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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%)
Bill says
I have In-N-Out just down the road so getting my fix is no problem but, I can make them much cheaper at home. This recipe is pretty much spot on and have used it many times. However, I do prefer the patties super thin allowing 1 pound of hamburger for 8 patties making 4 Double Double burgers and I stick with the American cheese to keep it authentic as possible. Funny how so many comment they live in Oregon and need their Double Double fix. I lived in Oregon for 40 years and when I moved to Nevada I discovered In-N-Out because, I needed my Burgerville Double Classic Cheeseburger fix and the Double Double was the closed thing I could find when ordered with meat, cheese, and spread only. Anyways thanks for sharing recipe.
Margaret says
Heck yes!! Thank you!!
Sarahsnana2000 says
I’ve never had one, but it looks delicious. My son will be here next month from California, so I can surprise him with this!
Kevin says
I was lucky to stumble across this article. I lived in Orange County for several years and was introduced to In N Out by a local and have never had a regular double double, i always got it animal style so this recipe is a lifesaver. Can’t wait to see if it is as close to the original as some have said here. Thanks to all the comments too, i’ll definitely follow those tips
Erica says
As a former In N Out employee, may I share a few tips?
They are tiny, but important to share because In N Out puts SO MUCH LOVE and detail into their burgers- you gotta pay attention to these when preparing your own.
When spreading the bun with the In N Out spread, make sure it covers the whole bottom of the bun evenly, and doesn’t drip off the sides. This is one thing they grill you on. We want the sauce to be in every bite, but not too much that it makes the sides of the burger messy.
Just like the sauce, the lettuce and tomatoes (and pickle if you ordered animal style) also need to be perfectly placed on the buns and burger to make sure that every bite you take has those flavors as well. If some lettuce is sticking outside of the bun, we tuck it neatly inside. Our goal is to make every burger look like the pictures you see on the menu- vs the other burger places-
Animal Style is the burger that comes with the caramelized onions, pickles, mustered fried patty, and extra spread on top. When mustard frying the patty, don’t spread the mustard on, squirt it on in a spiral. (start on outer sides, and spiral into the center.)
The pickles go on the bottom of the bun (make sure it covers the whole bottom) then the tomato, palm sized amount of lettuce, burger, chopped grilled onions and then drizzle a little extra of that delicious spread.
Leigh Anne says
Thanks for all your great tips!