Animal-Style Fries: Copycat In-N-Out Recipe | Greedy Gourmet (2024)

Animal French fries are the famous fries from the In-N-Out Burger American fast food restaurant. They’re a mouth watering combination of golden brown French fries, American cheese and onions.

The mixture of the crispy French fries, the melted cheese and the sweet caramelized onions is out of this world! It’s no wonder these are such a cult favorite.

The final sauce on top is the magic secret sauce. Check out my very own homemade recipe – see the opening paragraph of this blog. That’s right… I’ve cracked their secret sauce!

Best of all, it takes literally a minute to make this sauce and it’s so easy to put together – in fact, you’ve most probably got all the ingredients in your kitchen.

The original premise of In-N-Out Burger was all about beautiful simplicity. The fast food joint’s menu covered the basics and still does to this day.

In-N-Out flexes with the best of them though. Their not-so-secret “secret menu” allows customers to go rogue and mix things up.

The most popular secret style on this alternative menu is “Animal-Style,” which upgrades standard French fries and burgers to a different level.

The legend has it that the term goes all the way back to the original In-N-Out restaurant in Baldwin Park, California. Sometime in the early 1960s, a group of kids would hang out in the car park, always ordering their fries smothered in melted American cheese and grilled onions.

The In-N-Out staff knew them as a rowdy bunch, a little wild and carefree. Rather than remembering their order every time, one of the head employees at the time told them to ask for it “Animal-Style.”

Frozen French fries work just fine. The key to this recipe really is the sauce and the toppings, so easy to cook no-fuss frozen French fries are ideal.

You can, of course, make homemade French fries, if you have the time.

There are several ways to cook your French fries for this recipe. My tip? Go with an air fryer.

Air fryer Animal Fries

Animal Fries cooked in an air fryer will be perfectly golden brown, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Deep fried Animal Fries

While not quite as light and crispy as air fried Animal fries, deep fried French fries will still end up golden brown, crispy and delicious.

Oven cooked Animal Fries

Oven cooked fries are a whole lot healthier than the fried kind. Still, what you gain health-wise you lose in taste and texture.

Well, technically it’s the addition of onions and cheese that make these French fries “Animal-Style.”

That said, it’s your kitchen and your rules, so you can do whatever you want! You won’t get any In-N-Out employees rapping on your door to give you the third degree. So, if you aren’t a fan of caramelized onions, leave them out.

Ingredients

UnitsScale

French Fries

• 900g (2lbs) frozen french fries

Caramelized Onions

• 14g (1 tbsp) butter
• 5ml (1 tsp) vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 12g (1 tbsp) brown sugar
• 3g (½ tsp) salt

In-N-Out Sauce

• 125ml (½ cup) mayonnaise
• 45ml (3 tbsp) ketchup
• 30ml (2 tbsp) sweet pickle relish
• 6g (1 ½ tsp) sugar
• 7.5ml (1 ½ tsp) white vinegar

Cheese

• 4 slices American cheese

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

1. French Fries: Cook the fries according to the manufacturer's directions.
2. Caramelized Onions: Meanwhile, melt the butter and add the oil to a large frying pan and cook the onions over a medium heat, stirring frequently.
3. Lower the heat slightly and add the sugar and salt. Stir every now and then.
4. Continue to cook the onions until they are caramelized. In total, this should take 15-20 minutes.
5. In-N-Out Sauce: While the onions are cooking, make the sauce. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until everything is well incorporated.
6. Assembling the dish: Once the fries are cooked, remove from the oven and immediately top with cheese, arranged in a single layer.
7. Top the cheese with the caramelized onions, distributing them evenly.
8. Lastly, top with as much or little sauce as you like.
9. Serve with burgers. Dig in and enjoy!

• The quantities and ratios used are completely up to you. You might decide to use only half the amount of onion and sauce, which means you can save these leftovers for another batch of Animal Fries the next day!