Copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Fries
Copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Fries
If you don't live close to an In-N-Out, I’m going to show you how to make their iconic animal-style fries at home. With just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of your time, you’ll have the most delicious appetizer on your dinner table—or enjoy it as the perfect snack. These homemade shoestring fries are loaded with caramelized onions, melted cheese, and a creamy In-N-Out spread (aka In-N-Out’s secret spread) that makes this one of the most popular items at the fast food chain. This recipe brings that classic drive-thru flavor straight to your kitchen using real ingredients—like sweet onions and a simple cheese sauce you can feel good about.
What Are In-N-Out Animal Style Fries?
In-N-Out animal style fries are a popular secret menu item at the famous fast-food chain In-N-Out Burger. They are a delicious twist on regular fries with a secret sauce, melted cheese, and grilled onions.
Ingredients in Typical In-N-Out Fries
French Fries: Fried in 100% sunflower oil and dextrose. (Dextrose is a type of artificial sugar.)
American Cheese: Slices of cheese melted over the fries—typically contains little to no nutritional value.
Spread: A Thousand Island-style sauce made with ketchup, mayonnaise, and sweet pickle relish. These are usually made with inflammatory sunflower oil and artificial sugars.
Grilled Onions: Sweet onions, grilled and added to the fries.
What Ingredients I Used
Fries I Like to Use
Jesse & Ben's – Fries made with avocado oil or grass-fed beef tallow instead of conventional seed oils that can leave you feeling icky and inflamed.
Roots Farm Fresh – Made with just two simple ingredients: upcycled organic potatoes and organic avocado oil.
I find both of these at Sprouts in the frozen section.
Other Ingredients
Cheddar Cheese – I use an organic cheddar cheese block and cut it myself.
⅓ cup Mayonnaise – I use Chosen Foods.
2 tablespoons Ketchup – I like Primal Kitchen for its ingredients.
2 tablespoons Chopped Pickles – I use Grillo’s.
2 tablespoons Mustard
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
My Recommended Products For This Recipe
How to Make Copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Fries
1. Preheat your oven to 425F.
2. Lay some parchment paper on a baking sheet. Spray with any cooking spray so your fries don’t stick. Lay your frozen fries on a baking sheet in a single layer.
3. Bake the fries at 425F for 22 minutes or until golden and crispy.
4. Dice your onion.
5. Saute diced onion in avocado or olive oil on medium, low heat for 10 minutes until translucent.
6. Into a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, chopped pickles, mustard, and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Taste it at this point, it’s your recipe, so adjust the ingredients!
7. Once the fries are done baking, add the slices of cheese on top of the fries and put them back in the oven for 2 minutes to melt the cheese.
8. Finish with onions and a drizzle of the spread sauce!
Ingredient Substitutions
I am a big fan of using what you have!! Let this list inspire you to use what’s on hand:
French fries – swap with homemade fries, sweet potato fries, or tater tots (untraditional but it works)
White onion – swap with yellow onion, red onion, or shallots
Avocado oil or olive oil – swap with butter or ghee
Cheddar cheese – swap with dairy-free cheese, Monterey Jack, Colby, mozzarella, or Pepper Jack if you want a kick
Mayonnaise – swap with Greek yogurt
Pickles – swap for relish, banana peppers, or chopped jalapeños (for heat)
Mustard – swap for Dijon mustard
Apple cider vinegar – swap for white wine vinegar or lemon juice
FAQs
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Shoestring fries are classic for this recipe because they get nice and crispy and resemble what you’d get at the restaurant. But thicker fries, crinkle-cut, or even homemade fries work too.
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They can be! Just use gluten-free fries and double-check that your condiments are gluten-free too. Most of the recommended products listed here are GF-friendly.
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Yes! You can make the spread and caramelize the onions up to 3 days in advance. Store them in the fridge, and you’ll be ready to assemble in minutes.
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Kind of! In-N-Out’s spread is a Thousand Island-style sauce made with mayo, ketchup, and relish—but most store-bought versions have seed oils and additives. This homemade version uses real ingredients and tastes even better.
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Low and slow is key. Dice your onions and sauté them on medium-low heat with a little oil for 10–15 minutes until golden, soft, and sweet. Don’t rush it!
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Yes! Just cook your frozen fries in the air fryer at 400°F for about 12–15 minutes, shaking halfway through. They’ll get extra crispy and save you time. I like using my Our Place Air Fryer for this!
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Yes! This recipe is super easy to scale. Just use a larger baking sheet (or two), and double the sauce and onion quantities.
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Feel free to get creative and add your favorite toppings to these copycat In-N-Out fries. Crispy bacon bits, chopped tomatoes, dill pickles, or even jalapenos can be delicious additions.
With their golden brown fries, melted cheese, and tangy secret sauce, these fries are just as good as the ones at the famous fast food restaurant. Whether you're a fan of their secret menu or simply looking for a delicious snack, these loaded fries are the perfect choice. Make some copycat animal style fries in your own kitchen using frozen fries, melty cheese, sautéed onions, and a homemade spread sauce that's even better than the real thing!
Copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Fries
With just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of your time, you'll have the most delicious appetizer on your dinner table or just enjoy it as the perfect snack.
Ingredients
- 24 oz package frozen French fries
- ½ white onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 4 slices of cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons chopped pickles
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425F.
- Lay some parchment paper on a baking sheet. Spray with any cooking spray so your fries don’t stick. Lay your frozen fries on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake the fries at 425F for 22 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Dice your onion.
- Saute diced onion in avocado or olive oil on medium, low heat for 10 minutes until translucent.
- Into a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, chopped pickles, mustard, and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Taste it at this point, it’s your recipe, so adjust the ingredients!
- Once the fries are done baking, add the slices of cheese on top of the fries and put them back in the oven for 2 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Finish with onions and a drizzle of the spread sauce!
Hey, I’m Jazz
I’m a nutritional therapist practitioner and spent 3 years as a personal chef to NBA athletes. Follow along for easy, attainable and healthy recipes in under 30 minutes!
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