Lighter Animal-Style Burgers | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (2024)

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Recreate the In-N-Out experience at home with these Lighter Animal-Style Burgers. Incredible burgers lightened up just enough!

Lighter Animal-Style Burgers | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (1)

Southern California is known for many things: beautiful beaches, pristine weather, Hollywood, Disneyland. But nearly every time I meet someone who isn’t from here, the first thing they ask me about is In-N-Out. The fast food burger chain is almost mythical to those who aren’t on the West Coast.

If you’ve read my post about Skinny Special Sauce, then you know that I spent a lot of my teenage years at In-N-Out. It was the local high school hang out, mainly because a lot of our friends worked there, but also because it was (and still is) affordable.

Now, if I’m being honest, I do think In-N-Out burgers are a little overrated. The fries are pretty awful, and the burger patties themselves are a little anemic.

What makes their burgers stand out from the rest is the fresh ingredients, the unique way they cook their burgers, and the toppings. All of this can be recreated at home, but with a heftier burger patty, less grease, and plenty of leftovers.

Not to mention that a regular Animal-Style cheeseburger will cost you 19 SP. My version is only 8 SP! Dare I say that homemade Lighter Animal-Style Burgers are even better than the original??

What is “Animal-Style”?

Let’s talk about what “Animal-Style” means. Here is how In-N-Out differentiates:

  • Extra Spread: all burgers come with special sauce, but they add more to the animal-style orders.
  • Fried Mustard: when you ask for animal style or “mustard down,” they will cook your burger on the flat top with a thin layer of mustard cooked into one side. This adds a ton of flavor and juiciness to the meat.
  • Pickles: a standard burger at In-N-Out doesn’t have pickles.
  • Grilled Onions: they add sweet and melty onions instead of the raw onion that is served on their regular burgers.
Lighter Animal-Style Burgers | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (2)

MY ORDER: People swear by animal style. And while it’s pretty iconic, there are some things that I’m picky about. First, get the extra spread on the side. That way you can add more sauce if you want instead of risking a soggy burger. I’m also not a huge fan of their grilled onions. I like the crunchy bite of the raw onion. And there really is no need for pickles when you’re already getting some subtle pickle flavor from the spread. So, I order:

Cheeseburger, mustard down, no tomato. Extra spread on the side.

I personally don’t like tomato on my burgers no matter where I get it from, so that’s just standard for me.

Oh, and if you’re going to get their fries, ask for them well done. With cheese and grilled onion, extra spread on the side. Same concept about sogginess–you can add as much spread as you want to your fries this way.

How do you Make Lighter Animal-Style burgers?

The real secret to a fabulous Animal-Style burger is the Skinny Special Sauce. You can read my rant about how special sauce > thousand island in that blog post.

Lighter Animal-Style Burgers | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (3)

We will most definitely use the “fried” mustard technique, but we’ll use 94/6 ground beef to keep it lean. The mustard locks in moisture, so the burger still ends up tender even though it’s leaner.

In-N-Out patties are also pretty thin, so we’ll form our patties as thin as we can before seasoning the outside. They’ll shrink up as they cook, so try to get them as thin as possible without falling apart.

Lighter Animal-Style Burgers | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (4)
Lighter Animal-Style Burgers | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (5)

Even though I don’t prefer the grilled onions, I’ll show you a way to make caramelized onions without any oil or extra fat. 0 SmartPoints and minimal calories.

Actually, we’re just going to use Kenji’s technique of adding water a little at a time, minus the oil. It’s perfect that way and takes just about 10 minutes to get perfectly browned and soft onions.

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Now were ready to get make your In-N-Out dreams come true at home!

I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there!

Lighter Animal-Style Burgers | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (7)

Print Recipe

5 from 15 votes

Lighter Animal-Style Burgers

Recreate the In-N-Out experience at home with these Lighter Animal-Style Burgers. Incredible burgers lightened up just enough!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Calories: 295kcal

Author: Geri

Ingredients

  • 1 pound 94/6 ground beef
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2-3 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 slices light American cheese (I use Velveeta Singles)
  • 1/2 cup Skinny Special Sauce (make at least 2 hours ahead of time)
  • toppings: iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes, dill pickles (no sugar added)
  • hamburger buns of choice

Instructions

CARAMELIZE THE ONIONS

  • Spritz a medium skillet with cooking spray. Add onions to the skillet over medium-high heat and sauté until starting to brown. Season with about 1/4 tsp kosher salt.

  • Add in 3 tablespoons of water and continue to cook until the water completely absorbs into the onions. Add another 3 tablespoons and repeat the process until the onions are brown and soft, about 2 more times (about 10 minutes total).

COOK THE BURGERS WHILE THE ONIONS CARAMELIZE

  • Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Form each portion into a ball and press down on a plate to form a patty. Continue pressing out until as thin as possible while still maintaining a burger shape (see pics in blog post).

  • Season one side with salt and pepper (a little less than 1/4 a tsp of kosher salt per patty; pepper to taste).

  • Preheat a large, nonstick skillet over high heat. Spritz seasoned side of burgers with cooking spray and place them in the skillet, seasoned side down, so that the burgers aren't touching. Let cook for about 3-4 minutes before flipping.

  • While the first side of the burgers cook, spread mustard on the raw side of the burgers, about 1 1/2 teaspoons for each burger (see pics in blog post). Spritz mustard side with cooking spray.

  • Flip burgers and top cooked side with cheese. Cook mustard side of the burgers for another 2-3 minutes, or until beef is done to your liking. Let rest for a few minutes.

