Juicy Lucy (Stuffed Burgers)

A Juicy Lucy is a burger stuffed with cheese, so the cheese melts inside the beef patty instead of sitting on top. This Juicy Lucy recipe isn’t just any burger, though. It’s a flavor-packed throwback to my childhood. My dad used to call these his “gourmet burgers,” and as a kid, that hot, cheesy center made them feel extra special. But little did I know, they’re incredibly easy to make and super budget-friendly! With just ground beef, a few pantry seasonings, and good ol’ American cheese, you can recreate that same juicy, stuffed burger magic at home without any fancy tools or ingredients. I cook mine in a skillet, but they’re great on the grill, too!

Juicy Cheese Stuffed Burgers

A Juicy Lucy (sometimes spelled Jucy Lucy) is a cheese-stuffed burger that originated in Minnesota, specifically in Minneapolis. Both Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club famously claim to have created it, and honestly, I get why people are so passionate about it. It’s basically an inside-out cheeseburger, with the cheese sealed inside the beef instead of layered on top like a classic burger. As it cooks, the cheese melts into a hot, gooey center that spills out when you take a bite. 襤

For me, a Juicy Lucy is only ever made with American cheese. That’s how I’ve always known it, and it really does melt the best for this style of burger. The thin slices fold neatly into the center, soften quickly, and turn creamy and molten without getting stringy. As for the beef, I keep it simple with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper so the flavor stays classic and beefy. Then I flatten the meat into thin patties, tuck the cheese in the middle, and pinch the edges closed so the melty cheese stays where it belongs. It’s an easy, budget-friendly way to make a burger feel extra special, and the first bite is pure cheesy nostalgia.

Recipe Success Tips

Don’t overwork the beef. I mix the ground beef and seasonings just until combined because the more you mash and squeeze the beef, the tighter it packs together, which can make the burgers dense instead of juicy and tender.

Make the patties thin and seal them well. Each burger uses two thin patties, and I like to make them a little wider than the bun, as they’ll shrink slightly as they cook. Also, make sure to leave a border around the cheese, then pinch and smooth the edges so the cheese stays tucked inside. Don’t stress if a little cheese spills out as they cook (you can see mine did in the photos below, but they still turned out super cheesy!).

Don’t press the burgers while they cook. Pressing down can squeeze out the juices and break the seal, which is the fastest way to lose that melty cheese center.

Let them rest before serving. Resting gives the juices time to settle, and the cheese time to thicken slightly, so the first bite is gooey and melty instead of dangerously hot and runny.

Keep the toppings classic or dress them up. Pickles are my go-to for a simple, classic Juicy Lucy bite, but grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup, burger sauce, or comeback sauce are all delicious here.

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Juicy Lucy (Cheese Stuffed Burgers)

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These easy Juicy Lucy cheese stuffed burgers are packed with melty American cheese, simple seasonings, and big diner-style flavor on a budget!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Total Cost $8.57 recipe / $2.14 serving

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 702kcal

Author Jennie Alley

Equipment

Large Bowl

Medium Skillet

Ingredients

1½ lbs ground beef 80/20 or 85/15, $6.36*

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce $0.02

1 tsp salt $0.04

½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.06

1 tsp garlic powder $0.08

6 slices American cheese quartered, (6 quarters per burger) $0.62**

1 Tbsp cooking oil $0.04

4 hamburger buns $0.73

12 pickle slices $0.62

Instructions

Gather all ingredients.

In a large bowl combine the ground beef with the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Divide the ground beef mixture into 8 equal portions; they should be about 3 oz. each. Form into balls.

Place parchment paper or plastic wrap over each ball of beef and flatten out with bottom of heavy skillet to form 8 thin patties.***

Lay 4 slices of American cheese in a fan shape in the center of one patty, leaving a bit of space around the edges. Top with a second patty and pinch the edges to seal, making sure the cheese stays inside.

Heat oil in a medium iron skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot and shimmering, place patties in the skillet, taking care not to move for 3 minutes.

Flip and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side****.

Transfer the burgers to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes. While they rest, toast your buns in the same skillet.

Serve the juicy lucy burgers with dill pickle slices and your favorite toppings and sauces. Enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Use ground beef with 15-20% fat (like 80/20 or 85/15), for juicy burgers that seal well around the cheese. Leaner meats like chicken or turkey can dry out and potentially split during cooking, causing the cheese to leak. They need a little extra care to stay juicy, so if you want to use poultry, try our chicken burgers or turkey burgers instead. Those recipes include added mix-ins to help keep the meat tender and moist!

**If American cheese isn’t your thing, you can swap in slices of cheddar instead. Just note the cook time may vary, and the cheese may not melt as well as American cheese. Also don’t add extra cheese, tempting as it is, because overstuffed patties are more likely to split and leak!

