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In-N-Out Animal Style Burger – Copycat Recipe

animal style double double in-n-out

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For us on the west coast, it doesn’t get more classic than sinking into a Animal Style In-N-Out Burger. Here’s a walkthrough and copycat recipe to enjoy this iconic burger no mater where you live.

We are lucky to have so many regional food treats across the land. As a lifelong pacific coast denizen, I have missed out on White Castle burgers and Church’s Fried Chicken. Of course, I timed my moves poorly to benefit from a west coast icon; In-N-Out. It wasn’t until 2016, after flying into Dallas, TX, that we took the first off ramp for In-N-Out, and Starbucks…it had been a long flight, but I digress. I couldn’t believe their menu was precisely 3 burgers, Fries, and beverages. You’d think they would have more items. Look at this pic, the whole menu in that little box in the upper corner. Oh, wait…this menu is from 40 years ago…still the same.

Animal Style Burger early menu

Of course, I had heard about the “Secret Menu”!! (It deserves an echo or that movie guy’s voice). I made the young person on the intercom tell me what exactly made an animal style burger what it was. Little did they know I was a lousy cheating copycat, and took that information right back to my restaurant and made my best rendition of the dish. It was by far the best selling special, often getting requested on nights it wasn’t the special of the day. I blame them though, they had exactly one restaurant in Oregon at that time, still 5 or 6 hours from where I lived. Woohoo, as of 2022 they have two in Oregon, only a 90-minute drive now. All of this is part of why we are sharing how to make this tasty burger at home.

In-N-Out History

In so many ways the founders, Harry Snyder and family, were precognitive about what people wanted. Love it or hate it, they made the first effective drive through set up with the two-way intercom to start your order. Mr. Snyder could see how we Americans indulge our lazy side, or put differently, really enjoyed staying in our newfangled cars everyone was getting in the late forties.  The defining of our culture or the peak from which all developments only take us further down hill for there. It doesn’t matter which perspective you prefer drive through dining is here to stay.

in n out Burger shop

Initially a west coast rumbling of activity, In-N-Out started in 1948 in a suburb of Los Angeles. Any body who thinks tiny houses or food trucks with confined kitchen are new and all the rage need to study up on their history. Harry’s first restaurant measured a whopping 100 square feet at 10’by 10’. Uphill to school both ways, you pikers, try a sweatbox in California with a deep frier, flat top grill, and you.

Trend Bucking

You have to admire a guy who looks at the burgeoning success of McDonalds and Carl’s Jr. and completely ignores their business model. He bought fresh burger and potatoes every day, as opposed to the growing trend of frozen pre-made patties and fries. Ten years after opening, and growing to five SoCal locations they finally added milkshakes to the menu.

I may have spoken too harshly about their slow expansion. Again, as trend buckers, they manage their growth based on proximity to their own distribution centers and the ability to get the fresh products to their stores. Really?! Using fresher and better products as a reason to control their growth. Business doesn’t usually work that way, or at least it didn’t, now everybody brags about fresh. I guess they were prescient.  And, they don’t even keep adding things to their menu, even if the trend of new popularity demands it. Apparently, a weak demand to the Snyder family and Harry’s heirs. Yes, yet another trend bucked right out of the arena, they still run the company as a private family entity.

And this has to be mentioned because it flies so strongly in the face of convention. If you order an item, without a particular ingredient, say tomato (yes, that’s me, mine is the one sans tomato, deal with it) They take that amount off your bill. Is that crazy or what? You ask for less and you pay less for it. Talk about making your head explode, that kind of fair play doesn’t exist in much of the world. I know businesses who charge extra for any changes to their oh so special food, even eliminating an ingredient. Just wow.

Sauce the top buns

Animal Style Burger (Copycat Recipe)

Allen Bixby
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Lunch or dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4 persons
Calories 661 kcal

Ingredients
  

Sauce

  • ½ Cup Mayo
  • Cup Ketchup
  • 3 Tablespoons Brown deli mustard
  • 3 Tablespoons Pickle relish

Burgers

  • 18 Ounces Ground beef, plus or minus
  • 4 Burger buns 3-1/2” to 4”
  • 6 Slices American cheese
  • 1 Tomato sliced
  • 1 Onion finely diced
  • 1 Tablespoon Canola oil
  • 16 Dill pickle slices
  • 3 Tablespoons Prepared yellow mustard, approximately

Instructions
 

  • Dice onion into 1/4” pieces
    Diced onion
  • Preheat skillet, Medium-Low, with 1 Tablespoon canola oil, add onion
    frying onion in pan
  • Add a couple tablespoon water to onions
    light brown onion in pan
  • Place wet sauce ingredients into a bowl
  • Whisk until smooth
  • Add relish and stir together
  • Add a couple tablespoon water to onions
    adding water to onions
  • Preheat patty cooking surface, and bun warming surface
  • Shape six patties at 3 ounces each
    patties preparation
  • Squeeze a small spiral of yellow mustard on each patty
  • Place patties mustard side down on cooking surface
    frying patties with mustard
  • Add a spiral of mustard to the top side of each patty
  • Place buns on warming surface
    warming buns
  • Turn off onions if they are deep brown color
  • Turn the burger patties if you have not already
  • Slice tomatoes and tear lettuce leaves to fit bun
    Sliced tomatoes and cheese
  • Add sauce to bottom buns
    Add sauce to bottom buns
  • Add cheese slices to burgers
    cheese slices on patties
  • Add lettuce, tomato, dill pickle slices
    lettuce, tomato and pickle on bun
  • Stack patties on prepped buns
    Stack patties on prepped buns
  • Add caramelized onions atop patties
  • Sauce the top buns, stack and serve
    Sauce the top buns

Notes

In N Out seems like they use a 2-3 ounce patty, raw weight, we went with 3 ounces. Portion size is a variable. We did three burgers, one single, two doubles. The extra patty was for lunch the next day. This recipe basically makes 2 doubles and two singles. The caramelized onions cook quicker and get better color if you add a little water a few times though the cook process. The cooling and heating pull the sugars for caramelization and flavor, the steam speeds up the cook time.

Nutrition

Calories: 661kcal
Keyword animal style, burger, copycat recipe, drive thru, fast food, hamburger, in n out
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Animal Style Burgers

About the Author Allen Bixby

They say that 10,00 hours working a skill makes you an expert. By that standard I qualify as an expert cook. I eschew the title Chef because I do not have formal training…but dang, do I have hands on work, with the burn and cut scars to prove it. [Read More]

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