Flying Dutchman Burger (In-n-Out Copycat)
On September 14, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Bring the drive-thru to your backyard with my Flying Dutchman Burger. Juicy griddled patties and melty American cheese stacked between sweet charred onions all topped off with a homemade burger sauce.
Flying Dutchman Burger (In-n-Out Copycat)
If you’ve never had a Flying Dutchman burger, get ready to forget everything you know about burgers. No bun, no lettuce, no tomato. Just beef, cheese, and caramelized onion rounds instead of a bun. It sounds stranger at first, but you get it once you take that first bite. You can make the whole thing right on your griddle, top it with a homemade version of the famous In-N-Out spread, and you’ve got a low-carb, high-protein burger full of flavor. And the best part? You don’t have to know any secret menu items to make this burger right in your own backyard!
What Is A Flying Dutchman?
The Flying Dutchman comes from In-N-Out’s secret menu, so you might not be familiar. This burger takes 2 beef patties and 2 slices of American cheese and serves them up on grilled onion rounds. No bun, no veggies, just a glorious stack of delicious protein making it the perfect low-carb burger. My version includes a homemade version of In-N-Out’s famous spread, but you can skip that if you’re counting carbs.
Ingredients for Flying Dutchman Burgers
You need just 4 simple ingredients to make the burger itself, so it’s perfect for a weeknight family dinner. Here’s what you’ll need on hand so you can get started:
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20 meat to fat ratio)
- 1 Tablespoon Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub
- 1 large yellow onion (cut into ½ to ¾-inch thick slices)
- 8 slices American cheese
In-N-Out Copycat Spread
Every great burger needs a signature sauce, and this one nails the sweet and tangy notes of the original. With just these 5 ingredients you can recreate the iconic spread at home:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup sweet pickle relish (or dill pickle relish)
- 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
How to Make Flying Dutchman Burgers
- Preheat the griddle. Set your griddle up for medium-high heat. While this cooks easily on a flat-top grill, I know not everyone has access. You can also make this recipe on your grill or in a pan on your stovetop.
- Make the burger spread. While your griddle is heating up, whisk together the mayo, ketchup, relish, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. You want the sugar fully dissolved and the relish evenly incorporated. Set it aside so the flavors can mingle while you grill the patties.
- Prepare the onions. Use a sharp knife to cut the stems off the onion and remove the skin. Cut the remaining onion into large slices roughly ½ to ¾-inch thick. Keep the rings together because these will serve as the buns.
- Grill the onions. Drizzle the griddle with avocado oil (or your favorite high-heat cooking oil), then lay down your sliced onion rounds.
- Grill the patties. Place the formed patties on the griddle topped with parchment paper, then press them flat using a burger press. If you don’t have a press, you can also do this with the bottom of a pan. Remove the parchment paper and season the patties generously with my signature Beef Rub. Cook the patties for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until crispy and browned. When you flip the patties, season again with more Beef Rub, then add the cheese slices. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes until the cheese starts to bubble.
- Assemble, serve, and enjoy. Place a grilled onion slice on top of each patty, then remove 2 of them to a cutting board or serving platter onion side down. Place the remaining 2 patties on top of the upside down patties. Serve with a side of homemade burger sauce for dipping and enjoy!
How Long to Cook Smash Patties
According to the USDA, ground beef is safe to eat once it hits an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Since these patties are smashed thin, they usually cook fast within 5 to 6 minutes, but don’t rely on the clock alone. Use an instant-read meat thermometer (like my Thermapen ONE from ThermoWorks), check the center, and you’ll nail the perfect temperature. If you want to know more on this, check out my guide to Internal Temperatures for Meat.
Susie’s Flying Dutchman Pro Tips
- Easy on the beef. Handle your beef just enough to form loose patties. Overworking the beef will leave you with tough patties.
- Press hard, just once. The key to a great smash burger is giving your patties a single, hard press. You want to preserve all the juicy goodness, so press once firmly and move on.
- Slice onions thick. Thin rings fall apart during flipping and you want a sturdy base for your burger. Cutting the onion into ½-inch rounds ensures a more stable “bun” for the beef and cheese.
- Be ready with the cheese. Once the patties are flipped, they’ll cook quickly. You don’t want to be fumbling with plastic wrappers and overcook your patties.
More Burger Recipes
Now I know bunless burgers aren’t for everyone, but I’ve got you covered with recipes for your carb-craving friends, too. You can find all my burger recipes here on the site and in the Hey Grill Hey App. For now, check out these popular burger recipes:
Everything Else
Smoked Bacon Wrapped Oreos
Everything Else
Skillet Blackberry Cobbler
Desserts
Skillet Cherry Crisp
Everything Else
Cornbread Peach Cobbler
Flying Dutchman Burger Recipe
2 patties, no buns, all flavor. Give this Flying Dutchman Burger recipe a try this week, then come back and drop a rating and a comment below so I know what you thought of it.
Make sure to tag @heygrillhey when you post your beautiful burger photos on Instagram and Facebook so I can cheer you on. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more recipes like this to help you become a Backyard BBQ Hero!
Flying Dutchman Burger (In-n-Out Copycat)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20 meat-to-fat ratio
- 1 Tablespoon Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub
- 1 large yellow onion cut into ½ to ¾-inch thick slices
- 8 slices American cheese
Homemade Burger Spread
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup sweet pickle relish or dill pickle relish
- 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the griddle. Set your flat-top griddle up for medium-high heat. You can also do this on your grill or in a pan on your stovetop if you don’t have access to a griddle.
- Make the burger spread. Combine the mayo, ketchup, diced pickles, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Mix everything gently with a whisk until the sugar dissolves and the pickles are evenly distributed.1 cup mayonnaise, ½ cup ketchup, ½ cup sweet pickle relish, 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar
- Prepare the onion. Use a sharp knife to cut the stems off the onion and remove the skin. Cut the remaining onion into large slices roughly ½ to ¾-inch thick. Keep the rings together because these will serve as the buns.
- Grill the onions. Drizzle the cooking oil on your griddle or pan. If you’re doing this on your grill, you can gently brush your onions directly. I like avocado oil because it has a high smoke point and doesn’t affect flavor, but you can use any cooking oil you prefer. Place the onions on the griddle and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until charred and caramelized. Be careful while flipping the onions so the rings stay together.1 large yellow onion
- Grill the patties. Place the patties on the griddle with some parchment paper on top, then press them flat using a burger press or the bottom of a pan. Remove the parchment paper and season the patties generously with Beef Rub. Cook the patties for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crispy and brown. Flip the patties, season on top with the Beef Rub, and top each patty with 2 slices of American cheese. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, or until the cheese starts to bubble.1 pound ground beef, 1 Tablespoon Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub, 8 slices American cheese
- Assemble, serve, and enjoy. Place a grilled onion slice on top of each patty, then remove 2 of them to a cutting board or serving platter onion side down. Place the remaining 2 patties on top of the upside down patties. Serve with a side of homemade burger sauce for dipping and enjoy!
Notes
- Purchase in the Hey Grill Hey Store here
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
