What kind of cheese do you recommend in a Juicy Lucy?

Hands down, classic American Cheese. It works well for a Juicy Lucy because it's perfectly melty, gooey, not stringy, and has that classic cheesy flavor.

What heat temperature do you recommend?

Classically, a Juicy Lucy is cooked to medium doneness. BUT I find it nearly impossible to accomplish this (kudos to you, dive bars!) because the cheese is never melty enough when it reaches that level of doneness. So instead, I cook it over medium heat (instead of medium-high) so that the cheese is melted perfectly but the meat isn't overdone. This does mean that the burger itself is more medium-well in doneness.

Should I cook these on the grill or do pan-fried?

Either works and both are delicious! Traditionally, Juicy Lucys are made on a flat-top grill , which we also have at home and loveeeee, or you could get a flat-top griddle for the stove. (affiliate links)

Is it spelled "Jucy Lucy" or "Juicy Lucy"?

Depends on where you eat it / where you pay homage to it! At Matt's Bar it's spelled "Jucy Lucy" and at the 5-8 Club it's spelled "Juicy Lucy." Not confusing at all, right? I love this weird little burger.

Juicy Lucy

Name: Juicy Lucy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs. ground beef; 2 tablespoons burger seasoning; 6-12 slices American cheese; 6 brioche buns; Toppings: Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles; Sauces: Ketchup, mustard, mayo

Description

JUICY LUCY! A delicious hamburger stuffed with molten, bubbly, waterfalling cheese, all piled on a buttery toasted bun with all the fixings. The BEST.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Juicy Lucy Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef
2 tablespoons burger seasoning
6–12 slices American cheese

Juicy Lucy Extras:

6 brioche buns
Toppings: Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles
Sauces: Ketchup, mustard, mayo

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Mix the spices into the ground beef (I just mix by hand). Divide the beef into 6 even sections.
Form each section into two thin patties (a smaller top patty, and a larger bottom patty). Place 1-2 folded pieces of cheese on the bottom patty, and place the smaller top patty over it, pinching up the edges to seal.
Grill or pan fry for about 5 minutes on medium heat, or until cooked to your desired doneness and cheese is melted. We usually sacrifice one Juicy Lucy and cut into it to test the doneness of both the beef and cheese.
Let the Juicy Lucys rest for a minute or two. This is essential, otherwise the cheese will be so hot that it will literally come exploding out all over the place. I’m very serious.
Serve on buns with your favorite toppings!

Notes

I find it very difficult if not impossible to go for a medium-done Juicy Lucy because if you limit the cook time on the burger, it’s hard to get the cheese hot enough to melt. Plus you don’t want to be sticking a meat thermometer into these because you’ll lose your delicious melty cheese. We usually just go for a more well-done burger (the patties on either side are thin so this happens relatively quickly) since we are chasing that delicious melty cheese center.

Definitely recommend toasting the buns! Just spread them with a little butter and either pop in the oven for a few minutes at 350, or place on the upper rack of a grill while the burgers finish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Grill
Cuisine: American

Keywords: juicy lucy, burger stuffed with cheese, minnesota juicy lucy