May is hamburger month in the U.S. I found this recipe that hits the spot every time. I’m not sure what tastes better, the secret sauce or the caramel onions, but I’ll let you decide.

In California, a popular fast food restaurant is all the rave. In-n-Out Burger is famous for its ultimate double-double cheeseburger. If you’ve never been, no worries. The recipe below will shatter your taste buds on the first bite. The flavors will explode in your mouth. This will become a staple whenever you want a burger.

The burger chain is known for its fresh ingredients. You can’t go wrong with duplicating this all-time favorite family burger. Serve with a batch of fries and a chocolate or vanilla milkshake.

Prep Time – 1 hour
Total Time – 1 hr 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 T Vegetable or Olive oil plus more for brushing
2 Large onions, finely chopped
Kosher Salt to taste
¼ cup Mayo Use Duke’s or Hellmann’s
2 T Ketchup
1 T Sweet Pickle Relish
½ t White Vinegar
2 lbs. Ground beef – Chuck, preferably 60-80% lean. (You can also use the frozen sirloin burgers found in your local grocery store freezer section)
4 Hamburger buns – split
¼ cup sliced dill pickles
¾ cup shredded iceberg lettuce
4 to 8 thin slices of tomato
Freshly Ground Pepper to taste
¼ cup yellow mustard
8 slices American Cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat Vegetable/Olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

2. Add onions and three-fourths teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft, about thirty minutes (if the onions brown too quickly, reduce the heat to low.)

3. Uncover, increase the heat to medium-high, and continue to cook, stirring often, until caramelized, about 8 more minutes.

4. Add half a cup of water to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring until the water evaporates. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. (You can cook the onions up to three days ahead; cover and refrigerate, then reheat before using.)

5. Mix mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, and vinegar in a bowl. Set aside.

6. Shape beef into eight patties, four inches wide and a half-inch thick. (make them as thin as possible for stacking.)

7. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush with vegetable oil. I used a cast-iron skillet, but next time, I will use the griddle so I don’t have to work in batches.

8. Split-side down, and toast the buns on the griddle.

9. Spread each toasted bun bottom with one tablespoon of the Mayo mixture.

10. Then top with a few pickles, lettuce, one or two slices of tomato, and another dollop of the Mayo mixture. Set aside. (Keep the griddle hot.)

11. Season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper to taste.

12. Working in batches, if necessary, put the patties on the griddle. Cook for three minutes.

13. Spread one and a half teaspoons of mustard on the uncooked side of each patty.

14. Then flip and top each with one slice of cheese.

15. Continue cooking for two more minutes for medium doneness.

16. Top four of the patties with caramelized onions.

17. Then cover with the remaining patties, cheese-side on top. (So, you need to make the patties thin.)

18. Sandwich the double patties on the buns.

19. Dig in and enjoy this tasty mountain of pleasure.