We're making the viral In-N-Out onion-wrapped Flying Dutchman burger at home, only better. Perfectly caramelized onions, two smash burger patties, two slices of American cheese, with the famous In-N-Out spread on top. YUM.
The viral-worthy onion-wrapped Flying Dutchman burger
Onion-Wrapped Flying Dutchman Ingredients
These ingredients are for 1 double-patty burger.
All the ingredients you need for your Flying Dutchman burgers (the burger spread got cropped out)
For the Burgers
- Ground beef (6 ounces). Get 80/20 or 75/25 blend. We're making two 3-ounce smash patties
- American cheese (2 slices). You can use Cheddar if you want, but American melts the best for burgers
- Yellow mustard (1/2 tbsp). To grill the burgers, In-N-Out style
- Dill pickle slices (4). Can't have a smash burger without pickles
- In-N-Out spread (1 tbsp). Get the full Copycat In-N-Out sauce recipe here
- Lawry's Seasoned Salt (1 tbsp). You can use salt & pepper to season the burgers. I just like Lawry's
For the Onions
- Yellow onion (1 onion). Cut into 2 thick, 1/2-inch slices
- Olive oil (1 tbsp). To coat the onions
- Smoked paprika (1/2 tsp)
- Garlic powder (1/2 tsp)
- Brown sugar (1/2 tsp)
Onion-Wrapped Flying Dutchman Recipe Instructions
@grillfrenzy Comment "recipe" or "dutchman" for the full recipe with all of my KEY tips sent straight to your DMs (make sure you follow me and your message requests are open to ensure you receive it)! A homemade Flying Dutchman is a top tier burger when you get it right and it's SO good with the caramelized onion "buns" and In-N-Out style spread! My version only requires a few ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make! Find the full recipe with all my key tips on the blog - link in my profile! Or comment to get the recipe link DMed straight to you! #grillfrenzy #easyrecipes #flyingdutchman #burgers #innout ♬ original sound - Mike Futia
1. Prep The Onions
The onions seasoned with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar
First, prep your onions by cutting off two thick slices, about 1/2 inches each. These will act as your burger "buns".
Then, drizzle the onions on both sides with olive oil, and season with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar.
2. Caramelize The Onion "Buns"
Make sure your burner isn't on too high like mine—my onions got very dark on the exterior.
Heat a pan over medium-low to medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, and checking on them frequently so they don't burn.
After you turn them, I recommend adding a couple tablespoons of water to the pan, and covering it with a lid. This helped soften my onions and slow down the charring process. As you can see above—my onions were getting a little too charred.
Remove the onions from the pan when they're done, and set aside for assembly.
3. Make The In-N-Out Spread
Copycat In-N-Out spread
Click here for the full Copycat In-N-Out sauce. While you're making the spread, pre-heat your grill pan or skillet to about 450F (medium-high heat).
4. Prep The Burgers
Weighing out 3-ounce portions
Measure out two 3-ounce portions of the ground beef, and roll them into balls like in the image above.
Pre-smashing the burger patties with a burger press
Then, take a burger press (or a really sturdy spatula) and smash the burgers down until they're nice and thin. I like to do mine on parchment paper.
5. Cook The Burgers
Placing the pre-smashed burgers on the griddle
Press the pre-smashed burgers onto your griddle or pan. Scrape down the edges with a spatula to get good contact and help with the crust.
Lawry's seasoning salt and a little yellow mustard on the smash burgers.
Season with the Lawry's seasoning and squeeze a little yellow mustard on top of each patty. Cook the patties for about 2-3 minutes on the first side, until you start to see some moisture bubbling up to the top.
Adding American cheese to the smash burgers
Right after you flip, add your American cheese and cook until it melts. If you're cooking on a griddle with a lid, closing the lid helps the cheese melt faster.
Letting the smash burgers rest on a cooling rack
Remove the burgers from the griddle and place them on top of a cooling rack.
6. Assemble & Enjoy
I love pickles on all my smash burgers
Here's how to assemble the Flying Dutchman:
- Base layer: Place one of your caramelized onions on your plate to act as the bottom "bun".
- Burger stack: Place both smash burgers on top of the bottom onion.
- Sauce. Add a nice serving of our house made In-N-Out spread on top of the top burger.
- Pickles. These are optional, of course, but for me every smash burger needs pickles.
- Top layer. Finally, add the second onion as the top "bun".
Final construction:
A really messy burger, but well worth the effort (and the hype)
Expert Tips for Making the Onion-Wrapped Flying Dutchman
- Beef ratio. Experiment with 80/20 vs 75/25 beef blend. 80/20 gives you a much nicer crust—which is huge for a smash burger—but it can get dry on you quick. 75/25 is definitely a juicier burger, but you won't get the same level crust.
- Keep an eye on your onions. As you can see from the pictures, my onions got a little ... burnt. I had my burner set to medium-high, so I'd probably recommend cooking over medium, and making sure you have enough olive oil in your pan. Also, adding the water really helped soften them up.
- Embrace the messiness. There's no way around it—this is a *really* messy burger. Probably not one you're going to want to serve to guests.
- Cook what *you* like. Obviously, you can customize this recipe however you want. I used Lawry's seasoning for the burger, brown sugar for the onions, and I added pickles as a topping—but all those things are entirely optional.
Viral Onion-Wrapped Flying Dutchman Burger
Ingredients
For the Burgers
- 6 ounces ground beef 80/20 or 75/25 blend, divided
- 2 slices American cheese
- 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 4 dill pickle slices
- 1 tbsp In-N-Out spread homemade
- 1 tbsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
For the Onions
- 1 yellow onion cut into two 1/2-inch thick slices
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Cut two 1/2-inch thick slices from the onion. Coat both sides with olive oil and season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar.
- Cook onions over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway. Add water and cover if needed to prevent burning.
- Divide beef into two 3-ounce portions and form into balls.
- Preheat grill pan or skillet to 450°F (medium-high heat).
- Pre-smash burger balls on parchment paper until very thin.
- Press burgers onto hot griddle and season with Lawry's salt. Add yellow mustard to top.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until moisture appears on top.
- Flip patties, add cheese, and cook until melted.
- Assemble: Bottom onion, both patties with cheese, In-N-Out spread, pickles (optional), top onion.
Notes
- Watch onions carefully to prevent burning; medium-low heat works best
- Adding water and covering while cooking onions helps them soften
- 80/20 beef gives better crust, 75/25 gives juicier patties
- This is meant to be a messy burger - embrace it!
- Can substitute Lawry's Seasoned Salt with regular salt and pepper
