Menu guide · Updated October 11, 2026

In N Out Grilled Cheese: What Is On It, How to Order, Price and Calories

⚡ Quick answer

The in n out grilled cheese is a burger without the beef: two slices of melted American cheese, lettuce, tomato and spread, with or without onions, on a freshly baked bun. Just ask for a Grilled Cheese.

How to order it Calories and price

slices of melted American cheese

line to order it: just ask for a Grilled Cheese

calorie gap one cheese slice makes on the official chart

calories for grilled onions, per the official chart

The basics

What Is the In N Out Grilled Cheese?

The in n out grilled cheese is a cheeseburger with the beef patty left off. You get two slices of melted American cheese, hand-leafed lettuce, tomato and spread on a freshly baked bun, with or without onions.

Despite the name, it is not a flat sandwich pressed on a griddle. It looks and eats like a regular In-N-Out burger, just with gooey cheese where the meat would be. That is why you will hear it called the in and out grilled cheese, the grilled cheese burger, or simply a cheeseburger with no meat.

Does In N Out Have Grilled Cheese?

Yes, In N Out has grilled cheese. It is listed on the official Not So Secret Menu on the In-N-Out website, next to the 3×3, 4×4, Protein Style and Animal Style. You will not see it on the menu board, so you order it by name.

Part	What you get	Allergen note
Bun	Freshly baked	Wheat (gluten). Made where milk, sesame and soy are present
Cheese	2 slices of American cheese, melted	Milk, soy
Spread	The house sauce	Egg
Lettuce	Hand-leafed	None listed
Tomato	Fresh slice	None listed
Onion	Raw, grilled, or none	None listed

in n out grilled cheese what is inside: exploded view of toasted bun, lettuce, tomato, spread, onion and two slices of american cheese — What is inside an in n out grilled cheese: every part, with allergen tags from the official ingredient list.

At the window

How to Order Grilled Cheese at In N Out

Ordering a grilled cheese at In N Out takes one line. Step up to the counter or the drive thru speaker and say: “Can I get a Grilled Cheese?” Then add any changes, like onions or Animal Style.

Say it like this

“One Grilled Cheese with grilled onions, please. Can I add pickles?”

Your receipt and screen should show the item and every change you asked for.

Grilled Cheese Animal Style

Animal Style on a burger means a mustard cooked patty plus pickles, extra spread and grilled onions. A grilled cheese has no patty, so you get the toppings: pickles, extra spread and grilled onions on top of the cheese.

Protein Style Grilled Cheese

Protein Style swaps the bun for hand-leafed lettuce. On a grilled cheese, that means the melted cheese, tomato and spread come wrapped in lettuce instead of bread.

With or Without Onions

The official description says with or without onions. You can ask for raw onion, grilled onions, or no onion at all. Grilled onions are 15 calories on the official chart.

Extra Toppings

Pickles and chopped chilies are free add ons on the official chart, both at 0 calories. Ask for them when you order and check your receipt.

The cheese

What Cheese Does In N Out Use?

In N Out uses American cheese on every cheeseburger, and the grilled cheese gets two slices of it. The official ingredient list starts with milk, cheese culture, salt, cream and milkfat, followed by sodium citrate and other melting salts.

Those melting salts are why the cheese turns smooth and glossy instead of greasy. The color comes from natural colors like annatto, paprika and beta carotene. The listed allergens for the cheese are milk and soy.

Good to know

The ingredient list also names enzymes without saying where they come from. If you eat strictly vegetarian, ask the restaurant before you order.

Nutrition

In N Out Grilled Cheese Calories

In-N-Out does not publish calories for the grilled cheese. Its official nutrition chart only covers the hamburger, cheeseburger, Double-Double, fries, shakes, drinks and add ons, so any exact number you see elsewhere is an estimate.

Some menu sites list it at about 380 calories, but their fat and protein numbers do not match each other. Use the official numbers below as your guide instead.

Official item	Calories	What it tells you
Hamburger with onion	360	Bun, patty, lettuce, tomato, spread, onion
Cheeseburger with onion	430	One cheese slice adds about 70
Cheeseburger, mustard and ketchup	380	Skipping spread saves about 50
Cheeseburger Protein Style	280	Lettuce instead of bun saves about 150
Grilled onions	15	Add on
Pickles or chopped chilies	0	Add on

in n out grilled cheese calories guide comparing official hamburger and cheeseburger numbers with add ons — In n out grilled cheese calories: clues from the official nutrition chart. The grilled cheese itself is not listed.