***I use an iron skillet to flatten out my burgers but feel free to use a burger press if you have one.

****If you prefer your burger more well done, cook it for an extra 1-2 minutes per side. Ground beef should reach 160°F once cooked, but because the center is filled with cheese, the temperature can be tricky to check. Look for burgers that are deeply browned, firm around the edges, and no longer pink at the seams.

Grill directions: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Place the stuffed patties on the grill and cook for 3, 5 minutes per side, or until the burgers are browned with grill marks and the cheese is melted in the center. Don’t press down on the patties as they cook, or the cheese may leak out. Transfer the stuffed burgers to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes. Toast the buns on the grill and serve with pickles and your favorite toppings.

Nutrition

Serving: 1juicy lucy | Calories: 702kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 49g | Sodium: 1473mg | Fiber: 1g

how to make Juicy Lucy Burgers Step-by-Step Photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Season the beef: Add 1½ lbs ground beef to a large bowl with 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Use your hands or a fork to gently mix everything together just until combined. Try not to overwork the beef, or the burgers can turn out dense instead of juicy.

Form the patties: Now evenly divide the beef mixture into 8 equal portions (about 3 oz. each), and roll each portion into a ball.

Place one beef ball between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Press it down with the bottom of a heavy skillet or a burger press until it forms a thin, even patty. Repeat with the remaining beef balls until you have 8 thin patties. The patties should be wide enough to hold the cheese in the center with a little room around the edges for sealing.

Stuff with cheese: Place 6 quarters of American cheese in the center of one patty, slightly overlapping them in a small stack or fan shape. Leave a border around the edge so you can seal the patties properly. Top with a second patty, then firmly pinch and press the edges together all the way around to trap the cheese inside.

Smooth any cracks or thin spots with your fingers so the cheese is less likely to leak out while cooking. Repeat until you have 4 stuffed burgers.

Cook the burgers: Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, carefully add the stuffed burgers to the skillet. Cook without moving them for about 3 minutes, or until the bottoms are deeply browned and the edges start to look cooked.

Flip the burgers and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side. For a more well-done burger, cook for an extra 1-2 minutes per side.

Once cooked, transfer the burgers to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes. The cheese inside will be very hot, so this short rest helps the juices settle and keeps the first bite from being molten!

Toast the buns: While the patties rest, place the 4 hamburger buns cut-side down in the same skillet (carefully wipe away any melted cheese, if desired!) and toast them for a minute or two, just until golden and lightly crisp around the edges.

Serve the stuffed Juicy Lucy burgers on the toasted buns with 3 pickle slices each. You can also add any extra toppings or sauces you like (optional). Enjoy while the cheese is still hot and melty!

Serving Suggestions

These Juicy Lucy burgers are rich, cheesy, and super savory, so I like pairing them with something cool, crunchy, or a little sweet on the side. Creamy coleslaw is a classic choice because the tangy dressing and crisp cabbage balance out all that melty cheese. For a full cookout-style plate, you can’t go wrong with Southern-style potato salad or macaroni salad. Both are cold sides you can make ahead, which is always a win when these burgers are involved. And if you want something a little different from regular fries, our spicy sweet potato fries are perfect here. The sweet, salty, and spicy flavor works perfectly with the beefy stuffed burgers and gooey American cheese center.

Prep Them Ahead!

Juicy Lucy burgers are best freshly made, when the cheese is melty, the beef is juicy, and the buns are warm and toasty. But if I’m planning ahead, I’d much rather prep the stuffed patties in advance than reheat leftovers later. Shape and stuff the burgers, place them on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Since they’ll be cold, give them 1-2 minutes extra in the skillet so the beef cooks through and the cheese gets nice and gooey in the middle.

Storage and Reheating

Store any leftover patties in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep the stuffed burgers and buns separate if possible so the bread doesn’t get soft. This recipe is easy to scale up or down, so I recommend only cooking what you plan to eat fresh if you can!

Reheating

Reheat the patties in a skillet over medium-low heat until the beef is warmed through and the cheese melts again in the center. You can also use the microwave in short bursts.

Freezing

Wrap the cooked and cooled patties tightly and store them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating to help the cheese melt evenly in the center without overcooking the beef around the edges.

Love Cheeseburgers? Try These Recipes Next:

I’m always here for a one-pot dinner, and One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta keeps cleanup deliciously simple.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf is packed with melty cheddar chunks and topped with a tangy tomato-mustard glaze.

This Cheeseburger Salad with Animal Sauce Dressing is loaded with mini patties, tomato, red onion, cheddar, and that creamy-tangy drizzle.

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