Where Does In-N-Out Actually Get Its Beef?

In-N-Out Burger prides itself on using fresh, high-quality beef and other ingredients, but terms like that can be vague to the point of meaninglessness to a customer. On one hand, the proof is in the taste itself. Legions of fans will attest to the fact that part of what makes In-N-Out special is that the ingredients just taste better than your average fast food joint. But on the other hand, the chain is not quite as open as other chains concerning where it sources its ingredients from. While even McDonald's openly lists the suppliers it uses for its beef, In-N-Out simply touts the "quality" and fresh-made aspect of its food. Thankfully, other sources reveal what In-N-Out won't, and those point towards most of In-N-Out's beef coming from a California-based supplier called Harris Ranch.

While In-N-Out has never specifically revealed where its beef comes from, several news stories over the years have confirmed that the chain gets most of its meat from this Central Valley operation. The ranch itself has also celebrated its status as one of In-N-Out's suppliers on Instagram. While there may be other unrevealed secondary suppliers, Harris Ranch is a pretty massive operation that is clearly capable of meeting most of In-N-Out's needs. The company was family owned for much of its existence but was sold to the Central Valley Meat Holding Company in 2019. The two companies still operate independently, so it's not clear if Central Valley Meat also supplies for In-N-Out as well.

Harris Ranch has a history that dates back almost a century. With annual sales figures that total over $600 million, it is the largest beef operation in California — and one of the largest in the Western United States. The ranch dates all the way back to 1937, when it was first founded by the Harris family as a cotton farm. The operation tacked a variety of crops before expanding to cattle ranching around 50 years ago. After that, Harris Ranch became one of the first branded beef programs in the country. As for the actual quality of the beef, the company claims all its cattle are raised on grass and finished on grain — a practice said to produce beef with the best mix of taste and marbling.

However, In-N-Out still exercises a large amount of control of its beef supply chain. While it gets the meat from third-party suppliers, the company processes the beef — including deboning, grinding, and making its patties — entirely in house. This is done to ensure quality and consistency. Because In-N-Out is committed to using never frozen beef, all its locations must be within a day's drive of one of its three major processing facilities in California or Texas to ensure continued freshness. Beef sourcing is certainly an important part of what makes In-N-Out's iconic burgers like the Double-Double what they are, but how it treats its ingredients afterwards is just as important.