Enjoy the deliciousness of In-N-Out's famousAnimal Style Fries from the comfort of your home! Animal Style Fries feature crispy French fries covered with melted American cheese, caramelized onions, and In-N-Out secret sauce. Recreate this indulgent California staple no matter where you live!
Caramelize onions - Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes, until the onions are caramelized and browned.
1 medium onion, Salt, Pepper, 1 tablespoon butter
Add water, stir, repeat - Add about a tablespoon of water every 5 minutes and give the onions a stir. This rehydrates the onions and deglazes the pan, incorporating all of the browned flavorful bits that get stuck on the pan. Repeat this until the onions are deep brown and caramelized.
4 tablespoon water
Fries
Make the fries - As the onions cook, make the fries. Use store-bought fries and follow the instructions on the packaging or make our homemade fries.
Chill potatoes - Place the cut potato in a large bowl and fill with cold water. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes and as long as overnight. When ready to fry, drain the water completely and place the sliced potatoes on a clean kitchen towel or on paper towels to dry right before frying.
2 Yukon gold or russet potatoes
Heat oil for frying - Add about 3 inches of oil to a large pot or dutch oven and heat the oil to 300˚F. If you don’t have a thermometer, take the end of a wooden spoon and dip it in the oil. If the oil starts to bubble against the spoon, it’s ready for frying.
1 quart frying oil
First fry - Add a third of the potatoes to the oil and cook for 5 minutes, until the potatoes turn light golden brown. Remove from the oil, carefully shake the excess oil into the pot, and place the fries on a rack. Return the oil back to 300˚F between each batch to ensure the fries cook evenly.
Second fry - Once all of the fries have cooked once, increase the heat of the oil to 400˚F. Repeat the process and add a third of the fries to the oil and fry until they become deep golden brown.
Season fries - Remove the fries from the oil, shake off the excess oil, and place in a mixing boil. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss and set aside.
Sea salt, Pepper
In N Out Sauce
Make secret sauce - As the fries cook, make the secret sauce.
Whisk ingredients - Add mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, white vinegar, and sugar to a bowl and whisk until combined.
Broil fries and cheese & assemble - Preheat oven to broil on high. Place cooked french fries on a foil-line baking sheet and place cheese evenly on top. Broil for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with grilled onions and secret sauce. Enjoy with a fork immediately.
4 slices American cheese
Notes
Storage
Refrigerate leftover fries, onions, and secret sauce in separate airtight containers for up to 5 days. In order to reheat the fries, heat the oven to 300°F and reheat for 5-10 minutes, or until crispy (add the cheese for the last few minutes). Reheat the onions in a pan over low heat.
Top Tips
Use store-bought frozen fries instead of frying them yourself to save time and effort.
Cut the fries so they have the same width. This will help them cook evenly in the oil.
Be sure to fry the potatoes twice - We fry them the first time to soften the potatoes and create a water tight barrier so they stay moist when they are fried again. We fry them the second time to make them crispy.
Get your cheese from the deli counter - If you don't want to buy a whole pack of American cheese, you can go to your local deli counter and request just 4 slices.