We Have In-N-Out at Home

If you are a Californian like me, you know the absence of In-N-Out is a tough adjustment. Moving to Washington for college came with plenty of new experiences, but the biggest surprise? No In-N-Out. Even local spots like Dick’s can’t quite fill that void.

The moment I landed back home in San Francisco for winter break, I made a direct trip from the airport to In-N-Out. Finals week had been rough, but what made it worse was my TikTok feed relentlessly showing me reviews of the Flying Dutchman, In-N-Out’s not-so-secret secret menu item. When I finally sank my teeth into those two grilled patties, smothered in melted American cheese and sliced onions, it immediately appeased the craving that had haunted me during finals week… Maybe it was the In-N-Out deprivation, but that Flying Dutchman was, without exaggeration, the best thing I’d eaten in ages.

Back in Washington after winter break, I missed the sunshine, my family, and my In-N-Out fix. Once again, TikTok taunted me with Flying Dutchman reviews, and I knew I couldn’t live In-N-Out burger-less any longer. Inspired (and desperate), I decided to recreate the Flying Dutchman here in Seattle with ingredients I could find at the UW District Market and my memory of that glorious burger. 

For those unfamiliar, the Flying Dutchman is In-N-Out at its most primal: two beef patties, two slices of cheese, no bun, no lettuce. Hardcore In-N-Out fans like me go for the version with a whole grilled onion slice on top of the patties. In my opinion, the Flying Dutchman is best enjoyed with Animal Style sauce and topped with a pepperoncini for extra spice. 

Here is everything you need to make your flying dutchman at home:

Recipe serves two people

½ lb ground beef

1 pack of cheddar cheese or american cheese

1 whole yellow onion

1 tbsp olive oil

For Animal Style sauce (if you’re fancy):

½ cup mayonnaise 

3 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp relish, or dice a few pickles by hand

1 teaspoon white vinegar, I skipped this step and added pickle juice instead

Optional: Pepperochini’s to plate

DIY Animal Style sauce recipe:

Step 1: Mix ketchup, mayonnaise, and relish/diced pickles together in a small bowl. 

Step 2: Add white vinegar or pickle juice to taste. 

Keep sauce refrigerated until further use.

DIY Flying Dutchman recipe:

Step 1:

Divide ground beef into four equal sections and hand roll each section of ground beef into a ball. Keep ground beef balls refrigerated until further use. 

Step 2:

Cut onion horizontally into 4 even slices. The slices should be ¼ to ½ inches thick.

Step 3: 

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the olive oil is warm, add onion slices onto the pan. Cook until golden brown and caramelized on both sides. Remove onions from the pan and save on a plate to the side. 

Step 4: 

Add 2 ground beef balls to the pan and flatten with a spatula; they should be about ½ inch thick. Cook each side of the patties for approx 2-3 minutes or until brown. 

Step 5: 

Once patties are brown, add cheese slices on top and let them melt. Once cheese appears to be melted, add caramelized onions on top of both patties. Either stack patties or leave them separate for a smaller burger. 

Repeat steps 4-5 for the remaining ground beef balls.

Enjoy!

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