ASSEMBLE BURGERS

  • Slightly toast the buns. Add Skinny Special Sauce to both sides of the bun. I like to use 2 tablespoons total for each burger, but check that recipe for points breakdown if you want to add more/less.

  • Top bottom bun with lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Add burger on top of that. Spread caramelized onions on top of beef patty, then finish with sauced top bun. Enjoy!

Notes

Click hereto determine your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe (if you are logged in to your WW app, it should calculate for you automatically). Calculation includes Burger patty, hamburger bun, 1 Velveeta single, caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato.

Click here to determine your WW PersonalPoints for each Tbsp of Skinny Special Sauce.

WW Green, Blue, and Purple SmartPoints:

Burger patty, no cheese: 2 SP | Burger patty, 1 slice of Velveeta Singles: 3 SP

2 tablespoons Skinny Special Sauce: 1 SP

Hamburger bun: 4 SP

All other toppings, including caramelized onions: 0 SP

Total points for a Lighter Animal-Style Burger with cheese, spread, caramelized onions, toppings, and regular hamburger bun: 8 SP

Nutrition includes cheese and bun

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

Lighter Animal-Style Burgers | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between animal style burgers and regular burgers? ›

Grilled onions cooked down in the collected meat juices on the hot griddle can be added to any sandwich, and come standard if you ask for your burger or fries Animal Style. An Animal Style burger also includes extra Thousand Island spread, mustard grilled patties, and extra pickles.

How do you make low fat burgers taste better? ›

Use flavorful low-fat toppings instead of the usual bacon and cheese: try chutney, salsa, slices of tomato and other veggies, and low-fat versions of mayo or sour cream. Brush some honey mustard dressing on top the burgers. Or go Hawaiian and add grilled pineapple rings. These are just a few possibilities.

How to make very thin burger patties? ›

You need to start by using a ground meat that is 70% lean as you'll need the 30% fat to keep the burger juicy. I prefer to place mounds of the ground meat between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll out using a rolling pin. I shoot for about a 5–1/2 inch patty that is about 1/3-inch thick.

What makes an animal style burger? ›

The most-popular items on the secret menu are the "animal-style" burgers and fries. Ask for your burger "animal-style" and you'll get a burger with mustard fried into each patty, plus pickles, chopped grilled onions and an extra helping of In-N-Out's famous sauce. "Animal-style" fries are also worth trying.

What is animal style sauce made of? ›

3 tablespoons (45ml) mayonnaise. 1 tablespoon (15ml) ketchup. 2 teaspoons (10g) sweet pickle relish. 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

What burger chain serves food animal style? ›

Instead of a broad menu like other competitors, In-N-Out has become known for its "secret menu", or unadvertised variations of its burgers that are based on customer preferences, such as the popular "Animal Style".

Do you mix egg with ground beef for burgers? ›

Instructions for How to Make Ground Beef Patties for burgers: In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, 1 egg, and a generous amount of salt and pepper to season (half tsp each). Egg is a burger binding agent for the ground beef patty. Divide the well mixed beef into four equal round balls and form into patties.

What is a good substitute for fat in burgers? ›

Although fat contributes to a series of physical and sensory attributes such as softness, juiciness and yield, it is possible to reduce the lipid content in beef burgers without depreciating the quality of food through the use of the following fat substitutes: oat flour, apple peel flour, green banana pulp flour, green ...

Should you add butter to burgers? ›

The Key to Adding Butter to Homeground Burgers

It's important to grind cold butter into the meat. Like adding cold butter to pastry dough, the solid fat creates tiny particles of richness strewn throughout the grind.

How do you make hamburgers less dense? ›

Keep the ground beef in the refrigerator until you're ready to form the patties. Then, refrigerate again until you're ready to grill. Finally, avoid overworking the meat. Overpacking or squeezing the ground beef will make the burger dense, even if you've done everything else right.

What are really thin burgers called? ›

As you can guess from the intro, a smash burger is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. A loosely packed ball of ground beef that's been placed on a hot pan or grill and then pressed firmly into a thin patty with a spatula or a cast iron press.

How do you keep burgers thin when cooking? ›

Burger Patty Method: Smashed in a Hot Skillet

Results: A smash burger-style patty has a distinct crispy texture and an ultra-thin patty. Smashing the patty mid-cooking keeps it juicy and helps it cook quickly without drying out.

Why put mustard on burgers before cooking? ›

In-N-Out places its burger patties on the flat-top griddle then spreads about a teaspoon or two of yellow mustard on the uncooked side just before flipping. The mustard caramelizes on the griddle, softening that piquant quality mustard can have, and creating an even crispier crust as the burger patties get smashed.

What is a zebra burger? ›

Our Zebra Quarter Pounders offer a wonderful juicy texture, try sandwiched between buttered mushrooms & a melted Stilton. Our Zebra meat is sourced direct from the South Africa. It's butchered by us, here at Kezie. Pack includes 2x 125g Quarter Pounders, in a 228g pack.

What does grilling burgers with mustard do? ›

Adding the yellow mustard will add flavor to the patty as well as helping it to caramelize on the flipped side of the patty since it won't cook on this side as long. Top the burgers with slices of cheese and let melt for 1-2 minutes.

Does animal style burger taste like mustard? ›

Fried Mustard: when you ask for animal style or “mustard down,” they will cook your burger on the flat top with a thin layer of mustard cooked into one side. This adds a ton of flavor and juiciness to the meat.

Does animal style burger have lettuce and tomato? ›

The burger consists of two toasted buns (important), two patties with American cheese and chopped caramelized onions, In-N-Out Sauce (comparable to thousand island), pickles, lettuce, tomato, and an extra onion slice if you'd like (I skipped that).

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