Copycat In-N-Out Burgers - Juicy bites of grilled beef and tangy sauce make up this outstanding copycat In-N-Out burger recipe. Saving you time and money, this is an easy dish to turn to when you’re craving the classic fast food recipe.
Forget the takeout! These Copycat In-N-Out Burgers are just as good as the real thing. Each bite is packed with caramelized onions, juicy beef, and the best sweet and tangy sauce. All you need are some freshly made french fries in air fryer and extra sauce on the side for dipping to make this meal complete!
There are two elements to these copycat burgers:
- Stacks of delicious burgers;
- And the signature sauce.
Just like In-N-Out, the homemade smash burgers and toppings are fresh and juicy. Plus, they’re easy to make! All you need is some ground beef and the best toppings, like seared onions and juicy slices of tomatoes.
Last but not least, the copycat In-N-Out sauce recipe is one of the best burger sauces to make ahead of time and use on more homemade burger with pickled red onions, fish fillet sandwiches, or as a dipping sauce with crispy potato wedges. It’s briny, tangy, and bright, making it a great companion to meat, fish, or vegetables.
In-N-Out burger recipe ingredients
Making homemade burgers is the easy part of this recipe. It’s the In-N-Out sauce that really makes each bite special! Tangy and sweet, these burgers grill up in no time and the sauce is made with simple ingredients, such as:
- Ground beef
- Tomato
- Iceberg lettuce
- Onions
- Hamburger buns
- Sliced cheese
- Butter
- Sugar
- Dill pickles
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Chives
How to make In-N-Out sauce
Step 1: Saute the onions in a skillet with melted butter over medium high heat. Add a pinch of sugar and salt. After they’ve fully caramelized, set the onions aside to cool.
Step 2: Whisk the rest of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Stir in the caramelized onions and a pinch of salt. Set it aside or keep the sauce in the fridge until it’s time to assemble the burgers.
How to make copycat In-N-Out burgers
Step 1: Sear the onions in a skillet with butter until both sides have a golden color.
Step 2: Place 2 beef balls in a seasoned cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Press them down with a spatula and season with salt.
Step 3: Melt slices of cheese on each patty. Repeat this process until all of your burgers are done cooking.
Step 4: To assemble one burger, place a seared onion on one patty, place the second patty on top, and add the final onion on top of the top patty. Dress the buns in In-N-Out sauce, place the tomato and lettuce on the bottom bun, add the patties on top, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
The key to an animal style In-N-Out burger is to grill each patty with yellow mustard and top it with extra secret sauce, pickles, and caramelized onions.
Use an extra two onions when you’re caramelizing them for the sauce and slice some pickles to add to the bottom hamburger bun. If you end up with extra onions or pickles, they make a great topping on french fries.
You can easily prepare the caramelized onions, secret sauce, and burger balls ahead of time:
Caramelized onions: Prepare them up to 5 days in advance. Store the onions in an airtight container in the fridge until it’s time to assemble.
In-N-Out Spread: Assemble the sauce and store it in a sealed jar or container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
Burger balls: Use clean hands to roll the burger balls a few hours before serving and store them in an airtight container in the fridge immediately after.
Use freshly ground beef with a fat content of around 80/20 for juicy and flavorful burgers.
Fresh patties are recommended for the best flavor and texture, but if you only have frozen, just be sure to thaw them properly before cooking.
Place the cheese on the patties during the last minute of cooking to allow it to melt perfectly.
More delicious burger recipes
- Caramelized Onion Burger
- Homemade Burgers with Pickled Onions
- Juicy Beyond Meat Burgers
- The Best Hamburger
Q. Do YOU like this Easy Burger Recipe?
Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!
Thank YOU for YOUR Comment, Share & Recipe Review!
When YOU make this In N Out Burger RECIPE tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!
📖 Recipe
Copycat In n Out Burger
Ingredients
In n Out Burgers
- 1 lb ground beef divided into 4 balls
- 1 tomato sliced
- 4 iceberg lettuce
- 1 onion sliced and seared over medium high heat
- 4 buns toasted
- sliced cheese
In n Out Sauce
- 2 large onions diced
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 pinch sugar
- 2 medium dill pickles finely diced
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup chives finely sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Burger Sauce
- Melt butter in the skillet over medium high heat. Add onion with a pinch of sugar and salt.Saute stirring few times, over medium heat for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
- In a mixing bowl, combine and whisk together mayo, ketchup, finely chopped chives, finely diced dill pickles, caramelized onions and a pinch of salt.Mix together. The sauce is ready.
Burger
- Cook sliced onions over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of butter until seared golden color, on both sides.
- In a seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 beef balls and press down using a spatula. Season with salt over the top.Sear the burgers for 2-3 minutes on both sides.
- Melt two slices of cheddar cheese to both patties. Repeat with the rest of the beef balls.Place seared onion on the first patty, top the onion with the second patty.
- Add burgers sauce to both buns followed by sliced tomato and iceberg lettuce on the bottom bun. Carefully add the burger patties and finish with the top bun. Enjoy with Baked Sweet Potato Wedges with Tzatziki Sauce or Crispy Potato Wedges.
Video
Notes
- Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce for an extra flavor.
Nutrition
Happy Cooking!
Melissa
This was really yummy! I embellished a bit, because it's just what I do AND I didn't have the qty of everything needed. The recipe is perfect as it is, but also very forgiving when ya want to get creative.
Munchkin Time
Thank you Melissa for your awesome recipe review!
Michelle
Delicious! One pound is not enough, double the recipe for the burgers. My husband hasn’t been traveling due to COVID and was craving some In n Out burgers. Thank you for this recipe! Love from Wisconsin
Munchkin Time
Thank you for sharing your feedback and for giving this recipe a try, Michelle!
Sarah Hart
Being born n raised in Cali that doesn't looking a in n out burger ijs
Munchkin Time
You are right Sarah! It looks even better 🙂