Double-Double Animal Style Smash Burgers

5 from 1 vote

Double-Double Animal Style Smash Burgers

These Double-Double Animal Style Smash Burgers bring all of the flavor from In-N-Out's classic burger to your kitchen! Borrowing a technique from another regional specialty burger, the Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger, cuts down on time, yet adds the caramelized onion flavor that the original has.

Prep Time25

Cook Time5

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: Double Burgers

Calories: 834kcal

Author: Spencer Klickman

Equipment

Mandolin Slicer Optional
Infrared Thermometer Optional - but ideal to check the griddle/pan temperature
Griddle or Cast Iron Pan
Parchment Paper
Burger Press Optional - A stiff spatula works as well
Stiff Spatula To flip burgers

Ingredients

Double-Double Animal Style Smashburgers

2 Lbs. 80/20 Ground Beef Portioned into 12, 2 ½ oz balls
6 Ultimate Homemade Burger Buns or Store-bought
Several Tablespoons Unsalted Butter As Needed to Toast Buns
Kosher Salt To Taste
1 Yellow or White Onion Shaved on a Mandolin Slicer or Very Thinly Sliced
Yellow Mustard
1 Batch Burger Sauce Recipe Below
Dill Pickle Slices
1 Tomato Thinly Sliced
1 Head Iceberg Lettuce Thinly Shredded
12 Slices American Cheese Preferably Deli-Sliced

Burger Sauce

½ Cup Mayonnaise
½ Cup Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Yellow Mustard
1 ½ Teaspoons Hot Sauce Texas Pete brand preferred
½ Teaspoon Distilled White Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

Double-Double Animal Style Burgers

Begin by portioning the ground beef into 12, 2 ½ oz. balls. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Preheat a griddle or pan to 450–500°F (the griddle/pan temperature is important to properly sear the beef and caramelize the onions, but not overcook them). Prepare the remaining toppings while the griddle/pan is preheating. *Turn a fan on and open a few windows if you plan on making these inside - things will get smokey quickly!*
Add several tablespoons of butter to the griddle/pan and toast the burger buns, about 1–2 minutes per side, until toasted and golden brown. Prepare the buns by spreading 1–2 tablespoons of burger sauce (instructions below) on the bottom bun, adding several pickle slices, a slice of tomato, and topping with shredded lettuce. Set the prepared buns to the side.
Double check the griddle/pan temperature to ensure it is at least 450°F. Working quickly, add as many as two balls of meat that will easily fit on your cooking surface. Sprinkle each ball of meat with a generous amount of kosher salt followed by enough shaved onions to completely cover the top. Working one at a time, cover the burger with parchment paper and firmly press down with a burger press or a stiff spatula to smash the burger into a patty. Remove the parchment paper and repeat with the remaining burgers.
Add 1-2 teaspoons of yellow mustard to the top of each burger and cook for an additional minute or two until the edges are cooked through, juices begin to pool on top, and the onions around the edges have started to caramelize. Using a stiff spatula, scrape the burgers off the griddle/pan and flip the burgers. Add slices of American cheese and cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute to finish cooking and to melt the cheese.
To assemble the burgers, use your spatula to stack the burgers into double burgers and place them onto the prepared buns. Spread an additional tablespoon or two of burger sauce on the top bun and place on top of each burger. Serve warm.

Burger Sauce

In a small mixing bowl combine the measured mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, hot sauce, distilled white vinegar, kosher salt, and ground black pepper until combined. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Nutrition