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This burger recipe reminds me of my favorite California drive-thru style burgers. Without needing to drive to California.
I grew up with a mother who was born and bred in California and was a huge fan of their popular drive thru burger restaurants. I was raised in Wisconsin, so it wasn’t until I was an adult myself on a trip to the west coast that I experienced my first California fast food burger. From that time forward, I became a huge fan myself.
Given the fact that I live in Oregon, I had to find a way to make this type of delicious handburger at home. Tha tis how this copycat recipe was born.
Ingredients Needed
- Beef Ground Chuck, minimum 60% lean
- Hamburger Buns
- American Cheese
- Butter
- Oil
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Sweet Pickle Relish
- White vinegar
- Dill Pickle Chips, optional
- Tomato
- Onions
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make a California Drive Thru Style Burger
- Combine ketchup, mayonaise, vinegar, and relish.
- Stir to combine, then refrigerate until needed.
- Finely chop your onion and add into a frying pan with oil. Stir and saute for a few minutes.
- Cover them and allow them to cook slow for about 30 minutes until they are golden and soft. Watch your heat and don’t let them burn.
- Uncover them once they have started to brown and caramelize and cook for about 5 more minutes uncovered.
- Add in 1/2 C water and simmer until the water evaporates, set aside.
- Heat electric griddle and brush it lightly with vegetable oil.
- Place your buns split side down on the griddle and toast until golden brown.
- Form your hamburger patties. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to both sides.
- Cook for until your preferred doneness, about 3-5 minutes.
- Spread the uncooked side with mustard and flip.
- Top the cooked side with a slice of American cheese.
- Spread burger sauce on toated bun.
- Add lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty and caramelized onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grill the California style burger?
The burger will have a different flavor to it if you grill it. To get a buger that tastes more like a popular California drive thru burger, cook it on a griddle.
What kind of hamburger should I use?
For more delicious burgers try these:
Be sure and follow me over on YouTube for weekly cooking demos.
California Style Drive Thru Burger Recipe
This delicious burger recipe is a California drive thru style burger you will love, topped with a delicoius burger suace and carmelized onions.
Prep:15 minutes
Cook:15 minutes
Total:30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil and more for brushing griddle
- 2 large onions finely chopped
- salt
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp mustard
- 2 lbs. ground chuck 60%
- 4 hamburger buns
- dill pickles I left off
- 1 cup iceberg lettuce bun size pieces
- 4-8 slices tomato
- pepper
- 8 slices American cheese I used cheddar
Instructions
- Heat oil in pan and add onions.
- Cook onions covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes or until onions begin to turn golden brown and caramelize. Watch them so they don’t burn.
- Remove lid and cook for 5 more minutes and then add 1/2 C water. Allow water to evaporate.
- Set aside, onions can be made several days ahead of time and refrigerated.
- Mix together the mayo, ketchup, relish and vinegar in a bowl and set aside.
- Form meat into 8 patties about 4 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick.
- Heat griddle and lightly brush with vegetable oil.
- Toast the buns on the griddle, split side down.
- After they are toasted golden brown spread the bottom bun with 1 Tbsp of the mayo mixture.
- Top with tomato and lettuce.
- Salt and pepper both sides of hamburger patties and cook on the griddle for 3-5 minutes.
- Spread top of patty with 1 1/2 tsps mustard and flip.
- Top patty with cheese and allow to cook until desired doneness.
- Add hamburger to bun and top with caramelized onion.
Tips & Notes:
If you use your grill, the burger will have a different flavor. If you want a more authentic California drive thru style burger, use a griddle.
The recipe calls for ground beef chuck (at least 60% lean) This is different than regular ground beef. If you can’t find beef chuck use a 70/30 or 80/20 ground hamburger.
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Nutrition Facts:
Serving: 8g Calories: 524kcal (26%) Carbohydrates: 16g (5%) Protein: 26g (52%) Fat: 38g (58%) Saturated Fat: 16g (100%) Cholesterol: 104mg (35%) Sodium: 645mg (28%) Potassium: 459mg (13%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 5g (6%) Vitamin A: 400IU (8%) Vitamin C: 4.6mg (6%) Calcium: 286mg (29%) Iron: 3.2mg (18%)
suzanne says
going to make this for dinner tonight, animal style burgers and fries yum o
Jen says
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I lived in California for about 4 years and my husband and I were devoted In & Out fans. YUM.
Thanks for the post.
Leigh Anne says
Hope you enjoy it!!
katbrat says
You are a goddess. I’m probably going to move out of California soon. I will definitely miss In n Out. I gotta try this recipe. Thanks so much!
PBSwine says
I never could understand the fascination with In-N-Out. Their burgers always seemed pretty routine tasting to me. To me, the most important part of a good burger is the taste of the meat. If I don’t enjoy the taste of a plain burger, meat and bun only, I’m probably not going to enjoy it with condiments either. Your burger does look great though, and I’ll give it a try! Heck, I might even give In-N-Out another try!! 🙂
k says
We just finished eating and mmmmmm! I usually can’t stand homemade indoor burgers but we don’t have a grill and we have a cow in the freezer. 🙂 These definitely rival In-N-Out! They were the best burgers I have ever made and were among the best I’ve ever had…ever!! That includes eating out or homemade grilled. Thanks so much! My husband thanks you too. 😀
Leigh Anne says
So glad you loved them as much as we did! They are better than the real thing!!