These burgers are so good, they will haunt your thoughts… no doubt about it! As the title suggests, they’re inspired by the famous In and Out burger chain in California.
I’ve heard nothing but how awesome their burgers are, but I’d never had one before this year. And I’ll have to say, they’re everything a fast food burger should be.
I got mine as a lettuce wrap without the bun, so I thought I’d make an at home version the same way. According to the locals, you definitely need to order your burger animal style. From what I’ve worked out, this means with caramelized onions, and of course the secret sauce.
Personally I love the caramelized onions in there because they add so much flavor! Of course the secret sauce doesn’t hurt either as it enhances every bite with drippy amazingness.
I wrote down 2 versions of the secret sauce so you could choose between the two. The first recipe is easier and more authentic to the way it’s actually made, with both pickle relish and ketchup in it. However, I know I like keep the amount of sugar I eat on the low side, so I have another version with tomato paste and diced pickles that’s slightly different in flavor, but still 100% delish!
For this recipe, you want to prepare all your ingredients before grilling the burgers. That way everything is ready to go when those juicy burgers are done. The caramelized onions take the longest, 20-30 minutes, so when I’m in a hurry I skip those. The other way to save some time, is to make double the amount of caramelized onions, and have burgers twice in one week.
The secret sauce is a simple mix of mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle relish, and white wine vinegar. If you avoid all cane sugar, see my alternative recipe for this sauce.
Once the burgers are done…
… pile everything onto 2-3 lettuce leaves.
Then be brave…
… dare to pick it up, take a bite, and let the mess begin!
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In and Out Style Burger Lettuce Wraps
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Pin RecipeIngredients
Caramelized Onions:
- 2 yellow onions
- 1 Tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
Burgers:
- 1 pound ground beef, shaped into 4 patties about 1 1/2″ thick
- Optional: 4 slices cheese, see notes, omit for dairy free and Paleo
- 8 leaves green leaf lettuce, washed and dried, or iceberg if preferred
- 2 slicing tomatoes, sliced, 10 ounces
- 4 dill pickles thinly sliced
- 2 Teaspoons yellow mustard
Secret Sauce:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon pickle relish
- 1/2 Teaspoon white wine vinegar
Paleo Secret Sauce:
- 1/4 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 Teaspoon apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon minced dill pickle
Instructions
- Start by heating a 9″ cast iron skillet over medium heat, and while it heats prepare the onions. Cut off both ends, and peel away the tough outer layers. Then cut them in half from the top to the bottom, and lay the halves flat side down on the cutting board. Thinly slice across the rounded top of the onion halves.
- Add the oil to the heated pan along with the sliced onions, and cook over medium or medium-low until the onions become softened and browned, about 20-30 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and set the onions aside. You will have about 1 cup of caramelized onions.
- Preheat the grill over medium heat until it reaches a steady temperature of 350-400ºF. While the grill heats prepare the burger ingredients and mix together your choice of secret sauce recipes. For the burgers, divide the yellow mustard equally between the 4 patties, about 1/2 Teaspoon per patty and spread it in a thin layer over one side of the burgers. You want to grill the mustard side down first.
- Grill the burgers for 6-10 minutes per side depending on desired doneness, adding the optional cheese slices halfway through the cooking time when you flip the burgers.
- When the burgers are done to your liking, serve them right away with all the toppings and secret sauce.
Notes
We really like sliced cheddar on these burgers. If you want to be extra authentic, buy a yellow cheddar, but be sure it’s not chemically dyed but colored naturally.
31 Comments on “In and Out Style Burger Lettuce Wraps”
The flavor was wonderful! Will be making again!
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Glad you enjoyed them! I’m working on something similar but in salad form for easier weeknight dinners, so stay tuned!
Crikey! The secret sauce on these looks amazing! And the colours are so vibrant – LOVE IT!
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You gotta love that vibrant Farmer’s Market produce!
Oh Kari, my knees are weak! I know what I’m having for dinner tonight!
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I sure hope you enjoy them!
You have me drooling over here!!
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These are definitely addictive, I’m thinking of making these a Friday night tradition!
You made these burger patties look SO GOOD ! I want to take a bite right now !
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Thanks so much! 🙂
You really can’t beat protein-style at In N Out. Loving that secret sauce recipe!!!
I agree, hamburger buns are definitely one thing I don’t miss!
This looks likes the juiciest, messiest, yummiest thing ever. I want one right now!!
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I love a messy burger, the messier the better!
I love in-and-out burgers when I’ve had the chance to have them in LA, thanks for providing a recipe so I can do this at home. Nice one!!!
Thank you, I sure hope you get to enjoy these soon!
That’s the most delicious looking lettuce wrap I’ve ever seen! I’ve never had In and Out before. We don’t have them around here.
We don’t have them either, but ever since I had one while traveling I just can’t stop thinking about how good it was!
These look amazing! That homemade secret sauce sounds so good! I definitely need to try it next time we make burgers.
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The secret sauce really makes it!
Oh, heck yes! I love in-and-out and I bet this homemade version is SO much healthier and tastier!
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You definitely get to control how much sugar you’re eating as well as the other ingredients used which is nice! 🙂
But sooooo much healthier and yummier! These look amazing!!! And those caramelized onions!!!
Oh girl, you are my hero. I only get to go to an In and Out like once a year because they don’t exist in Colorado, but I always make a point to go when I’m somewhere where they are. But now I don’t have to wait to have that deliciousness! Yum.
I didn’t want to wait either until the next time I was near one, so now we can have burger nights at home! 🙂
So we don’t have an In and Out where I live, but I can see why people from the West coast fuss about them so much! That sauce sounds amazing! What a great idea!
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We don’t have them anywhere near us either, so I was always wondering what all the fuss was about too until I finally had one!
WOWSA! I love this super drippy picture. I am drooling already!!! Great recipe, Kari. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, I really love a drippy burger, the messier the better!
Wow! Love how you’ve provided an alternative secret sauce recipe! And caramelized onions make everything taste divine.
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The secret sauce can be kind of sweet if you’re not used to eating ketchup regularly, so I though I’d come up with a slightly more savory version! 🙂