepper sauce is deeply savory, just a little spicy, and coats every piece perfectly. This is the Panda Express recipe fans have been asking for — and it absolutely delivers.

🥩 The Air Fryer Dinner That Changes Everything

​Air Fryer Thick Pork Chops — Perfectly seasoned, juicy bone-in pork chops cooked in the air fryer until they’re tender inside with a beautifully browned crust outside — all in under 30 minutes. If you’ve ever been disappointed by dry, rubbery pork chops, this recipe is going to completely change your mind. The air fryer does what a hot skillet can’t quite manage for thick chops: it browns the outside without overcooking the center. The result is exactly the kind of chop you’d expect from a good diner — not a Tuesday night at home.

🌮 The Chipotle Protein That Deserves Its Own Bowl

​Chipotle Chicken Al Pastor — Chicken thighs marinated in achiote paste, chipotles in adobo, morita pepper, and pineapple juice, then seared until charred, smoky, and completely irresistible. Chipotle’s al pastor has become a cult favorite fast — bright citrus up front, deep smoke in the middle, and a slow-building heat that keeps you coming back for more. At home, the marinade does most of the work. Serve it in a burrito bowl, tuck it into tacos with fresh pineapple, or pile it over rice with a squeeze of lime. Every way is the right way.

🥗 The Big Mac, Reimagined as a Salad

​Big Mac Salad — All the flavors of a classic Big Mac — seasoned ground beef, shredded iceberg lettuce, pickles, onions, tomatoes, cheddar, and a creamy homemade special sauce — served in a bowl instead of a bun. It tastes exactly like the real thing, and not in a “close enough” way — the beef is seasoned to match McDonald’s signature flavor, and the special sauce is spot-on. It’s a lighter take that doesn’t feel like a compromise at all, and it’s been one of the most popular recipes on the site since it dropped last week.

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🍳 In the Kitchen for June’s New Recipes

These five recipes draw on different cooking styles, but three tools make them all easier.

💨 Large Air Fryer (6+ Qt) — Thick bone-in pork chops need room in the basket to crisp properly — if they’re crowded, they steam instead of brown. A 6-quart air fryer fits two thick chops comfortably and delivers that golden, restaurant-quality crust in under 30 minutes. If this recipe doesn’t convince you to get one, nothing will.

🍳 Large Stainless Steel Skillet (12-inch) — The Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken needs a wide, hot surface to get that proper sear on the chicken and caramelize the sauce — and the Raising Cane’s Texas Toast needs even, steady heat across the whole surface of the bread. A good 12-inch stainless skillet handles both beautifully and develops the kind of fond that nonstick pans never quite achieve.

🥗 Extra Large Salad Bowl with Lid — The Big Mac Salad has a lot going on — ground beef, veggies, cheese, special sauce — and you need a generous bowl to toss everything together without things going everywhere. A wide, deep bowl also lets you make it ahead and cover it in the fridge, so you can meal prep it on Sunday and have Big Mac salad bowls ready for the week.

✨ June’s Best Is Ready in Your Kitchen

Five brand-new recipes, five completely different dishes — a buttery 4-ingredient toast, a velveted Panda Express stir-fry that beats takeout, a 30-minute air fryer pork chop, Chipotle’s buzziest protein made right at home, and a Big Mac reimagined as a bowl you’ll want every week. That’s June on CopyKat, and it’s been a really good one. I hope at least one of these makes it onto your table soon. Thank you so much for being here — I’ll see you next time!