Breakfast Burger
Yes, you CAN start your morning with a juicy patty—plus an over-medium egg and an In-N-Out-inspired sauce to seal the deal.
- Serves
2
- Cook
30 minutes


After a red-eye home to California, nothing hits the spot for me like a juicy, melty In-N-Out Burger for breakfast—fellow West Coasters, can I get an amen? The iconic fast-food chain has locations in a handful of states, but the vast majority are in California. For many like me who grew up in the Golden State but no longer live there, stopping by one of the chain’s drive-thrus for a classic Double-Double (two beef patties and two slices of cheese) and Animal-Style fries (melted cheese, grilled onions, and the chain's secret spread) is a homecoming ritual—even if the plane lands in the morning. I unfold the crinkled paper and relish in the familiar flavors, satisfying a hunger that only In-N-Out can quell.
In this recipe inspired by In-N-Out’s Animal-Style burgers, the all-beef patty is slathered with mustard and then seared. The sauce you’ll smear on the buns also draws influence from the flavors of the fast-food chain's famous spread. And, as a nod to how In-N-Out often winds up being a morning meal for Californians returning home, this burger incorporates an over-medium egg—because is it even breakfast without one?
Featured in: "Welcome to California, Where In-N-Out Is Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner," by Megan Zhang.
Ingredients
For the special sauce:
- 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. dill pickle relish
- 1 Tbsp. ketchup
- ½ tsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp. paprika
- ¼ tsp. white vinegar
For the burgers:
- 4 oz. ground beef, preferably 80 percent lean
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise, plus more for serving
- 2 hamburger buns
- Torn lettuce and sliced tomato, for serving
- 2 tsp. yellow mustard
- 2 American cheese slices
- 2 large eggs