How Does In N Out Cook Their Burgers

Copycat In-N-Out Burger Recipe

Lindsay D. Mattison/Mashed

If a fast-food sandwich were capable of condign a legend, information technology would definitely be the In-N-Out Double-Double burger. Sure, its status every bit the best fast-food hamburger has been disputed over the years past those who claim Whataburger and 5 Guys make a superior sandwich. But, even if you've moved on to loving other burgers, information technology'south almost impossible to contend that In-North-Out has inspired a cult following over the years. People travel hundreds of miles for their burgers, hire the In-Northward-Out Cookout Truck to serve upwards burgers at their wedding, and some have even figured out how to get burgers shipped to their homes.

The menu is strikingly simple and has simply a few options (not counting their non-so-underground card, of course). That said, it'due south the simplicity that we crave. Information technology'due south just two never-frozen, all-beef patties, cooked to gild and smothered with ooey, gooey American cheese, In-N-Out's famous secret spread, and topped with freshly sliced onion, lettuce, and tomato. We wondered if information technology was as easy as that to replicate the famous burger at dwelling house. It turns out that it's not but possible to pull it off, but you don't even demand magic to arrive happen.

Assemble the ingredients to make an In-Northward-Out Burger copycat recipe

In-N-Out Burger Double Double ingredients

Lindsay D. Mattison/Mashed

Before we fabricated the ingredients list for our In-Northward-Out Burger copycat recipe, we popped over to the official website to check out what In-Due north-Out was willing to disclose about their famous burgers. First off, we learned they make their burgers from 100 percent USDA ground chuck. In fact, they have a squad defended to removing the basic, grinding the meat, and forming the patties. Since most of us don't accept meat grinders at home, we didn't start with a chuck roast for our copycat recipe. Instead, we chose pre-ground beef. Since chuck is commonly 80 to 85 percentage lean, we picked upwards 85/xv beefiness for our test patties, simply eighty/20 beef would work only as well.

We also learned that their lettuce is "manus-leafed," then nosotros opted for the whole head of iceberg and pulled the leaves autonomously at home. From at that place, we grabbed the rest of the Double-Double ingredients: real American cheese from the deli, a yellow onion, a juicy, ripe love apple, and a package of soft hamburger buns. The just affair left to figure out was In-N-Out'south famous spread, a recipe that's been unchanged since 1948.

For the full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions, cheque out the directions at the end of this commodity.

What goes into a copycat of In-N-Out Burger'southward famous spread?

How to make in-n-out burger spread copycat

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In-Due north-Out'south spread is the secret to why their burgers (and animal-style fries) are so damn tasty. Secret is the right word to choose, too, because the company isn't disclosing any information about what goes into this tasty treat. The only thing nosotros know for sure is that it contains eggs, thanks to their online allergen information. Then how in the world did we go well-nigh figuring out how to recreate information technology? Well, we used the aid of chef and food scientist, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.

In a Serious Eats article breaking down how to make In-N-Out's Animal-Fashion Double-Double Burger, Lopez-Alt calculated the ingredients in the spread based on its caloric makeup. Vivid! He washed two tablespoons of the spread through a fine-mesh strainer to determine the verbal quantity of pickle relish (one teaspoon) and used math to determine how many of the remaining calories were ketchup and mayonnaise. In the stop, it turns out this secret sauce is simply a version of K Island dressing: mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle relish, saccharide, and distilled white vinegar.

So we mixed the ingredients in a small bowl and gave it a sense of taste test. Nosotros used sweetness pickle relish in our kickoff version and adamant the sauce wasn't tangy plenty. When we finely minced dill pickles for the second version, it turned out perfect. Add a pinch of salt, cover the bowl, and let it rest in the refrigerator until you're set to use it.

How to make the perfect patties for this In-N-Out Burger copycat recipe

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Now that nosotros knew how to make the most of import component of the In-N-Out Double-Double — the secret spread — nosotros got started on making the burgers themselves. In-N-Out is able to cook their burgers fresh to order because the burgers merely have about iv minutes to cook. That's considering the patties are extraordinarily thin. You tin can replicate this at habitation by portioning out ii-ounce patties and flattening them as much as you can go on a slice of wax newspaper. By the fourth dimension the patty is a 4-inch round, it will exist thin enough to cook in nearly two minutes per side.

The other affair that makes In-Northward-Out burgers taste and so proficient is that they're cooked to a perfect crisp on a flattop. The key to making this happen is by salting the burger right earlier it hits the grill.Cook'southward Illustrated explains that common salt removes h2o from meat while also dissolving some of its proteins. That might exist proficient for creating a juicy steak, merely salting ground meat in accelerate can lead to a dry, limp burger. When you salt the burger immediately before cooking it, the common salt doesn't have fourth dimension to draw out that wet, resulting in a crispy on the exterior, juicy on the inside burger.

