How to Make an In-N-Out Double-Double Animal Style at Home

Make this Double-Double Animal Style burger at home — a faithful In-N-Out copycat that delivers the same savory layers you love.

If you’re not familiar, In-N-Out is a beloved West Coast burger chain. Their Double-Double Animal Style is an icon: two thin beef patties fried with mustard, two slices of American cheese, special sauce, pickles, tomato, lettuce, and caramelized onions on a toasted bun.

The combination of mustard-fried patties and sweet caramelized onions gives this burger its unmistakable flavor — it’s seriously delicious.

Recipe Notes

• Toast buns early — toast the insides, pair them up, and keep them in the bag they came in to stay warm while you cook the patties.
• Keep patties on the wax paper until you’re ready to put them in the pan; these patties are very thin and fragile, and the paper helps prevent tearing.
• Mustard on the patties is essential. Brushing mustard on the patties before frying creates a flavorful crust without leaving a pronounced mustard taste.

Double-Double Animal Style Layers

Layer the burger in this order for the classic Animal Style experience:

• Bottom bun
• 1 heaping tablespoon special sauce
• 4 pickle slices
• 1 tomato slice
• 2 torn lettuce leaves
• Beef patty with cheese
• 1 tablespoon caramelized onions
• Beef patty with cheese
• Top bun

How to Make the Double-Double Animal Style Burger

Caramelized Onions

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add finely diced yellow onions and ½ teaspoon salt; stir to coat.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, about 15–20 minutes until the onions are lightly browned.
• Bring heat back to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon water; cook 2–3 minutes until the water evaporates and the onions begin to stick slightly. Repeat this step two more times to develop a deep caramel color.
• Transfer onions to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Special Sauce

• Combine 1/3 cup mayo, 3 tablespoons ketchup, 1½ tablespoon sweet pickle relish, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon white vinegar in a bowl. Whisk until smooth, cover, and chill. The flavor improves after resting.

Buns

• Heat a skillet over medium-high, spread about 1 teaspoon butter per bun, and toast the cut sides about 1 minute or until the edges are golden brown. Set aside and keep warm.

Mustard-Fried Beef Patties

• Divide 1 pound ground beef into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a ball.
• On a large sheet of wax paper, flatten each ball into a very thin patty about 4″ in diameter, roughly the size of the bun. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Cut the wax paper around each patty and stack them on a plate to keep them separated and easy to handle.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high until very hot and lightly oiled. Place two patties in the pan, seasoned side down.
• Quickly season the top of each with salt, pepper, and about 1 tablespoon yellow mustard spread evenly.
• Cook until the bottom is browned, about 2–3 minutes. Flip, cook 1 minute, then add a slice of American cheese to each patty.
• Spoon a heaping tablespoon of caramelized onions onto one patty, then stack the second cheesy patty on top. Remove the stack from the pan and repeat with remaining patties.

Assembly

Assemble each burger following the layer order below to recreate the classic Double-Double Animal Style:

• Bottom bun
• 1 heaping tablespoon special sauce
• 4 pickle slices
• 1 tomato slice
• 2 torn lettuce leaves
• Double meat + double cheese + onions stack
• Top bun

Make-Ahead Tips

Prep as much as you can ahead of time so final cooking is quick: caramelize the onions in advance, mix the sauce early for better flavor, and form and stack patties between wax paper squares. Refrigerate everything until you’re ready to cook and assemble.

Enjoy! 🙂

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating — I’d love to know how it turned out!

Double-Double Animal Style (In-N-Out Burger Copycat)

Two thin mustard-fried beef patties, American cheese, special sauce, pickles, tomato, lettuce, and caramelized onions on a toasted bun.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4 Double Double Burgers

Calories: 670 kcal

Ingredients

Beef Patties

• 1 lb ground beef (about 20% fat recommended)
• ½ cup yellow mustard
• 8 slices American cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste

Special Sauce

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Caramelized Onions

• 2 yellow onions, finely diced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil (canola or olive)
• 3 tablespoons water (divided)

Buns & Toppings

• 4 soft plain hamburger buns
• 4 teaspoons butter (about 1 tsp per bun)
• 16 dill pickle slices
• 4 tomato slices (about ¼” thick)
• 8 iceberg lettuce leaves, torn

Instructions

Caramelized Onions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add diced onions and salt; stir.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
3. Raise heat to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon water; cook 2–3 minutes until it evaporates. Repeat two more times to deepen color. Store until ready to use.

Special Sauce

1. Whisk all sauce ingredients together, cover, and chill.

Buns

1. Toast buns cut-side down in butter over medium-high heat until edges are golden. Keep warm.

Beef Patties

1. Divide beef into 8 pieces and form into balls.
2. On wax paper, press each ball into a thin 4″ patty and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cut wax paper squares around patties and stack them on a plate.
4. Heat a large, lightly oiled skillet until very hot. Place two patties in the pan, seasoned side down.
5. Quickly season the tops with salt, pepper, and about 1 tablespoon mustard per pair of patties.
6. Cook 2–3 minutes until browned, flip, cook 1 minute, then add cheese to each patty.
7. Add a heaping tablespoon of caramelized onions to one patty, stack the other cheese patty on top, and remove. Repeat for remaining patties.

Assembly

1. Bottom bun
2. 1 heaping tablespoon special sauce
3. 4 pickle slices
4. Tomato slice
5. Torn lettuce leaves
6. Double meat + double cheese + caramelized onions stack
7. Top bun

All done — serve immediately and enjoy.

Notes

• Do as much prep ahead as possible: caramelize onions, mix sauce, and form patties to speed final assembly.
• Keep patties on wax paper until you place them in the pan to prevent tearing.

Hungry for more beef recipes? Try The Best Baked Meatballs for another flavorful option.