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Unleash your inner fast food-destroying beast with these animal-style fries. In the eternal struggle between the East and West Coast for burger chain supremacy, In-N-Out Burger has always been at the front of the pack. And that goes for the burger AND French fry comparisons. Get in close; as an East Coast girl, I must whisper for this next part—animal-style fries are freakin’ delicious. The secret menu side can be found at any one of over 350 In-N-Out locations throughout southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Oregon, and Colorado. Lucky for those of us who can’t drive to one, I’ve cracked the code on how to make a nearly identical version at home. These fries are hearty enough to eat on their own, but nobody would be mad at a juicy burger. 

Animal-style fries might be from a secret menu, but they’re also pretty simple—crispy golden shoestring fries get covered with American cheese slices, grilled onions, and creamy Thousand Island-esque dressing. Instead of slapping a slice of cheese on top, I made an insanely easy cheese sauce using just 2 ingredients. A saucy, even layer of cheese means that every fry will have an equal opportunity to bathe in gooey American cheese glory. 

Is it better to bake or fry the French fries?

Baked French fries are great. They’re nearly oil-free, hands-off, and make for super-easy cleanup. But let’s be honest, we’re here to INDULGE. Deep-frying frozen fries will get you as close as possible to the real thing that you might find at your favorite drive-thru. If you don’t mind a slightly floppier fry, bake the fries according to the package directions. If you want to make your own from scratch, check out our recipe for double-fried French fries. 

What kind of onions should you use? 

Stick with yellow onions for this one if you want true In-N-Out Burger authenticity…specifically, yellow Spanish sweet onions.

For more spot-on dupes of your favorite chain restaurant meals, check out this list of 50+ of our favorite copycat recipes. 

Neutral oil, for frying (about 6 cups)

medium yellow onion, finely chopped

frozen shoestring French fries, divided

American cheese, chopped into 1/2" pieces