Animal Style In-N-Out Burgers, Lettuce Wrapped

ep #4 of healthy in thirty: animal style In-N-Out burgers for 260cal/21g protein with a BONUS crispy carrot fries recipe!

This is one of my absolute favorite meals to make and it’s on rotation almost every week. It’s easy, and really hits that In-N-Out craving!

The trick to the quicker “caramelized onions” is to soften them up with water when the pan gets dry, and hit them with balsamic at the end to get that sweet finish.

I like serving it with crispy carrot fries (which taste EXACTLY like sweet potato fries) on the side for added veggies and a balanced plate that comes out to less than 350 cal total. Not bad for burger and fries!

Animal Style In-N-Out Burgers, Lettuce Wrapped

Servings: 4 | Calories: 260 per serving | Protein: 21g per serving

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Beef

• Salt, to taste

• Black Pepper, to taste

• 1 tsp Mustard

• 1/2 White Onion

• 1 tbsp Butter

• Balsamic Vinegar, for caramelizing onions

• 2 tbsp Mayonnaise or Light Mayo

• 2 tbsp Ketchup

• 1 tsp White Vinegar

• 1/2 Chopped Pickle

• Iceburg Lettuce Cups or Romaine Lettuce Leaves

• Tomato slices

• Chopped Banana Peppers/Pepperoncini

Directions:

1. Prepare Patties:

   • Season ground beef with salt and black pepper. Mix well and form into flat, thin patties.

2. Cook Patties:

   • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat

   • Place the patties in the skillet and spread 1 teaspoon of mustard on the side facing up.

   • Cook the patties for a few minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another few minutes until cooked through.

3. Caramelize Onions:

   • Chop the white onion and add it to a pan with butter over low heat.

   • Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and translucent.

   • If the pan gets too dry, add water to soften the onions without using more oil/butter

   • Once the onions are soft, add a splash of balsamic vinegar to caramelize them further. Cook until the onions are caramelized and golden brown.

   • Alternative: Grill sliced onion on an indoor grill pan

4. Prepare Sauce:

   • In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, ketchup, white vinegar, and chopped pickle to make the sauce.

   • Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt to taste) as needed.

5. Assemble Burger:

   • On iceberg or romaine leaf, spread a little bit of the sauce.

   • Place the cooked burger patty on top of the sauce.

   • Add a slice of tomato, chopped banana peppers, and a generous portion of caramelized onions on top of the patty.

   • Drizzle more sauce over the toppings.

Crispy Carrot Fries

Servings: 4 | Calories: 65 cal per serving

Ingredients:

• 3 extra large carrots, cut into very thin fries

• 3 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch

• Olive oil, for tossing

• Salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. Prepare the carrots:

   • Wash and peel the carrots.

   • Cut the carrots into very thin fries to achieve maximum crispiness.

3. Coat the carrot fries:

   • In a bowl, toss the carrot fries with olive oil, 3 teaspoons of smoked paprika, 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch, and salt to taste until evenly coated (the white cornstarch should disappear)

4. Bake:

   • Option 1: Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, then broil for 2 minutes to crisp the fries.

   • Option 2: Bake for 23-25 minutes at 400°F, checking at around 20 minutes to see if the ends are dark. Once the ends are dark, the fries are ready.

5. Serve:

   • Once crispy, remove the fries and season with more salt if needed.

   • Optionally, garnish with finely chopped parsley, parmesan and a drizzle of truffle oil for truffle carrot fries.

Important: To achieve maximum crispiness, it’s very important to cut the carrots very thin.