Grilled Cheese Animal Style Calories

In-N-Out does not list calories for a grilled cheese Animal Style either. What the official chart does show is grilled onions at 15 calories, pickles at 0, and a 28 gram spread packet at 100 calories, so the extra spread is where most of the added calories come from.

Protein Style Grilled Cheese Calories

Going Protein Style is the lightest swap. On the official cheeseburger, trading the bun for lettuce drops the count from 430 to 280 calories and the carbs from 40 grams to 11. Expect a similar cut on a grilled cheese, since the bun is the same.

Cost

How Much Is a Grilled Cheese at In N Out?

Short answer: not much. Menu price trackers put the in n out grilled cheese at about $3.75 to $4.85 in 2026. The exact number depends on which In-N-Out you walk into, because each restaurant sets its own prices and In-N-Out does not post them online.

Here is the fun part. Real customers share what they paid online, and those numbers fit the range. One fan on the In-N-Out subreddit posted a grilled cheese Animal Style with extra whole grilled onions and chopped chilies from a Glendale, California store, and the total was $4.20. That is a fully loaded sandwich still landing under five dollars.

So if you see a slightly different price at your counter, that is normal. California and other high cost areas usually sit at the top of the range, and the trackers do not always agree with each other either.

Price tip

Check the menu board or the screen at your nearest restaurant before you order for a group. Animal Style and onions are changes to the order, so look at the total on your receipt.

Diet check

Is the In N Out Grilled Cheese Vegetarian?

This sandwich has no meat in it, which makes it the go to pick for people who skip beef. In-N-Out does not label it vegetarian, though, and it does not say whether the cheese enzymes are animal based.

If you also want to skip the bun, our in n out veggie burger guide covers the no patty, no cheese option.

Is the Grilled Cheese Gluten Free?

No, not as served. The bun contains wheat flour and wheat gluten. Ordering it Protein Style removes the bun, and our in n out gluten free guide explains what else to ask for.

Is the Grilled Cheese Healthy?

It is a fast food sandwich, so treat it as a treat. Protein Style, no extra spread, and fresh onion instead of grilled are the simple ways to keep it lighter.

Copycat

How to Make an In N Out Grilled Cheese at Home

You can make a copycat version at home with the same parts the restaurant lists. The spread recipe is a company secret, so a Thousand Island style sauce is the closest home swap.

Toast a soft hamburger bun, cut side down, until golden.
Melt 2 slices of American cheese on a hot pan or under a lid.
Spread sauce on the bottom bun.
Add a tomato slice and hand torn lettuce.
Add raw or grilled onion if you like it.
Slide the melted cheese on top and close the bun.

Key Takeaways

The grilled cheese is two slices of melted American cheese, lettuce, tomato and spread on a bun.
It is on the official Not So Secret Menu, so just order it by name.
Ask for Animal Style to add pickles, extra spread and grilled onions.
Protein Style wraps it in lettuce and cuts most of the carbs.
In-N-Out does not publish its calories or a fixed price.
The bun has wheat, the cheese has milk and soy, and the spread has egg.

FAQ

In N Out Grilled Cheese FAQ

Yes. The Grilled Cheese is on the official In-N-Out Not So Secret Menu. It is not on the menu board, so ask for it by name.

Two slices of melted American cheese, hand-leafed lettuce, tomato and spread, with or without onions, on a freshly baked bun.

In-N-Out does not publish a calorie count for the grilled cheese. Some menu sites estimate about 380 calories, but that is not an official number.

Prices vary by restaurant. Menu trackers listed it at about $3.75 to $4.85 in 2026.

Yes. Ask for it Animal Style and you get pickles, extra spread and grilled onions on top.

It has no meat, but In-N-Out does not label it vegetarian or say what the cheese enzymes come from. Ask the restaurant if that matters to you.

Final Word on the In N Out Grilled Cheese

The in n out grilled cheese is the easiest off menu order there is: just say Grilled Cheese and pick your onions. Want more flavor? Ask for it Animal Style. Watching carbs or gluten? Go Protein Style.

Calories and price are not posted by In-N-Out, so use the official chart and your local receipt as your guide. Hungry for more beef next time? See how the Flying Dutchman is made, pair your sandwich with a tray of animal style fries, or read what the crew wears behind the counter.

Flying Dutchman guide Animal style fries Gluten free guide In N Out uniform