Juicy Lucy Burger
On May 19, 2021 (Updated October 24, 2023)
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Looking for a burger that is simple and satisfying with a bit of a twist? This Juicy Lucy Burger stuffs three kinds of cheese into a seasoned burger patty for the ultimate cheeseburger.
What is a Juicy Lucy Burger?
A Juicy Lucy burger is the most amazing cheeseburger you’ll ever have. Instead of the cheese melted on top of the burger patty, the cheese in a Juicy Lucy is cooked INSIDE the meat, releasing a cheesy flow of delicious goodness with every bite.
Juicy Lucy burgers are the signature burger of Minnesota. Also known as the “Jucy” Lucy, this burger originated in South Minneapolis, and two bars claim to have invented the tasty burger. Matt’s Bar and The 5-8 Club have an ongoing rivalry over who serves the “original,” with Matt’s Bar stuffing theirs with American cheese and calling it a Jucy Lucy (no “i”), and The 5-8 Club serving theirs with various cheeses and spelling theirs with an “i.”
Grilled Juicy Lucy Burger
This recipe is for a perfectly grilled hamburger, Juicy Lucy style. Following in the classic tradition of Minneapolis, my grilled Juicy Lucy burger is a simple, cheesy burger bursting with goodness.
The secret to my recipe is all about the cheese. We’re using 3 kinds of cheese for this Lucy! The American cheese gives you a classic diner burger flavor, the mozzarella brings the epic cheese pull, and the sharp cheddar is there for a robust cheese presence. The three come together for the cheesiest, juiciest Lucy burger you’ll ever have.
No need to travel to Minneapolis to get yourself a Juicy Lucy! Making your own at home is fast and easy. Simply stuff some cheese in a patty and go to town!
How to Make a Juicy Lucy Burger
Ready to make your own? Check out how easy it is to grill a Juicy Lucy at home.
- Make the patties. Unlike a regular burger, the Juicy Lucy takes a little bit of time and preparation to get right before it goes on the grill. Divide your patties into equal portions and form half of your patties into little bowls with raised edges. Place your cheese inside, add a top patty, and pinch to seal shut.
- Season. Season all sides of the patty with my Signature Beef Rub. If you don’t have any of this on hand, you can also use equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Grill. With your grill preheated to 400 degrees F, grill the burgers on indirect heat for 6 minutes, flip, and continue grilling until the burgers reach an internal temp of 160 degrees F. Place the buns on the grill and toast to your desired doneness.
- Assemble. Place your cheesy patty on a hamburger pun, and top with your favorite toppings and condiments. This burger tastes great with simple lettuce, tomato, and onion.
Scroll below for a few awesome tips before diving into the recipe at the end of the page.
Tips for Making a Juicy Lucy Burger
Before you try your hand at making your own Juicy Lucy burger, I have a few tips to help you make your burgers the best of the best!
- Cook over indirect heat! The burgers will cook a little slower than they would over direct heat, but you will have less shrinkage and less cheese exploding out the side.
- Form the patties bigger than the buns. This way you won’t end up with too much bun for your burger.
- Only flip once. Use a metal spatula instead of a grill fork or tongs. Slide quickly under the burgers and only flip once. You want to move these around as little as possible to keep the cheese inside and the meat intact.
More Juicy Burger Recipes
Are you ready for all your summer cookouts? Need some amazing burger recipes to wow your friends and family? Try your hand at these popular burgers from Hey Grill Hey:
Juicy Lucy Burger Recipe
Juicy Lucy Burger
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 Tablespoons Signature Beef Seasoning or equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- 6 slices American cheese
- 6 slices mozzarella cheese
- 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 burger buns
- assorted burger toppings
Instructions
- Preheat your grill. Start by preheating your grill to 400 degrees F with an indirect cooking zone. Charcoal grills will require two zone heat with coals on one side and none on the other. Propane grills will have one side of the burners set to high and the other side with the burners off. Pellet grills will just be preheated to 400 degrees F since they are already indirect grills.
- Prepare your juicy Lucy patties. Divide your ground beef into 12 equal portions. Press each portion into a patty that is slightly larger than the size of your buns. Turn up the edges of 6 of the patties to create a basin in the meat. Fill the 6 patties that have the edges turned up with a slice of American, mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheese. You may need to break your cheese slices into pieces to get them to fit in the basin. Top each cheese filled patty with a flat patty. Tightly seal the edges of the meat together so there are no holes or gaps.
- Season the juicy Lucy burgers. Sprinkle each patty with Beef Seasoning until lightly and evenly coated.
- Grill the burgers. Place your stuffed burgers on the indirect heat side of your grill (the side where the coals or the burners are off). Close the lid and cook your burgers for about 6 minutes. Open the lid and flip the burgers once. Close the lid and finish cooking the burgers until an internal thermometer reads 160 degrees F for well-done burgers. Remove the patties to your serving platter.
- Toast the buns. Place the buns on the direct heat side of the grill and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until toasted to your desired doneness.
- Assemble your juicy Lucy burgers. Top your buns with your favorite burger condiments and toppings and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very, very good burger! I did smoke mine first @225 for about 45 minutes or so, then sear on the gas grill
Absolutely fantastic!