Preheat the pan and toast the buns for your In-N-Out Burger copycat recipe

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The key to making the perfect burger is paying shut attention to textures. You desire melty cheese, slightly crispy — but juicy — burger patties, and fresh, crunchy lettuce. In all of this, it's piece of cake to overlook the role of the bun's texture in creating a perfect burger. After all, virtually people pay closer attention to the flavor of the toppings. Merely it's essential to smash the bun, or it won't bring the burger together.

For starters, you demand a very soft bun. This is not the time or the place for a crunchy ciabatta or baguette. Buttery brioche buns have get popular (especially for chicken sandwiches), but for the In-Northward-Out burger, we're choosing the classic murphy bun. It'south soft and relatively flavorless, but information technology has the perfect squishy texture to complement the toppings inside. The best way to brand sure your burger turns out like a truthful In-Due north-Out Burger copycat recipe is to toast the buns beforehand in a dry pan, heated over medium-high heat for at least 4 minutes. Adding this crispy, virtually burnt component will take your burgers from tasting similar it was made by a backyard newbie and rank you among the seasoned fast-food pros.

Season the beef and cook the burger patties for the perfect In-North-Out Burger copycat recipe

Lindsay D. Mattison/Mashed

Once the buns are toasted, remove them from the pan and get set up to make the magic happen. Be sure you have everything prepared by this point considering the cooking will get very quickly. You lot don't want to be messing around with slicing tomatoes or onions and accidentally fire the burger patties.

Wipe out the pan to remove whatever bun balance and lightly spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Generously season the elevation of each burger patty with kosher salt and add together the patties, common salt-side down, to the hot pan. They will immediately brainstorm to sizzle and compress. If you tin't fit all four patties in the pan at in one case, kickoff with ii at a time. Season the other side of the patty with kosher side and let the patties cook until they're lightly crispy and browned on the bottom, almost two minutes. If the patties take longer than two minutes to cook, increase the estrus in the pan slightly.

Fold the cheese before adding it to each patty for an authentic In-N-Out Burger copycat recipe

Lindsay D. Mattison/Mashed

This completely genius piece of communication comes courtesy of Todd Wilbur of The Food Hacker. When Wilbur was trying to replicate In-Due north-Out's famous burgers, he struggled to figure out how many slices of American cheese to include per patty. When he looked at promotional photos of the burger, information technology appears to accept ii slices of cheese on peak of each burger patty. Merely making the burger with four slices of cheese was way as well cheesy of an feel (we know, is that fifty-fifty possible?).

Then, he learned the chain instructs its employees to "make the burger smile" by folding the cheese over in the front. By folding down the top quarter of each cheese slice and facing this doubled-cheese piece at the front of the burger, In-N-Out employees requite their burgers the appearance of having twice the cheese without really having to double-down. We gave the hack a try, and certain enough, it worked! Every bit the cheese melts, it makes its fashion to the back of the burger anyhow, so we didn't miss that quarter of cheese in our concluding bites of the burger.

Flip the burgers to finish this In-N-Out Burger copycat recipe

How to make the perfect In-N-Out burger copycat recipe

Lindsay D. Mattison/Mashed

Now that the burgers are cooked on one side, it's fourth dimension to flip 'em over and end the cooking process. Using a sparse spatula, flip each burger patty over and top information technology with the prepared folded cheese. Be sure to place the folded cheese function close to the border of the burger patty and then you'll be able to see information technology through the bun after. By the time the burger is finished cooking on the second side (near two minutes), the cheese should be sufficiently melted. If information technology's not, you can remove the pan from the heat and cover it with a lid for about a minute to help things along.

The other matter we'll do in this step is to add an onion slice to the top of one of the cheesy patties. The onion will still have a pleasantly raw flavor, but the steam from the cooking burger will help soften it upwards a piffling bit. If you're going Creature Way with your burger, you tin can skip the raw onion here and whip up a batch of grilled onions instead.

Build the In-N-Out Burger copycat recipe toppings on the bottom bun

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We're nigh at the finish line! While the burgers are cooking, you lot'll want to go your buns prepare to become. They're already nice and toasted, so all you need to practice is stack upwardly all the toppings. It starts with calculation a heaping tablespoon of spread on the lesser bun. If information technology seems like a lot of spread, that's because it is. In our test batches, nosotros found that this corporeality of spread created the messiest eating experience — when we added the patty, it flowed over the bun and spilled out onto our fingers. That said, it was also the most authentic eating experience. Halving the spread didn't taste quite the same, so the mess was worth it.

Peak the spread with a juicy tomato plant slice. Our tomatoes were roughly the same size as the bun, and so we only needed one. If y'all came home with a small tomato, go ahead and add two slices. Then, pull off some iceberg lettuce leaves and cup them in between your easily. This helps to meaty them enough so the burger isn't massively tall.

