The Essential Sauces You Need For Copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Fries

Fans of the California-based fast food chain In-N-Out are always in search of copycat recipes for its famous burgers, especially if they live in one of the many states without an In-N-Out in sight. Out of all of In-N-Out's secrets, ordering an item Animal Style is one of the most well-known, and it's considered one of the best ways to enjoy the chain's burgers and fries. Sure, you could recreate a plate of simple cheese fries at home, but if you want to recreate the same savory-sweet sauce that In-N-Out slathers on its fries, it's fortunately an easy recipe to learn.

According to Mashed recipe developer Christina Musgrave, In-N-Out fry sauce tastes very similar to Thousand Island dressing, just with a couple of extra ingredients mixed in. "I love that these fries actually taste like they're from a restaurant," Musgrave told Mashed. "They really nail that Animal Style flavor that everyone loves." In her copycat Animal Style fries recipe, she uses her favorite brand of frozen fries before whipping up the dressing in a small bowl.

All the sauce takes is a few common condiments like ketchup, yellow mustard, and mayo, along with hints of acidity from sweet pickle relish and vinegar. After sprinkling the dressing with a bit of salt and pepper, it's ready in minutes. If your goal is to make a truly comparable homemade version of In-N-Out fries, though, there are a few more all-important toppings that need to be added before they're ready to serve.

What would In-N-Out's Animal Style fries be without a gooey top layer of cheese? The restaurant chain uses American cheese for this side dish's savory topping, but Musgrave says that substituting it with cheddar or another preferred type of cheese is certainly an option. American cheese is known for its ultra-melty qualities, but some people might need stronger cheese for tastier results. Besides cheese, the other key ingredient that lends a distinct flavor to Animal Style fries is a batch of caramelized onions.

"The flavor combination of the caramelized onions, sauce, and melted cheese over the fries is key to get the signature flavor," Musgrave explained. While the fries are baking, she chops an onion and tosses it in a pan with a generous slab of butter, along with salt and pepper. The sweet spot for browning the onions occurs around the 15-minute mark when the onions have turned a nice golden brown. They're then poured onto the fries once they emerge from the oven. Along with Musgrave's homemade Animal Style fry sauce, each layer of flavor creates an absolutely swoon-worthy tray of fries.