In N Out Burger Recipe | Your Homebased Mom | Copycat In-N-Out Burger (2024)

This copycatIn N Out Burger recipe may just be better than the real thing! Give it a try and see!

I grew up with a mother who was born and bred in California and thus a huge fan of In-N-Out Burgers. I was raised in Wisconsin, a state with no In-N-Out within a 1,000 miles or more. It wasn’t until I was an adult myself on a trip to the west coast that I experienced my first In-N-Out burger. From that time forward anytime I am in a state with an In-N-Out, my internal hamburger radar manages to find one.

Given the fact that I live in Oregon I was pretty excited when I ran across a copycat recipe. Now, I know there are those of you out there that don’t think In-N-Out is so great and I respect that but for you fellow fans, today’s post is for you. I have no idea if this is how they really make their burgers but it is a good burger. In fact, my husband thought this in n out burger recipe was better than the real thing.

Ingredients Needed

• Hamburger. The restaurant uses fresh beef chuck (at least 60 percent lean), no frozen meat. I have used an 80/20 hamburger blend also.
• Buns. Must be buttered and toasted. This is one of things that makes this burger so good.
• Cheese. The restaurant uses American cheese but I have substituted Cheddar Cheese.
• Lettuce. Iceberg Lettuce torn into pieces.
• Pickles. I always leave them off but if you are a pickle lover use dill pickles.
• Salt and Pepper
• Tomato. Fresh, sliced tomato
• Onions. One of my favorite parts of the burger. You are going to caramelize them in some oil!
• Special Sauce. See recipe below.
• Yellow Mustard

The first thing that makes the burger unique is the special sauce.

In N Out Burger Special Sauce Ingredients

One of the most important parts of an In N Out burger is the Special Sauce! It is so easy to make and so delicious that you will want to add it to all of your burgers! It is a combination of:

• Mayonnaise
• Ketchup
• Sweet Pickle Relish
• White vinegar

How to caramelize onions

The caramelized onions are an important part of an In n Out Burger!

• Finely chop your onion and add into a frying pan with oil. Stir and saute for a few minutes.
• Cover them and allow them to cook slow for about 30 minutes until they are golden and soft. Watch your heat and don’t let them burn.
• Uncover them once they have started to brown and caramelize and cook for about 5 more minutes uncovered.
• Add in 1/2 C water and simmer until the water evaporates.

These can be made ahead of time and set aside.

How to Make a Copycat In N Out Burger

After you have your In-N-Out Sauce made and your onions caramelized, it is time to start on the other ingredients to make the perfect Copycat In-N-Out burger!

• Toast the Buns. This is one of the things I love about an In-N- Out Burger! Heat up your electric griddleand brush it lightly with some vegetable oil. Place your buns split side down on the griddle and toast until golden brown.

• Form your hamburger patties. I made my patties thicker than In-N-Out, but you can make them thinner for a more authentic experience. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to both sides.

1. Place your patties on your hot griddle (these hamburgers are not put on a BBQ grill)
2. Cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your patty and your desired doneness.
3. Spread the patty with 1 1/2 tsp of mustard on the uncooked side and then flip.
4. Top the cooked side with a slice of cheese. In-N-Out uses American cheese but I used a nice slice of cheddar. Again, make it with the cheese you love, or use American for an authentic In-N-Out burger!

Assemble your Burger

• After cooking to your desired doneness you are ready to assemble your burger
• Spread some of the burger sauce on your bun.
• Add lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty and caramelized onions.

For a more complete experience you can even put it into a little paper container and pretend you are in California eating the real thing! But checkered paper or not, it will taste like you are there!

For more delicious burgers try these:

• Burger Sauce
• Smash Burger
• Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions
• Juicy Lucy Burger
• Turkey Burger

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