Chef John’s Juicy Lucy

  4.8 – 31 reviews  • Hamburgers

This isn’t your typical cheeseburger, either. This cheese-stuffed burger is referred described as either a “Juicy Lucy” or a “Jucy Lucy” depending on who you ask. This is due to the fact that it is spelled differently in two Minneapolis eateries who assert to have created it. you seal in the cheese stuffing and preserve the meat juicier, be sure you press the edges of the two patties together firmly and thoughtfully. Cover the bun with your favorite burger sauce.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Servings: 1

Ingredients

  1. 6 ounces ground beef
  2. 4 drops Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
  3. 3 pinches garlic powder
  4. freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  5. kosher salt, to taste
  6. 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  7. 1 slice Cheddar cheese
  8. 1 hamburger bun, split
  9. 1 slice tomato
  10. 1 leaf lettuce

Instructions

  1. Divide beef into two 3-ounce balls. Lightly moisten fingertips with water and press beef into patties about 1/4-inch thick. Drop Worcestershire sauce over patties; rub in lightly. Sprinkle garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and cayenne on top and rub in.
  2. Cut a circle of cheese using a pastry cutter or the rim of a glass. Place cheese onto a patty; cover with other patty. Press edges together carefully. Flip and continue pressing until fully sealed. Season both sides with a little salt.
  3. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patty for 5 minutes per side for medium doneness. Place patty on one half of a bun. Top with tomato, lettuce, and the other half of the bun.
  4. For a medium-rare burger, cook for about 4 minutes per side. There are so many variables, such as fat content, meat temperature, pan temperature, cheese choice, and portion size, to name a few. Doing some testing before the big burger party is recommended. Best homework ever! But overall, not much can go wrong.
  5. Please note changes in ingredient amounts if using the magazine version of this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 618 kcal
Carbohydrate 27 g
Cholesterol 134 mg
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Protein 40 g
Saturated Fat 17 g
Sodium 958 mg
Sugars 2 g
Fat 38 g
Unsaturated Fat 0 g

Reviews

Michael Jones
Amazing burgers! Made once with cheddar and once with blue cheese.We liked the blue cheese even better. It was phenomenal!!!
Kimberly Cook
Holy cow. This recipe is amazing. My husband and 3 sons no longer want to go out to eat at the local burger pubs, they’d rather have a Juicy Lucy. A few things that I’ve learned from this recipe is that I no longer season and then work the patty. Seasoning it after you’ve made the patty truly makes a world of difference and makes the burger so flavorful!! I also give the burger time to rest which makes it so much more juicy. I pop it in the oven to warm it up for 2 minutes at 400 right before serving. This recipe is a game changer. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.
Jeffrey Schneider
We liked the burger-very moist. We cooked it for 6 minutes for medium doneness. Next time we will add more cheese.
Chelsea Davis
Delicious burger, but HUGE. Cooking for two, so I cut the meat down to 1/2 pound. I ended up with quarter pounders. A better portion size.
John Johnson
Made these for the 4th, for the burger lovers. Amazing, and just as good as described. Made as written and they were perfect, in a couple I put chopped onion in the middle by a request, it wrked very well with this recipe.
Elizabeth White
Absolutely Excellent! I’ve made these a couple of times and now the rest of the family also makes them. In fact, any time we get together for a barbecue, we all know that these are the only burgers to be had. The only difference is we will use Cheddar cheese instead of the American cheese. We will also sometimes use Feta. Apart from the cheese, we follow Chef John’s recipe, word for word! ;-))
Tim Gray
Followed recipe exactly. Will definitely make again. Fabulous!
Isabel Simmons
I made these burgers for myself and my 4 year old and we loved it. The patty was nicely spiced and oozed with cheese. I will definitely make this again.
Manuel Bowman
Really juicy, delicious burger. The Worcheshire sauce is a great move. Using a glass to make round, even cheese portions helped. I used 93/7 ground beef for four minutes both sides produced a medium cook on the patty.
Robert Garcia
This was incredible. We will definitely make these again! Oh myyyy. Juicy, cooked it to mediumish. Excellent flavor. Don’t be afraid of the cayenne, it doesn’t add spice so much as extra flavor and a little bite.
Casey Thompson
I was having a cookout and looking for something to grill out for around 20 people. I finally settled on this burger. I’m so glad that I did, because it was an incredible hit. I made some just as recipe stated, and 10 with pepper jack cheese. Both were awesome. No complaints on either . I red another post about Chef John’s bacon jam. I did fix this and served with the cheeseburgers, and they were remarkable. These comments are just my opinion, and others at my cookout. But give it a try, you never know until you try. Thanks Chef John for taking the time to post your recipes and video’s. I have tried several of your recipe’s and have really enjoyed them.
Amanda Williams
LOVE these!
Gregory Allison
These burgers were delicious! I did mine on the grill and they came out great. Didn’t change anything but used American cheese. I will definitely make them again
Erica Jarvis
Amazing and Super JUICEY!
Eric Park
Worked very well with white cheddar, don’t overcook.
Andrew Hill
My patties would not stay together once I bit into it.
Brianna West
This is amazing! As good as at least one of alleged original juicy lucy creator but without the drive and wait for a table. Based on other reviews, I used 80% fresh ground beef and Montreal steak seasoning in lieu of individual spices, and a slice of American cheese folded in quarters. Due to sweltering heat, I popped
Brooke Martin
I have to admit I worked garlic and onion flakes into the meat before forming patties. I used a biscuit cutter to cut the cheese. I also put a spoonful of chopped canned green chiles on top of the cheese before sealing. Heaven!
Nathan Valentine
I made these with USDA Choice Top Sirloin I get a Smart & Final for $3.99 lb. The steaks were a bit chewy grilling on my Traeger and tried cast iron skillet in oven. So I now grind them to make burgers which works out Great especially at $3.99 per lb. I made these and this will be my “go to” way of cooking cheese burgers. Another one of Chef John’s favorites!!
Cynthia Brooks
When ever I have the time (having 2 kids) This is the best way to make a burger for friends family and KIDS! They always love it!!! even though sometimes it’s a little to much for the young crowd. By the way I like to change it up with other things stuffed in here and there, what ever you like or have a taste for, and it’s always awesome
James Massey
Lives up to all the reviews I read before making it. I appreciate the cheese being in the middle. Well worth the try if you’re in the mood for hamburgers

 

Leave a Comment