comment icon 76 more comments Er, scratch that. Summer isn’t summer without a good Juicy Lucy.
In This Post: Everything You Need For Juicy Lucys
What Is a Juicy Lucy?
A Juicy Lucy is a delicious cheeseburger stuffed with molten, bubbly, waterfalling cheese. That’s it. A burger stuffed with cheese.
Origins Of The Classic Juicy Lucy
The Juicy Lucy is the creation of South Minneapolis in Minnesota, though it’s HIGHLY contested who did it first: Matt’s Bar or the 5-8 Club, both oddly on the same street (Cedar Avenue). The story told about how it first came to be is said to be a little bit of a happy accident, but it depends on who you ask, so in reality, it’s all a little murky. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the heated history of a single humble (but delicious) cheeseburger than you ever thought, there is a major deep dive ready for your burger-loving consumption. And if you are Minnesotan born and raised, you FOR SURE have eaten enough classic Juicy Lucys to have an opinion on all fronts: what kind of cheese should be used, should they be grilled or pan-fried, and which dive bar does it best. I am, conveniently, from Minnesota! And I have opinions:
What’s the Best Kind of Cheese?
Straight-up American. YOU NEED A SMOOTH MELT. Yes, you can use sliced cheddar or pepperjack in a pinch (or throw some jalapeños in with your American for a hybrid). A lot of people also like to use blue cheese, which makes it a Blucy. But the essence of a Juicy Lucy, in my opinion, is a creamy, smooth-melt, almost-liquid-like center of cheese. This isn’t the time for Mozzarella cheese pulls, okay?
Grilled or Pan-Fried?
We do both in our house. Just depends on the day. A cast-iron skillet or flat-top pan is my choice for pan-frying.
Which Minneapolis Dive Bar Does It Best?
I vote for The Nook, actually. It’s in our little neighborhood corner of St. Paul and the dingy ambiance is everything a good dive bar should be. Plus, bowling alley in the basement. Seriously.
Juicy Lucy Ingredients
Beef, spices, American cheese. And some good brioche buns.
How Do You Stuff It With Cheese?
It’s zero percent hard. Make one smallerish patty, and one largerish patty. Put the little hunks of cheese on the largerish one. Put the smallerish one on top, and pinch up the edges. Yadidit.
How To Cook a Juicy Lucy
Your meat is mixed, your cheese is stuffed, and it’s time to make molten magic happen. To cook this up, you can use a traditional grill, a flat-top grill, or do it on your stovetop in a skillet (preferably cast-iron). I actually prefer the stovetop method! I prefer to cook mine on medium heat vs. the traditional medium-high, and here’s why: 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 by cooking it over medium heat for a little longer than you usually would (the patties on either side are thin so this happens relatively quickly) since we are chasing that delicious melty cheese center.
What To Put On A Juicy Lucy
Whatever the heck you want! I prefer a simple burger:
bun burger pickled jalapeño sometimes tomato always ketchup maybe mayo and often ranch because, yes, I really am that Minnesotan.
Happy summer BBQ-ing!
More Favorite Burger Recipes
Smash Burgers with House Sauce (a delicious cheesy burger classic!) The Ultimate Wild Rice Burgers (another Minnesota-born burger) Yummy Salmon Burgers with Slaw (one of the most popular burger recipes on the site!) Chipotle Quinoa Burgers (perfectly spicy and packed with protein) Spicy Cauliflower Burgers (texture-perfection and slathered with Magic Green Sauce!)
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our easy summer dinners page. Check it out! 5 from 21 reviews
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
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.
