Did you know you can make your own delicious In-N-Out Animal Style Burger on the Oklahoma Joe’s Judge? I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for a long while! I remember getting a delicious Animal Style In-N-Out Burger as a kid with my parents, so it holds a special place in my heart.
This copycat recipe is really simple, but that secret sauce is the real game changer. I broke out the Judge Charcoal Grill for this one, because it has amazing consistent heat for smash burgers.
Post Sponsored by Oklahoma Joe’s.
Why You’ll Love this Animal Style Burger
This is a recipe that we have never made before. The key is the caramelized onions and the special sauce, just like in our version of an animal-style cheesesteak. The onions take at least 45 minutes to really get the amazing flavor we’re looking for, so make sure to build in that time for cooking.
The special sauce is key so make it while the onions are caramelized. Finally, you can smash these patties! Take a trip to Southern California with your very own double double.
More Smash Burgers
Animal Style Burger Ingredients
These burgers only require 10-15 minutes of prep and 1.25 hours of cook time to serve 3 people.
First, for the beef patties, you’ll need 85/15 ground beef, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and yellow mustard.
Next, to make homemade caramelized onions, you’ll need a diced yellow onion and a little oil.
Then, mix up some special sauce with mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, white vinegar, and white sugar.
In the end, we’ll stick with the standard toppings. Finish off your burger with brioche hamburger buns, sliced American cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and dill pickle chips. However, you can of course add any extra toppings you like!
If you’d like to feel like you’re really at a fast food restaurant, make some chocolate milkshakes on the side. Serve in the comfort of your own home!
For more West Coast classics, check out my Californian Steak Sandwich, Californian Burrito and California Burrito Style Burger.
How to Make Animal Style Burgers
Caramelized Onions
Preheat your Oklahoma Joe’s Judge Charcoal Grill to medium heat (around 300F) for direct cooking.
Add a cast iron skillet to heat up for 2 minutes over the fire. Add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, then your diced onion. Slow cook the onions, making sure to stir often, until they turn to a dark brown color (about 45 minutes of cooking). Once the onions are done, pull them off and keep warm.
Sauce and Burgers
To begin, in a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the special sauce, then place in the fridge until ready to use.
Heat your Oklahoma Joe’s Judge Charcoal Grill high heat (around 450F) for direct cooking.
Now for the Animal Style Burgers. Start by grabbing a handful of ground beef (around 1/4 lbs… ish) and gently roll it into a ball. Repeat this for 6-8 balls or until you’re out of meat.
Add a cast iron skillet or plancha over the flames to heat until it’s slightly smoking (about 450F on the skillet). Add a burger ball to the large skillet. Place a piece of parchment over one ball and then firmly press with the spatula until the burger is “smashed” on the skillet.
Season the patty with salt, pepper and garlic. Let cook for another 1-1.5 minutes. Before flipping, drizzle some yellow mustard on the unflipped patty. Carefully flip the burger patty over and then season the new side.
Why Mustard?!
Adding the yellow mustard will add flavor to the patty as well as helping it to caramelize on the flipped side of the patty since it won’t cook on this side as long.
Top the burgers with slices of cheese and let melt for 1-2 minutes. Once each patty is covered in melty cheese, pull off and rest. Repeat this process for the rest of your patties.
Build and Serve
Before building, toast your burger buns until golden brown. Build your animal style double-double with a tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture, pickles, a couple slices of tomato, lettuce, 1-2 burger patties, caramelized onions, and more special sauce.
Serve and enjoy your savory trip to the west coast! Store any leftover patties in an airtight container in the fridge.
Needing more spice in your life? My spice line can help with that. Check them out here.
Animal Style Burger
Ingredients
Beef:
- 1-2 lbs Ground Beef 85/15
- 1.5 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1.5 tbsp Black Pepper
- 1.5 tbsp Garlic Powder
- Yellow Mustard as needed
Caramelized Onions:
- 1 Whole Yellow Onion diced
- Canola Oil as needed
Special Sauce:
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Ketchup
- 2.5 tbsp Relish
- 2 tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 tbsp White Sugar
Burger:
- Brioche Burger Buns
- Sliced American Cheese
- Sliced Tomatoes
- Sliced Lettuce
- Dill Pickles chips
Instructions
Caramelized Onions:
- Preheat your Oklahoma Joe’s Judge Charcoal Grill to medium heat (around 300F) for direct cooking.
- Add a cast iron skillet to heat up for 2 minutes over the fire.
- Add 2 tbsp of oil then your diced onion.
- Slow cook the onions, making sure to stir often, until they turn to a dark brown color (about 45 minutes of cooking).
- Once the onions are done, pull them off and keep warm.
Burgers:
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the special sauce then place in the fridge until ready to use.
- Heat your Oklahoma Joe’s Judge Charcoal Grill high heat (around 450F) for direct cooking.
- Grab a handful of ground beef (around 1/4 lbs… ish) and gently roll it into a ball. Repeat this for 6-8 balls or until you’re out of meat.
- Add a cast iron skillet or plancha over the flames to heat till it's slightly smoking (about 450 on the skillet).
- Add a burger ball to the skillet. Place a piece of parchment over one ball and then firmly press with the spatula until the burger is “smashed” on the skillet.
- Season the patty with salt, pepper and garlic. Let cook for another 1-1.5 minutes.
- Before flipping, drizzle some yellow mustard on the unflipped patty.
- Carefully flip the burger patty over and then season the new side. Top with a slice of cheese and let melt for 1-2 minutes.
- Once melted, pull off and rest. Repeat for the rest of your patties.
- Before building, toast your burger buns till golden brown.
- Build your burger with the special sauce, pickled, tomato, lettuce, 1-2 burger patties, caramelized onions and more special sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
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