Get The Taste Of In-N-Out's Animal Style Burger At McDonald's With This Order Tip

If you regularly eat at In-N-Out, you very likely know that the fast food chain is essentially built around its secret menu. The chain's website even has a category that is called the Not So Secret Menu, where it lists all of the ways you can order food here, though you won't find these options on the physical menu if you go in person. The Animal Style burger is trademarked by the chain, but that doesn't mean you can't recreate it elsewhere. 

In-N-Out may be expanding, but it still can't compete with the reach of McDonald's. Of course, going to the Golden Arches and asking for a burger "animal style" is a quick way to get on McDonald's employees' bad side, but all you really need to do is make a few minor adjustments to a Double Cheeseburger. 

The story behind In-N-Out's Animal Style burger starts back in 1961 when a manager made himself a burger and a customer asked to try one. Essentially, the beef patties are cooked in mustard on the grill, you get grilled onions instead of raw, and pickles and extra sauce are added. To recreate this at McDonald's, order the Double Cheeseburger with added grilled onions and Big Mac sauce (the condiment is the closest substitute for In-N-Out's spread). It won't be an exact replica, but if you don't live on the West Coast or you simply enjoy Animal Style but are eating elsewhere, this tip will help you out in a pinch.

The prices at McDonald's have surged since 2019, and other fast food chains aren't far behind (if at all). If you're looking to enjoy an Animal Style burger but don't want to pay an arm and a leg for a wimpy beef patty, you could always just make a copycat version at home. It's admittedly difficult to make homemade food taste like the stuff fast food restaurants push out, but where some of that signature flavor goes missing, you can always make up for it in other areas — better beef, a good potato bun, or a more interesting slice of cheese. The world's your Double Double oyster.

The hardest thing to replicate at home will be the In-N-Out sauce, but most people compare it to Thousand Island dressing, so you could always just nab a bottle of that and see how you like it. If you've got a little more time on your hands and you'd prefer to get closer to the real thing, there are plenty of copycat recipes online. The same goes for the Animal Style burger as a whole, so you don't have to start at zero. Grill up some onions until they're caramelized, make sure to smash the beef patties flat before cooking, and don't be afraid of the mustard. You'll have a champion's feast in no time.