In n Out Burgers Recipe

Make the world famous In n Out Burgers Recipe in your own kitchen with this spot-on copycat recipe. Thin ground beef patties seasoned perfectly, topped with a special sauce, sliced tomatoes, onion, and leafy green lettuce. This is my family’s favorite way to eat hamburgers, or cheeseburgers, for dinner. 

In N Out Burgers Recipe

One of the only hamburgers I will eat are the ones from In N Out. I love the thin patties, the special sauce or “spread” as they like to call it, and of course all the fresh toppings. Now you can make the famous burgers at home on the grill or stove top with this simple copycat recipe. 

That special sauce makes these burgers taste amazing so be sure and add it. My family loves to add a slice of American cheese for a classic cheeseburger. 

Ingredients Needed

Here are the ingredients that you will need to make this burger recipe in your own kitchen. I also share some tips so that you can easily recreate this recipe. 

• In N Out Burgers
  • Ground Beef – Use whatever fat percentage of ground beef that you like. I use 90/10 or 93/7, but I know lots of people prefer a fattier beef in burgers. Any will work as it just depends on your preference. 
  • Egg White – Helps bind the meat together so it doesn’t fall apart. We only want to use the egg white so we don’t add too much moisture with the egg yolk. 
  • Grated Onion – Grate an onion on a cheese grater for this. If the onion is producing tons of water, make sure you squeeze that excess water out of the grated onion pieces, before adding it into the beef. You can also just dab it with a paper towel to remove the excess water. 
  • Seasoning Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Hamburger Buns
  • Sliced American Cheese – I use Kraft Singles. It’s best to use processed American cheese because it melts the best on burgers. But of course, you can use whatever sliced cheese you prefer. 
  • Green Leaf Lettuce or Iceberg Lettuce
  • Sliced Tomatoes
  • Sliced White Onion
• Special Sauce “Spread”
  • Mayonnaise
  • Ketchup
  • Dill Pickle Relish
  • Yellow Mustard
  • Paprika

How To Make Copycat In N Out Burgers at Home

Learn how to make these copycat burgers from In N Out at home in your own kitchen. Be sure and read to the bottom of the post where there is a printable recipe, a pin it button so you can save it to Pinterest, and a detailed recipe card with all the ingredients and instructions. 

• Special Sauce : Make the special burger sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir together to combine well and place it in the fridge until ready to use. 
• Beef Patties : Crumble the ground beef into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently with a wooden spoon, a fork, or use clean hands. You don’t want to over mix but you do want to make sure you combine everything together well. 
• Burger Patties : Separate the ground beef mixture into 7 sections. Take a ball of ground beef mix and shape it into a thin patty. These are supposed to be thin as they are a copycat recipe. If you make them larger then you won’t get 7 burgers from the recipe. 
• Grill : Grill the burger patties, about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until meat it up to temperature (165 degrees F). Put a slice of cheese, if wanted, on top of each patty and let it cook until melted. 
• Serve : Put a heaping spoonful of special sauce onto each bottom bun and then top with the burger patty and toppings. 

Tips For Success

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe for your own family and friends. 

• Toppings : The best thing about the burgers at In N Out are the toppings! Be sure and add the sliced tomatoes, sliced white onion, and the iceberg lettuce or green leaf lettuce. And don’t leave off that special burger sauce! It’s really what makes these burgers amazing. 
• Patties : Because this is a copycat recipe the patties are supposed to be thin. I actually prefer thin patties compared to large, thick ones. If you choose to make the beef patties larger, then you won’t get 7 burgers out of the recipe. Of course you can make the patties as big as you want, but for a true copycat burger, make sure you are using thin patties. 
• Toast The Hamburger Buns : I highly recommend throwing the buns on the grill while the burgers are cooking. No need to spray them or spread butter on them, just throw them on the grill so they get a slight crisp to them and brown up a bit. 
• Onion Tip : When you are grating/shredding the onion, make sure you are not adding the extra liquid/water that comes when you shred the onion. You don’t want to add all that extra moisture into the meat mixture. Use a paper towel to dab the onion or use your hands to squeeze out the excess moisture. It’s important to make sure that you are adding drier grated onion pieces and no wet ones. 
• Cheeseburgers : These taste so good with a slice of American cheese on them. You can make a hamburger or a cheeseburger. If making a cheeseburger, it’s best to use the process American cheese like the Kraft brand singles. 

In n Out Burgers FAQ’s

• Are They Supposed To Be Thin Burger Patties?
  • Yes they are! In n Out burgers are known for their thin patties that taste so fresh and perfectly seasoned. 
  • Of course, if wanted, you can make the patties as big as you want but for a true copycat recipe, make them thin. 
• Can I Make this Recipe Ahead of Time?
  • You can prepare the special sauce a day before if wanted and leave it in the fridge until ready to use. I like to make the special sauce in the morning, and then also slice the tomatoes, lettuce, and onion. I store everything in the fridge, covered in air-tight containers, until dinner that night. 
  • I make the ground beef patty burger mix right before I need it. I think it tastes best that way. But I see no reason why you couldn’t prepare it a few hours ahead of time and refrigerate until dinner. 
• How To Store Leftovers
  • Store leftover burger patties in an air-tight container, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.
  • I do not recommend storing the assembled burgers in the fridge. Rather, store all the leftovers separate like the toppings, sauce, and burger patties. 
• Serving Suggestions
  • The best way to eat these burgers is on toasted buns, with some special sauce, a burger patty, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and sliced white onion. 
  • You can make it low-carb and instead use a lettuce wrap instead of a hamburger bun. 
• Variations & Substitution Ideas
  • There are not many substitutions that I recommend for this recipe. 
  • Ground Beef : Use any fat percentage of ground beef you prefer. I use 90/10 when I make these. 
  • Make a Double Double : Put two burger patties on a bun to replicate the iconic In N Out Double-Double Burger.

More Grilling Recipes You’ll Love

• Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken
• Honey Lime and Cilantro Marinated Grilled Chicken
• Grilled Philly Cheesesteak Kabobs
• Garlic Butter Steak & Potato Foil Grill Packets