We love these Whole30 Out-N-In Burger Bites! You can’t live in California without being aware of a very famous burger chain that only sells burgers and fries, and man are they good at what they do! My oldest son got his first job there, and all the youngers fell in love with their food and wanted to follow suit. Of course I had to re-create these favorite flavors at home.
If you love those smash-burger flavors, I even put them on a breakfast taco — check out my smash burger breakfast tacos.
Why You’ll Love These Whole30 Out-N-In Burger Bites
The burger bites are fun for dinner or they make a great finger-food appetizer. You can assemble your own burger bites with your toppings of choice – onion, tomato, lettuce, avocado, bacon – then dip them in the special sauce. They are Whole30, Paleo, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and egg-free
They are ready in about 30 minutes, with 20 minutes hands on prep. The burger bites can be made in the oven or the air fryer. They include a copycat In-N-Out sauce that even my boys who work at In-N-Out say is spot on in flavor! The sauce is simple, taking only 5 minutes to mix together.
Budget-friendly
This entree is part of my series of Whole30 meals that can feed a large family (mine has 7) for under $20. You can see the entire series of Budget Whole30 family meals for under $20 here. Here is the price breakdown for this entree + sides: Out-N-In Bites, Breaded Potato Wedges, and Fruit = $19.96 total, $2.85 per serving
Make it a Meal
There are so many sides that pair well with this fun main dish. Here are some of our favorites:
Ingredients
This recipe uses simple ingredients you can find at most grocery stores!
- Ground beef – We use a lean 93% ground hamburger for these, but you can use whatever percent leanness works for your preference and budget.
- Salt – Don’t overthink this one, just regular table salt here.
- Black pepper – Just traditional ground black pepper.
- Toppings – I recommend at least iceberg or romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. Also delicious with avocado and bacon for a burger upgrade.
Special Sauce Ingredients
- Mayo – I love keeping it budget friendly by using my 5-Minute Homemade Mayo, but you can also use a compatible mayo like the Primal Kitchen mayo as well.
- Ketchup – There are a few Whole30 ketchups out there. Use any that are compatible, if you are on a Whole30. My favorite is the Primal Kitchen Ketchup.
- Date paste – This adds a natural touch of sweetness that is compatible with the Whole30 program (yes, I double checked with Whole30 CEO ; ). It’s just dates and water and you can find the recipe here.
- Pickle – The finely chopped pickle is an essential part of the In-N-Out class spread. Just double check that the pickles you are using are compatible.
- White Distilled Vinegar – the most basic, traditional vinegar is all you need.
- Paprika
- Salt
This recipe is a sample from my cookbook Whole Food for Your Family, which has 100+ budget- and family-friendly recipes. You can learn more or grab a copy of my cookbook HERE!
Out-N-In Burger Bites
Ingredients
Burger Bites
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 box toothpicks 28 toothpicks
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 medium roma tomatoes
- 1 head iceburg lettuce
For the Special Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo See notes for link to my homemade mayo
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 8 large dates For date paste - see notes for recipe link. Only needed if you are using unsweetened ketchup (Whole30).
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped pickle
- 1 1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- MAKE DATE PASTE (for Whole30, if using): Combine dates and 1/2 c hot water in a blender or food processor and let sit for 1 minute. I usually press them down into the water a bit to ensure they are all soaking. Blend/process for 30 seconds, or until smooth.Store any remaining date paste in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- MAKE THE SAUCE: In a small bowl, combine the mayo, ketchup, 3 tablespoons date paste (if using), pickle, vinegar, paprika, and salt. Mix well. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Extra sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- MAKE THE BITES: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set a cooling rack inside, if you have one.
- Shape the ground beef into about 28 (1-tablespoon) balls. Do your best to handle the meat as little as possible, which can make the burger bites tougher. Arrange the balls on the cooling rack or parchment paper and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes until no longer pick inside.
- AIRFRYER OPTION: Cook the burger bites in a single layer at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Serve the bites on toothpicks with the toppings along with the special sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
These are one of my Boys’ favorite meals!! The first time I made them they said “These are so fancy!” 🤣
These are so quick and easy to make and the sauce is delicious!
Look at you being so FANCY, haha – love it! How fun these were such a hit with your boys and were easy to make. Thank you!
Superb. I make smash burgers with this sauce. We love it.
Awesome, I’m so glad you love this sauce! Thank you for the review!
We have never eaten at this restaurant (they are not in our part of the country), but I think it would be difficult to top how delicious these turned out! It was such a simple quick dinner to prepare and my teenagers and husband really enjoyed the sauce. We didn’t have whole 30 ketchup in our refrigerator so we used what we had on hand (therefore did not add date paste) and, although not quite as healthy, it fit our budget and and tasted great—a win!!
I’m so happy these were a quick, delicious dinner your family loved! Thank you!
This is such a quick and easy meal, fun to eat on toothpicks and the sauce is amazing! Thank you Autumn for always providing the very best recipes that are quick and easy to get to the table!
WAHOO! I’m so thrilled it was an easy win that your family had fun with. Thanks for the review!
This recipe is in my weekly dinner rotation! My husband says it’s better than the restaurant. We love this and the sauce is so YUM. Highly recommend this one!
Love that this one is in your dinner rotation – WOOT WOOT! And here’s to a copycat sauce that might even outshine the OG. Thank you!
These are one of my Boys’ favorite meals!! The first time I made them they said “These are so fancy!” 🤣
They are quick and easy to make and the sauce is delicious!
We love these and make them regularly. So quick, easy and delish!
WAHOO! I’m so glad you love these on the regular. Yay for easy family dinner wins! Thank you!