In-N-Out fries, Animal Style, are hot, crisp french fries covered with melted American cheese, soft browned onions and a creamy, tangy pink burger sauce. This copycat starts with a bag of frozen fries, so it is ready in 20 minutes. The sauce is stirred together from mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and sweet pickle relish, and the onions are cooked in butter until golden. It is a home take on the famous off-menu order, not the restaurant’s own sauce formula.
How to make Animal Style fries: Stir together mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and sweet pickle relish and chill. Cook 32 ounces of frozen fries by the package directions. Sauté a chopped onion in butter for 5 minutes, season and cook 5 minutes more, until browned. Spread the fries on a foil-lined sheet, lay 4 slices of American cheese on top and broil until melted. Add the onions and sauce and eat right away.
Why You’ll Love It
- Fast. Frozen fries do the hard part.
- Three toppings. Melted cheese, buttery onions and tangy sauce.
- Fridge-door sauce. Five everyday condiments.
- Made for sharing. One sheet pan in the middle of the table.
- Great with burgers. Or as a meal of their own.
Ingredient Notes
Frozen french fries. One 32-ounce bag. Shoestring, classic or extra-crispy fries all work.
American cheese. Four slices. It melts smoothly and tastes the most like the original.
Yellow onion. One medium onion, chopped.
Butter. One tablespoon, for the onions.
Mayonnaise and ketchup. A 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons of ketchup, the base of the sauce.
Yellow mustard and white vinegar. A teaspoon of each, for tang.
Sweet pickle relish. Two and a half tablespoons.
Salt and pepper. A pinch for the onions and a dash for the sauce.
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen french fries
- 4 slices American cheese
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, for the onions
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper, for the onions
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 dash salt, for the sauce
- 1 dash pepper, for the sauce
How to Make Copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Fries
1. Mix the sauce. Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, relish and the dash of salt and pepper together in a bowl. Refrigerate while you prepare the fries and onions.
2. Cook the fries. Cook the frozen fries according to their package directions. Set aside.
3. Brown the onions. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper for the onions and sauté for 5 minutes more, until browned.
4. Melt the cheese. Set the oven to broil. Spread the cooked fries evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet and lay the American cheese slices over them. Broil for up to 5 minutes, watching closely, and take them out as soon as the cheese has melted. Broil time varies by oven.
5. Finish and serve. Spread the browned onions over the cheesy fries, add the sauce and eat immediately.
How to Keep the Fries Crisp Under the Toppings
Loaded fries have one enemy, and it is time. Sauce and onions are wet, and wet toppings soften a fry within minutes. You cannot stop that, but you can put it off until the plate is in front of you.
| Do this | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Cook the fries until properly crisp | A crisp fry holds up longer under toppings than a pale, soft one |
| Spread them in one even layer | Piled fries steam each other |
| Melt the cheese first | The cheese forms a layer between the fries and the wet toppings |
| Add onions and sauce last | They go on seconds before serving, not minutes |
| Eat right away | Sauced fries soften quickly, so do not let the pan sit |
If you are feeding a group, have everything ready before the cheese goes under the broiler: sauce mixed, onions browned, people at the table. For slow eaters, serve the sauce in a bowl on the side for dipping.
Can I get ahead?
Yes. The onions and the sauce can both be made up to 1 day ahead and kept in the refrigerator in separate containers. Warm the onions before you use them. The fries and cheese are always done at the last minute.
Tips for Success
How brown should the onions be?
Soft and golden brown, with a few darker edges. They need two 5-minute stretches in the pan. If they start to scorch, lower the heat.
How close should I watch the broiler?
Very close. Cheese melts in a minute or two under some broilers, and fries burn fast after that.
Can I use another cheese?
Cheddar, pepper jack or a shredded blend will melt, but the result tastes less like the original than American cheese does.
Can I bake or air fry the fries?
Use whichever method on the bag gives you the crispest fries.
How do I order them at the restaurant?
I cannot vouch for the exact wording at the counter, so ask at your local restaurant.
Storage and Reheating
These are at their best the moment they are made. Do not leave topped fries out for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when it is hotter than 90°F. Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow, covered container for 3 to 4 days and reheat them to 165°F in a hot oven. They will be softer the second time. Leftover sauce keeps in the fridge. It does not freeze well.
What to Serve With It
These fries belong next to a burger. Try them with Oklahoma fried onion burgers or patty melts with secret sauce. For more fry-style sides, there are the baked zucchini fries and the baked garlic parmesan potato wedges. For another loaded plate, make the cheese steak tacos with buffalo fries. And for a main dish, there is the Hawaiian style teriyaki chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
What goes on Animal Style fries?
Melted American cheese, browned onions and a mayonnaise-based burger sauce.
How can I keep the topped fries crisp?
Cook the fries until crisp, melt the cheese, then add the onions and sauce just before eating.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes, up to 1 day ahead, kept in the refrigerator.
Is this the restaurant’s real sauce?
No. It is a home copycat made from common condiments.
Final Notes
I mix the sauce first and let it sit in the fridge, because it tastes better after the relish has had a few minutes in the mayonnaise. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Fries
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Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen french fries
- 4 slices American cheese
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt for the onions
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper for the onions
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 dash salt for the sauce
- 1 dash pepper for the sauce
Instructions
- Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, relish and the dash of salt and pepper together in a bowl. Refrigerate while you prepare the fries and onions.
- Cook the frozen fries according to their package directions. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper for the onions and sauté for 5 minutes more, until browned.
- Set the oven to broil. Spread the cooked fries evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet and lay the American cheese slices over them. Broil for up to 5 minutes, watching closely, and take them out as soon as the cheese has melted. Broil time varies by oven.
- Spread the browned onions over the cheesy fries, add the sauce and eat immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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