How To Recreate Your Favorite In-N-Out Burger At Five Guys

The world is full of burger joints selling every beef patty-centric creation you can imagine. And yet, even among the many options, certain restaurants stand out. In-N-Out and Five Guys are two examples of chains that have acquired millions of fans worldwide for their juicy burgers, crisp fries, and creamy milkshakes. But they didn't become the icons they are by merely slinging solid versions of beloved food. In-N-Out and Five Guys earned their devotees by putting their unique spins on tried-and-true classics. The former is known far and wide for its secret menu, which features creations such as Animal Style snacks and Double-Double burgers. The latter is closely associated with free peanuts, high-quality ingredients, and spoiling customers with avalanches of French fries.

Five Guys has expanded throughout the globe: You can chow down on their burgers everywhere from the United Arab Emirates to Luxembourg. But In-N-Out has largely confined itself to California and a few other locations scattered throughout the Western half of the United States. If you're hankering for an Animal Style Double-Double outside its range, you might think you're out of luck. But there's a way to recreate that legendary In-N-Out burger — and it involves going to Five Guys.

An Animal Style Double-Double is one of In-N-Out's most celebrated offerings. But what exactly is it, beyond delicious and whimsically named? First, let's tackle what it means for something to be served Animal Style. According to the In-N-Out website, an Animal Style burger boasts a beef patty grilled in mustard, topped with pickles, onions, and extra spread. Though adding mustard might seem minor, it gives the patty a delectable zing.

Moreover, the aforementioned onions are grilled in beef drippings, which gives them an out-of-this-world flavor that perfectly complements the crisp pickles. And then there's the mysterious spread. Despite the enigmatic name, the spread is pretty simple: It's just In-N-Out's take on Thousand Island dressing. You can also order Animal Style fries, as Serious Eats details, which consist of crisp fries topped with spread, grilled onions, and cheese.

A Double-Double is much more straightforward, and you might be able to guess what it is from the name alone. Simply put, it's a burger with two patties and two slices of cheese, rather than the standard one. If that's not meaty enough for your prodigious appetite, you can order a three- or four-patty, also known as the Triple-Triple and Quad-Quad — which up the patty and cheese count to three and four, respectively.

So, how does one recreate an Animal Style Double-Double at Five Guys? It's pretty simple, actually, but it does require some do-it-yourself condiment crafting and extensive use of the Five Guys menu's customizability. Thrillist has broken it down into a series of steps. First, you order a cheeseburger with extra cheese. As Five Guys fans know, that already comes with two patties — only the "little burgers" come with a single patty by default. Thrillist reports that Five Guys' chefs won't grill the patties in mustard, but you can compensate for this loss by putting a little extra on your bun. Ask for the classic condiment combination of lettuce, tomato, pickles, and grilled onions. Five Guys' grilled onions are as tasty as In-N-Out's.

Then it's time to create your approximation of In-N-Out's spread. Grab some mayonnaise, relish, and ketchup from Five Guys' generous condiment bar. Mix them in a paper condiment cup. Voila — you've created In-n-Out's celebrated spread. Sure, you'll have to disassemble your cheeseburger and apply it to the patties yourself, but it's certainly not far off from the original and delicious in its own right. You might be thousands of miles away from an In-N-Out, but you'll never know the difference when you chow down on this cheeseburger.