How To Make Juicy Lucy Burgers

A Juicy Lucy bacon burger cross section, sitting on a wood cutting board, cheese spilling out the middle with bacon, onion, tomato, lettuce, with sweet potato fries in background

5 from 5 votes

The best hamburger recipe you will ever eat is a Juicy Lucy…and get prepared because this is the ultimate cheeseburger recipe! This seasoned hamburger patty is stuffed with cheese and when grilled, the cheese melts. This results in the most juicy and delicious gourmet burger that you can make in your own kitchen. And it's quick and easy to make!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Servings: Burgers

Calories: 590kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Cost: $20

Equipment

Grill

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef 80% fat, 20% lean
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
12 slices bacon
6 burger buns
1 tomato
6 slices American cheese
1 large onion

Optional Condiments

mayonnaise
dijon mustard
ketchup

Instructions

Preheat your grill to 350°F - 400°F.
Start by combining 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the 2 lbs of ground beef. Gently mix the components together by hand.
Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap so that you can form your patties without them sticking to your work surface. Make a meatball of ground beef, about half of the size of a baseball.
Form a burger patty from the meatball on the plastic wrap by flattening it out on your work surface. Work your way around the pattie until it's in the shape of a circle.
Form another meatball which should be slightly smaller than the first one. This pattie will need to be smaller in diameter so that you can fold up the edges of the first pattie to form a seal.
Repeat these steps until you have made 12 burger patties, enough to make 6 burgers in total.
Then, place a slice of American cheese on each of the larger patties.
Expert Tip! Break the slice of cheese into pieces so there isn't too much cheese hanging off the edge. This cheese should be in the middle so it doesn't leak out while cooking.
Place each of the smaller patties on top of the larger patties. Fold the edge of the larger pattie upward to create a seal with the smaller pattie and encompass the cheese.
Expert Tip! Run your fingers over the seam to ensure it is completely sealed and there are no gaps.
Place the burgers on the grill and cook on each side for about 10 minutes.
Once the burgers begin to brown and develop a bit of char, they are ready to come off of the grill. You can also make sure they are done by using a meat thermometer to ensure they have reached an internal temperature of about 160°F.

Build Your Burger

Use a heavy dose of mayonnaise and mustard on these burgers. Toast the buns, spread on the sauces, and place the patties on the bun. I also layer on a slice of onion, a slice of tomato, some ketchup, and lett. Top with the other sauced bun and get ready to chow down!

Notes

Choose a coarse grind when selecting your ground meat. This will give the burgers more texture and prevent it from becoming mushy.
Always season the ground beef before forming the patties.
Don't overmix the ingredients into the ground beef. This can result in a tough, dry texture.
Break the slice of cheese into pieces to ensure there isn't too much cheese hanging off the edge. Then place and overlap the cheese in the center of the patty. This helps ensure the cheese is evenly distributed but won’t leak out the sides. Leave ½-inch border around the edges. The goal is to keep as much cheese in the center of the beef while it cooks.
Grill at 350°F using your favorite wood or charcoal. I use competition blend pellets by Pit Boss on my pellet smoker to get a bit of extra flavor.
For the ultimate cheese spill effect, use American cheese. You can also use cheddar cheese or Pepper Jack. Cheddar cheese has more fat content and will ooze out of the burger more. You can also combine the different types of cheese. When cheddar is combined with American cheese, it will hold its shape a bit better inside of the burger.

Nutrition