This copycat homemade In-N-Out Sauce recipe is easy to make with just 6-simple ingredients. It’s a sweet, briny, and tangy sauce that’s perfect for burgers, finger foods, and homemade Animal Fries.
If you’ve had the privilege of enjoying a meal at In-N-Out on the west coast of the USA, then you already know about their secret signature sauce. They serve it with practically everything! You’ll find burgers, animal-style fries (french fries topped with sauce, cheese, and onions), and more dressed in this delicious orange sauce.
Even if you don’t have an In-N-Out Burger location near you, you can still enjoy their famous sauce at home with this In-N-Out Sauce recipe. It’s easy to make with only 6 ingredients and lasts for up to 2 weeks in the fridge!
The sweet and tangy flavors complement all of your favorite fun foods, from air fryer french fries to chicken tenders to hamburgers.
What is In-N-Out’s secret sauce?
The sauce at In and Out is easy to mistake for thousand island dressing, but they aren’t quite the same. Thousand island has more of a kick, usually from Tabasco, paprika, or Worcestershire sauce. In-N-Out sauce, on the other hand, is sweeter and not spicy at all.
The iconic sauce is made with a mixture of ketchup, mayo, and sweet pepper relish. It’s similar to Chick-Fil-A’s signature sauce or Boom Boom Sauce but tastes more sweet and briny. Once this trio gets together, they transform into the ultimate burger and fry sauce.
Ingredients needed
This simple sauce is easy to make with only 6 ingredients:
- Mayonnaise – Real, full-fat mayonnaise is best for the real-deal flavor. You can use light mayo, but the sauce won’t be as thick and velvety.
- Ketchup – For a subtle sweetness and the signature orange color.
- Sweet pickle relish – This will give you the most realistic flavor. If you don’t have relish at home, chop up sweet pickles instead.
- White vinegar – For that signature tang.
- Sugar
- Salt and pepper
How to make it
Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, sugar, and vinegar together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then enjoy it with all of your favorite fried foods!
Tips and tricks
- Let the sauce chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will give all of the flavors time to mingle and get to know each other.
- To make vegan In-N-Out sauce, substitute mayonnaise for your favorite plant-based mayonnaise.
- This DIY version of In-N-Out’s signature sauce lasts for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Make sure to keep it in a tightly sealed container to help it stay fresh.
- You can also freeze it for 2 to 3 months. Some separation may occur, which is why refrigerating the batch is best.
Serving suggestions
This tangy sauce is perfect for dipping, spreading, drizzling, and more. Here are the best ways to indulge:
- Spread on a juicy cheeseburger or air fryer burgers.
- Drizzled over french fries with melted American cheese and caramelized onions (AKA homemade Animal Fries).
- As a dip for crispy chicken tenders, tater tots, onion rings, air fryer fries, green bean fries, zucchini fries, and fish and chips.
- Brushed over grilled chicken or pork.
- Spread on top of meatloaf instead of barbecue sauce or ketchup.
- Drizzled over baked potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes.
How to make ahead & store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
More homemade sauces and condiments
- Chick-Fil-A Sauce
- Sweet Potato Fry Dipping Sauce
- Creamy Aji Amarillo
- Bang Bang Sauce
- Boom Boom Sauce
- Alabama White BBQ Sauce
- Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Buffalo Wing Sauce
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- Dipping Sauces for Onion Rings
- Dipping Sauces for Chicken Nuggets
- More → 25+ BEST Sauces for French Fries
More copycat recipes
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- Starbuck’s Bistro Boxes: 3 Ways
- Starbuck’s Sous Vide Egg Bites
- Boston Market Meatloaf
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- Orange Julius Copycat
​​Did you make this copycat In-N-Out sauce recipe?
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In-N-Out Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Nutrition
Watch the web story.
This post was originally published in 2022. It was updated in 2023 to add new content. The fry sauce recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
great to know how to make this, and also to know that I can leave out the sugar if I want to, thank you!
Great sauce! The only change that I can recommend is to the “Prep Time” in the recipe… it says “1 hour 5 minutes”… (yikes! that’s a LOT of stirring! đŸ™‚