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I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted! One of the biggest reasons is that we made a huge cross-country move. If there is one thing I miss about CA, it’s In N Out! I miss their burgers and animal style fries. We have yet to find something that comes close, so we decided to attempt making out our own. I must say, this copycat In N Out burger and animal style fries recipe is SOOOOOO good!
Even if you do have an In N Out near you, this recipe is fun to make at home and will help you save a few bucks. The key to a homemade In N Out style burger is the sauce and layering the toppings correctly. The rest is pretty easy!
Copycat In N Out Burger Recipe
Homemade In N Out Burger Ingredients:
- Burger Patties
- Burger Buns
- American Cheese Slices
- Mayo
- Ketchup
- Sweet Relish
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Tomato Slices
- Onion
- Dill Pickles (optional)
Burger Patty: In N Out burger patties are pretty thin, so the thinner the better. We made a batch with thicker burgers and a batch with thinner burgers, and I must say the thin patty was the winner. It really does make a difference in the taste and texture.
Burger Bun: The bun is also important. You don’t need anything fancy. The trick is to butter the buns then grill them on the skillet to get that crispy layer while keeping the rest of the bun soft.
The Cheese: As tempting as it might be to get some fancy cheese slices, the good old fashioned American cheese slices are the real winner. Anything else will not give you that In N Out nostalgia.
In N Out Sauce: The In N Out burger sauce recipe is below. Don’t buy a thousand island dressing or secret sauce at the store. Making homemade In N Out sauce is easy and will taste just like it does at In N Out.
The Onions: Whether you like raw or grilled onions on your burger, grilled onions are always great for the animal style fries. When grilling the onions, you need to make sure they stay wet so they don’t get to crispy (more on that below).
The Toppings: Layering the toppings in the right order is important. I promise it makes a difference in the taste and texture!
In N Out Sauce Recipe
Combine 2 parts mayo to 1 part ketchup. Add 1 tablespoon of sweet relish for every 1/2 cup of sauce. Easy peasy!
The sauce will be the first topping on the buttered and grilled bun in the burger layering process.
In N Out Grilled Onions Recipe
Chop an onion into small squares. Add them to a skillet with cooking oil and cook on low-medium until they are translucent and a little brown. If the onions absorb all of the oil, add a splash of water and keep adding water until they are finished. If all the oil and water get absorbed too quick, the grilled onions will come out too crispy.
How to Cook & Layer an Animal Style Burger
We like our In N Out burger animal style. If you want it regular style, just omit the grilled onions, pickles and mustard while cooking the burger patty (more on that below).
- Cook burgers on a skillet (we use this cast iron skillet). When you flip the burger, add a little bit of yellow mustard on top (just enough that it will soak in and get cooked with the burger meat).
- Butter the buns on the inner top and bottom pieces. Grill on the skillet until they are a little crispy.
- Top burger patties with American cheese (the kind that are individually wrapped in plastic).
- Add the In N Out sauce to the bottom bun.
- Add pickles (optional).
- Add a slice or two of tomato.
- Add a slice or two of iceberg lettuce.
- Add the burger patty (with or without cheese).
- Add the onions (raw or grilled).
- Top the burger with the top bun.
In N Out Animal Style Fries Recipe
Fresh or frozen fries will work. We got frozen shoestring fries and cooked them according to the package directions in the air fryer.
Add the fries to a microwave-safe food container. Top the fries with 2 slices of American cheese. Microwave the fries with cheese for about 30 seconds (or just until melted).
Top the cheese fries with grilled onions.
Add In N Out sauce. That’s it!
Find other recipe ideas here!
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FAQs
Animal Style fries, on the other hand, are topped with cheese, spread, and grilled onions. You'll want to mix 'em up with your fork before the cheese starts to coagulate (of course, you can also ask for just plain old cheese fries). And these options are just the start.
How does In-N-Out make their fries? ›
At In-N-Out, french fries come from the finest, freshest potatoes. They're shipped right from the farm, individually cut in our stores, and then cooked in 100% sunflower oil.
What kind of cheese does In-N-Out use on their fries? ›
Whenever I visit somewhere with an actual In-N-Out, I have to go and order their Animal Style Fries off the secret menu. Not so secret anymore, this is the ONLY way to eat the In-N-Out french fries. They are topped with caramelized onions, melted American cheese, and delicious In-N-Out Sauce (copycat recipe here).
What is animal sauce made of? ›
In any case, all it is is a basic Thousand Island-style dressing: a mixture of ketchup, mayonnaise, and sweet pickle relish.
What are roadkill fries at In-N-Out? ›
You have to try in N out secret menu item, roadkill, which is fries. animal style, with a Flying Dutchman crushed on top. Start by cooking up your fries, then add in a whole bunch of cheese. Toss in the broiler for a couple minutes.
What is gorilla style at In-N-Out? ›
Monkey/Gorilla Style: any burger with animal fries in the middle – most stores will not make this combination. Onion Bun: whole grilled onions on either side of your burger instead of a bun.
What oil does In-N-Out use for burgers? ›
2 100% beef patties, lettuce, tomato, spread, 2 slices of American cheese, with or without onions, bun. Prepared fresh in 100% sunflower oil using only fresh potatoes. Made from real ice cream. “Coca-Cola,” “Diet co*ke,” “Barq's” and “Minute Maid” are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.
What kind of onions does In-N-Out use? ›
Although white onions are what In-N-Out uses, I think red or yellow onions would be just as delicious. Once my meat was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and the onions were golden brown, all that was left to do was neatly stack the ingredients and top with American cheese.
What type of potatoes does In-N-Out use? ›
In-N-Out uses the Kennebec variety of potato for its fries and prepares them on-site as opposed to purchasing them pre-made from other companies. According to In-N-Out the company's french fries are cooked in "100% pure, cholesterol-free sunflower oil".
What is the sauce called from In-N-Out? ›
In-N-Out Burger Spread is a creamy and tangy sauce that brings a signature flavor to In-N-Out's burgers. It's a blend of mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish, with a hint of sugar to balance the flavors. This secret sauce is what sets In-N-Out burgers apart and keeps fans coming back for more.
A common approach to improving them is to order them Well Done, but that often results in burnt fries. After weeks of research, we have the solution. When you order your fries, use these two magic words: Light Well. That's a term used by In-N-Out for fries cooked just a bit beyond their usual technique.
Is In-N-Out healthy? ›
Most Nutritious Option. The healthiest choice on the primary menu at In-N-Out is the no-bun "Protein-Style" hamburger, which is lower in calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium.
What is a flying Dutchman at In-N-Out? ›
meat and cheese fest. It goes by the name of the "Flying Dutchman," and it's the ultimate Atkin's-friendly menu item. Two slices of cheese melted between two burger patties. No hippie vegetables, no wimpy buns, just pure protein and fat.
Why does in and out call their fries animal style? ›
It turns out that animal comes from rowdy customers or “animals.” Snyder wrote that these customers “would honk their horns while orders were taken,” or they would “leave trash on the lots and play their music extra loud”. According to Syner, they were sometimes so rowdy they would get into fights with each other.
What is an In-N-Out pup patty? ›
16. Pup Patty. If you have a furry friend (or just a craving for some plain beef), order a Pup Patty off of the In-N-Out secret menu. It's simply an unsalted beef patty that's safe for your dog to snack on.
Are animal fries from In-N-Out vegetarian? ›
YES! Animal Syle Fries just got veganized. In n out is a very popular fast food restaurant in California. The most popular item on their “not-so-secret-menu” is the “Animal Syle Fries”…
