Make your favorite restaurant burger at home with this Copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Burger. Easy, juicy and flavorful double double burger.

Animal Style In and Out Burger layered with chopped onions, cheese, slice tomatoes and lettuce with burger sauce
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In and Out Animal Burger is a must when we go to our favorite fast food burger restaurant. This beef recipe is loaded with caramelized onions, mustard, grilled cheese, and hand leafed lettuce. We always get one of their chocolate or vanilla shake with a root beer.

Now you can easily make this animal style burger at home. It is easy to make and it will save you money making it at home. Save a trip to your favorite burger place and make this burger at home. You may also love this Blackstone Smash Burger Recipe or Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger.

What is Animal Style at In and Out Burger?

Animal Style is how the burger is cooked and what is added to the burger. The sauce is similar to Thousand Island Dressing. This spread is added with mustard, grilled patties, and extra pickles.

This animal style is on their secret menu items.

Why Does In-N-Out Call it Animal Style?

The restaurant is known for its clean cut employees. But when you order animal style it jazzes up your burger. After ordering the mustard fried grilled burger with the grilled onions, spread, and pickles you will be hooked.

They even serve animal style fries.

Ingredients 

Ingredients needed - beef, avocado oil, salt, pepper, mustard, butter, onion, american cheese, tomato, lettuce, buns, mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, white vinegar

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

How to Make In and Out Burger Animal Style

  • Step 1 – Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.  Form the ground beef into 4 balls approximately ¼ pound each.  
  • Step 2 – Preheat the Blackstone grill over medium high heat about 400 degrees F.  
  • Step 3 – Melt the butter in one section of the grill.  Then top the melted butter with the chopped onions.  Sauté the onions in the butter until they are caramelized (3-5 minutes).  
grilling chopped onions on a Blackstone
  • Step 4 – While the onions are cooking, drizzle the avocado oil over the other side of the grill.  You can use any oil with a high smoke point for this recipe.  We usually use avocado oil but canola oil, vegetable oil or coconut oil will work great too.  
  • Step 5 – Place the buns on the grill over the oil for 2 minutes to toast them and then set them aside while you prepare the beef.
  • Step 6 – Then place the beef balls on the grill. Then top each one with a piece on parchment paper and firmly press down to smash the beef into a thin patty. Use either a burger press or a large spatula and then discard the parchment paper.
  • Step 7 – Season the patties with salt and pepper. 
  • Step 8 – Cook the patties for 2 minutes until the juices in the beef start to raise to the top and the color starts to change. While the patties are cooking, top each of the patties with 1 tablespoon of mustard on the raw side. 
grilling burgers on a Blackstone
  • Step 9 – Then scrape under the beef patty to get under the caramelized parts and flip the patty. Once flipped, do not smash down the patties again. Cook for 1 more minute and place 2 pieces of cheese on each of the patties. 
  • Step 10 – Cook for 1 more minute to allow the cheese to melt.  
  • Step 11 – Then it’s time to assemble your burgers. Spread the sauce on the top and bottom of the bun. Top the bottom bun with the lettuce, tomatoes, patty and sauté onions.  Then the top bun.  
  • Step 12 – Then the burgers are ready to enjoy.
Animal Style In and Out Burger layered with onion, slice cheese, tomato, pickles and lettuce

How to Make In and Out Sauce

The sauce is made with easy ingredients but is packed with flavor. You simply mix the following ingredients in a bowl and set aside while the burgers cook. This sauce also delicious to dip your fries in.

  • Mayonnaise
  • Ketchup
  • Sweet Pickle Relish
  • White Vinegar

Animal Style Burger Toppings

This burger can also be made animal protein style. Which means that it is served with no bun.

  • Pickles
  • Chopped Grilled Onions
  • Extra Sauce
  • Slices of Cheese
  • Yellow Mustard
Animal Style In and Out Burger layered with onion, slice cheese, tomato, pickles and lettuce

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Best Beef to Use?

We recommend using ground beef that is 80/20. But you can use 93/7 ground beef with the same delicious results.

How Long to Cook Beef Patties?

Since this copycat recipe is made with smash burgers, they will take about 2 minutes on each side to cook. Add your favorite toppings for a delicious burger recipe.

How to Store Leftover Burgers

These burgers are best served fresh, but you can store the leftover patties in an airtight container for up to 1 week. 

Blackstone Tools Needed

More Easy Burger Recipes

If you make this Copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Burger, make sure to let us know how it turns out by leaving us a comment.

In-N-Out Animal Style Burger Recipe

5 from 15 votes
Make your favorite restaurant burger at home with this Copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Burger. Easy, juicy and flavorful double double burger.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Calories 849

Ingredients

FOR THE BURGER:

  • 1 pound Ground Beef 80/20
  • 2 tsp Avocado Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 4 tablespoons Mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • 1 White Onion chopped
  • 8 slices American Cheese
  • 1 Large Tomato sliced
  • 8 Iceberg Lettuce Leaves
  • 4 Hamburger Buns

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup Ketchup
  • 2 Tablespoon Sweet Pickle Relish
  • 2 Tablespoon White Vinegar
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Instructions

  • Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.  Form the ground beef into 4 balls approximately ¼ pound each.
  • Preheat the blackstone grill over medium high heat (approximately 400 degrees F).
  • Melt the butter in one section of the grill.  Then top the melted butter with the chopped onions.  Sauté the onions in the butter until they are caramelized (3-5 minutes).
  • While the onions are cooking, drizzle the avocado oil over the other side of the grill.
  • Place the buns on the grill over the oil for 2 minutes to toast them and then set them aside while you prepare the beef.
  • Then place the beef balls on the grill. Then top each one with a piece on parchment paper and firmly press down to smash the beef into a thin patty with either a burger press or a large spatula and then discard the parchment paper.
  • Season the patties with salt and pepper.
  • Cook the patties for 2 minutes until the juices in the beef start to raise to the top and the color starts to change. While the patties are cooking, top each of the patties with 1 tablespoon of mustard on the raw side.  Then scrape under the patty to get under the caramelized parts and flip the patty.
  • Once flipped, do not smash down the patties again. Cook for 1 more minute and place 2 pieces of cheese on each of the patties.
  • Cook for 1 more minute to allow the cheese to melt.
  • Then it’s time to assemble your burgers.
  • Spread the sauce on the top and bottom of the bun. Then top the bottom bun with the lettuce, tomatoes, patty and sauté onions.  Then the top bun.
  • Then the burgers are ready to enjoy!

Recipe Notes

These burgers are best served fresh, but you can store the leftover patties in an airtight container for up to 1 week.  
You can use any oil with a high smoke point for this recipe.  We usually use avocado oil but canola oil, vegetable oil or coconut oil will work great too.  

Nutrition Facts

Calories 849kcal, Carbohydrates 34g, Protein 33g, Fat 64g, Saturated Fat 22g, Polyunsaturated Fat 15g, Monounsaturated Fat 21g, Trans Fat 2g, Cholesterol 142mg, Sodium 2137mg, Potassium 553mg, Fiber 2g, Sugar 11g, Vitamin A 764IU, Vitamin C 4mg, Calcium 547mg, Iron 5mg

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Grill on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. From the Best Blackstone recipes, to grilling, and easy smoker recipes, together we are going to cook real food, with easy ingredients… for real families!

5 from 15 votes (15 ratings without comment)

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