Animal Style Burger (In and Out Copycat Recipe)

This isn’t your everyday burger! The Animal Style Burger is a popular menu item at the In-N-Out chain of restaurants. If you’ve never tried the in-n-out burger yet, you’re seriously missing out! In this post you’ll learn what exactly is Animal Style and how to make this delicious burger perfectly at home.

My family loves burgers. Some of my favorite copycat burgers are Zinger Burger, Travis Scott Burger, and this mouthwatering Animal Style Burger from In and Out.

Unlike most franchises, In-N-Out doesn’t feature a broad menu with limited items, but has become famous for its secret menu. This recipe is upon special requests made by customers over the years, though these items aren’t generally widely publicized or promoted.

What is an Animal Style Burger?

Animal Style is one of the most popular secret styles; in addition to the standard toppings of hand-leafed lettuce and juicy tomato, Animal Style burgers include mustard fried onto the beef patties as well as pickles, grilled onions, and extra spread. In-N-Out’s Spread is a savory dipping sauce that makes their burgers so tasty.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ground Beef Chuck: preferably 80% lean
• Vegetable Oil
• Hamburger Buns
• Yellow Mustard
• Salt & Pepper
• Animal Style Sauce made with mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, and white vinegar
• Toppings like onions, dill pickles, iceberg lettuce, tomato, and American cheese

How to Make Animal Style Burger

Step 1: Prepare the toppings

• Cook the onions in a large skillet over medium heat until caramelized. 
• Prepare the pickles, lettuce, tomato slices and set aside.

Step 2: Make the animal style sauce

•  In a medium bowl, mix the ketchup, mayonnaise, relish and vinegar.

Step 3: Cook the beef patties

• Shape the ground beef into 8 patties about a ½ inch thick using your hands. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add the beef patties. Slather a teaspoon of mustard onto each patty and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Flip the patties and cook 3 minutes more, or until the beef reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. 
• Add cheese on top of the burger during the last 1 minute.

Step 4: Assemble the burger

• Toast the buns in a skillet or grill. 
• Spread animal style sauce on top of each bun. Then place 1 cooked patty onto the bun. 
• Add  a spoonful of caramelized onions. Then place a second patty on top (this is the double double). 
• Finally, add other toppings followed by the top bun. Repeat for the remaining patties to make 4 double-double burgers in total.

Tips for the Best In and Out Burgers

• Use high-quality ground chuck beef with 20% fat for the best tender and juicy burger.
• Shape your patties slightly wider than the bun because they’ll shrink once heated.
• Season the patties after they are shaped, as salt could toughen your burger if you salt the ground beef before forming it into patties.
• Once in the skillet or on the grill, let patties sear well before flipping. Also, make sure not to press down on the burger.

Internal Temperature for Beef Burgers

When making burgers at home, it’s always helpful to know when you’ve achieved your ideal doneness. Store-bought beef needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) before it can be consumed. This is the temperature that eliminates bacteria that can make you sick. Using a meat thermometer can help you to ensure your meat is fully cooked and safe to eat.

What’s the Difference Between Animal Style and Regular?

Animal Style is just a slight variation on In-N-Out’s regular menu items. You can also purchase Animal Style fries, topped with cheese, grilled caramelized onions and spread. When it comes to burgers, Animal Style means that the beef patties are grilled in mustard for that extra kick of flavor. The meat is then topped with grilled onions, pickles and extra spread.