Stack your burger and bask this In-Due north-Out Burger copycat recipe

Lindsay D. Mattison/Mashed

The concluding stride to creating your In-N-Out Burger copycat recipe is to add the patties. Using a spatula, stack the cheese patty on top of the onion-topped patty. You'll want to move quickly hither considering the cheese loves to slide around and make a mess. Gently place the patties on peak of the iceberg lettuce of your garnished lesser bun. Then, add together the superlative bun on top and voila: An In-Due north-Out Double-Double Burger, made in the comfort of your own home. Serve the burger equally-is, or whip up a batch of In-Northward-Out chips to go alongside information technology. If you fabricated extra spread, drizzle it over the fries, add cheese, and sprinkle on some grilled onions to create Animal Style fries.

Resist the urge to press downwardly on the burger to get in easier to eat. Compressing the burger will flatten the soft bun and get rid of the fluffy texture that's essential to the eating experience. If yous find the burger to be too messy (which, spoiler alarm, it is), feel free to wrap it in wax newspaper before eating it. Nosotros didn't want to risk squishing the bun, so we enjoyed information technology sans-wrap.

How close did we get to the original In-N-Out Burger Double-Double?

Lindsay D. Mattison/Mashed

Now that we know how easy information technology is to make an In-Northward-Out Burger copycat recipe at home, we may never visit the chain once more. Seriously, nosotros couldn't tell the difference between our homemade burger and the fast-food restaurant's. Both burger patties were deliciously salty, and the buns were soft on the exterior and crispy on the within. The difference between the ii secret sauces was well-nigh indistinguishable, and both burgers had the perfect combination of texture and flavour.

Was it easier to brand the burger at home? Well, no. We did make a tiny mess in the kitchen between making the sauce and frying the burgers on the stovetop. And nosotros certainly made a mess at our kitchen table when eating the saucy burger. Then, if you're looking to avoid cleaning upward, go ahead and visit the In-N-Out nearest you. Otherwise, you lot'll derive a lot of satisfaction fooling your friends into thinking you interned at a fast-food restaurant to perfect this recipe.

Copycat In-N-Out Burger Recipe

If a fast-food sandwich were capable of becoming a legend, information technology would definitely exist the In-N-Out Double-Double burger. We made it at home.

iii tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons dill pickle relish
½ teaspoon saccharide
½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 pinches kosher table salt
½ pound ground chuck, preferably fourscore/20
2 small plain hamburger buns
Nonstick cooking spray
4 slices American cheese
ii slices white onion, not separated
2 large tomato plant slices, nearly ¼-inch thick
ii leaves iceberg lettuce, cadre removed and torn to fit the bun

Brand the spread by combining the mayo, ketchup, pickle relish, sugar, white vinegar, and a compression of salt in a minor bowl. Cover the bowl and store the mixture in the refrigerator until fix to use.
Meanwhile, prepare the burger patties by dividing the beefiness into iv two-ounce portions. Identify the portions on a large piece of wax newspaper and flatten each piece with your easily into a 4-inch, super-thin patty.
Preheat a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burger buns, cut-side down, and cook until they're deeply golden brown and crispy, nigh 4 minutes. Remove the buns from the pan and set up bated.
Lightly spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray and season the top side of the burger patties with kosher common salt. Add together the patties, salt-side down, to the hot pan. You may only be able to melt two burger patties at a fourth dimension. Season the other side with kosher salt and cook the burgers until they're lightly crispy and browned, about 2 minutes.
Flip the burgers over. Before adding the cheese, fold the acme quarter of each cheese slice on pinnacle of itself, creating a portion of the cheese that is doubled. Add one folded cheese slice to each patty. Top one of the cheese slices with one onion piece.
Continue to cook the burgers for about 2 minutes, until the lesser is browned. If the cheese is not fully melted in this time, remove the pan from the heat and encompass it with a hat for one minute.
While the patties finish cooking, assemble the bottom bun of the burger. Place a heaping tablespoon of the spread on the bottom bun, followed past a tomato piece. Cup a few leaves of iceberg lettuce between your hands to compact them and place the lettuce on top of the tomato.
When the burgers are finished cooking, utilize a spatula to stack the cheese patty on top of the onion-topped patty. Gently place the patties on top of the garnished bottom bun and finish the burger with the top bun. Be conscientious non to press downward on the burger, which volition flatten the soft bun.
Wrap the burger in wax newspaper, if you lot desire, before serving. Serve immediately.

Calories per Serving	739
Total Fatty	39.ii 1000
Saturated Fat	12.two g
Trans Fat	0.iii g
Cholesterol	106.eight mg

Total Carbohydrates	55.1 g
Dietary Fiber	2.6 g
Total Sugars	11.5 g
Sodium	1,164.0 mg
Protein	41.vii thou

The information shown is Edamam'south estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist'due south advice.