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I enjoy recreating recipes from my favorite fast food places.  From spicy chicken sandwiches to crunchwraps, homemade always tastes better.  Fresher ingredients, cheaper and best of all, better tasting.  Whenever I travel to the west coast, In-N-Out Burger is a must for me.  We don’t have it in the midwest so it’s always a nice treat.  I decided to make a copycat In and Out animal style burger and it came out perfect.  It has all the flavors of the original and I did not feel guilty eating it.  Let me show you how.

Step 1: How to make the delicious In-N-Out Burger sauce.

One of the key elements of the perfect In-N-Out Burger is the sauce.  It pulls everything together giving it a nice sweet and tangy flavor.  Ingredients are simple.  Many have these staples in the fridge already.

In a mixing bowl, add ketchup, mayo, sweet relish, apple cider vinegar and sugar. Mix the ingredients together and set aside.

In and Out burger sauce

Dad’s Seasonings

Must have grillin seasonings!

Step 2: Time to grill the perfect copycat In-N-Out burgers.

Whether you enjoy a single or double, In-N-Out Burger patties are simply amazing. Let me share the secret with you.

Before we jump to the beef, one of the delicious parts of an In-N-Out animal style burger are the sautéed onions. Preheat the griddle or grill to a medium heat and spread some olive oil on the flat top. Dice up a white onion and throw them on the griddle.  Sauté for about 15 minutes until they are soft. Move them to the side and turn down the burner to a low heat to keep them warm while you cook the rest.

Beef burger patties

Now, start with shaping 3 oz. round balls of ground beef.  For this recipe I went with a 80% lean to 20% fat ratio.  Choose what you like best, this is the option I used.

On a medium heat,  place the beef on the griddle and smash it down using a spatula.

Recipe Tip

  • To help avoid the meat sticking to the spatula, use a small piece of parchment paper as the barrier.

Next, season with Dad’s All Purpose seasoning and add some yellow mustard.  Yes that’s right, yellow mustard.  Not only does it add some flavor to the patty, it creates the perfect crust. Grill 2 minutes per side. At the end, add a slice of American cheese and allow it to melt over the patties before removing off the grill.

Burger patties on griddle

To assemble this delicious copycat In-N-Out Burger animal style, toast up the buns, add a generous layer of the sauce, add lettuce, sliced tomato, 1 or 2 patties, a scoop of the sautéed onions and more sauce.  Enjoy!

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Frequently Asked Questions:

What cut of steak should I use?

Type of steak depends on what you are trying to grill up. For hot and fast look for cuts with good marbling like a ribeye or NY strip. If you are cooking a roast or stew, look for cuts that are cheaper and meatier like a chuck roast.

Can I make this in the oven stove top?

All my recipes can be replicated in the oven, stove top or gas grill. You do not need a big green egg or weber grill to replicate any of my recipes.

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Printer friendly recipe below:

4.32 from 16 votes

Copycat In-N-Out Burger

I decided to make a copycat In-N-Out Burger. It has all the flavors of the original and I did not feel guilty eating it. 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 3 People

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb Ground beef
  • 6 slices American Cheese
  • 6 Hamburger buns
  • 1 White onion
  • 1 tbsp Yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp Dad's All Purpose seasoning

In-N-Out sauce ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Ketchup
  • 1/4 cup Mayo
  • 2 tbsp Sweet relish
  • 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Sugar

Instructions 

  • Start with the sauce. In a mixing bowl, add ketchup, mayo, sweet relish, apple cider vinegar and sugar. Mix the ingredients together and set aside.
  • To sauté the onions, preheat the griddle or grill to a medium heat and spread some olive oil on the flat top. Dice up a white onion and throw them on the griddle.  Sauté for about 15 minutes until they are soft. Move them to the side and turn down the burner to a low heat to keep them warm
  • Shape 3 oz. round balls of ground beef. 
  • On a medium heat,  place the beef on the griddle and smash it down using a spatula.
  • Season the patties with Dad's All Purpose seasoning and add some yellow mustard. 
  • Grill 2 minutes per side. At the end, add a slice of American cheese and allow it to melt over the patties before removing off the grill.
  • To assemble the burger, toast up the buns, add a generous layer of the sauce, add lettuce, sliced tomato, 1 or 2 patties, a scoop of the sautéed onions and more sauce. 

Nutrition

Calories: 974kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 1666mg | Potassium: 696mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 639IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 607mg | Iron: 7mg
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About Maciek

I make easy meals that anyone can replicate at home. I’m not a professionally trained chef, just your average guy that likes to fire up the grill. So follow along and see what’s cooking today!

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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is delicious 😋
    My husband and I will definitely make this again. Try it you’ll love it.