Grilled Juicy Lucy Burger | The Rustic Foodie® (2024)

Dated: May 2, 2018 Last Modified: May 20, 2024 This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This Grilled Juicy Lucy Burger recipe is stuffed with cheese and cooked to perfection. Learn how to make this iconic Minnesota cheeseburger!

I'm here to offer this Juicy Lucy Burger recipe; My version of the iconic Minnesotan sandwich!

When it comes to food, Minnesotans tend to have our own versions of things. We don't eat casserole - We eat tater tot hotdish. We'll pass up more popular varieties of fish for walleye. Wild rice is basically a food group. When it comes to burgers, none is more Minnesotan than the Juicy Lucy.

A Juicy Lucy is a cheeseburger with a few slight variations. The main one being that the cheese is stuffed inside the burger before it's cooked.

This results in a cascade of melt-y cheese oozing out the sides of the burger when it's finished. This burger is simple and unpretentious and a total indulgence. It's a guilty pleasure.

No trip to Minneapolis is complete without trying one.

It's finally warm enough to grill outside (comfortably) and we wanted to kick of grilling season right. These beef burgers are the perfect way to do just that.

You can make them inside using a grill pan as well. I came to appreciate and respect my grill pan this winter but now that it's spring - I'm taking things outside.

How To Make A Grilled Juicy Lucy Burger

The Juicy Lucy is a big and meaty burger. When it comes to burgers, I say 'Go big or go home'.

1. Start with 2 lbs. of ground beef. It's best to use ground beef with a higher fat content - Go for 80|20% or 85|15% lean ground beef.
2. Add 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce to the meat and mix together with your hands.
3. Divide the hamburger 4 times and then divide each portion in half. Basically you should have 8 equally sized burgers.
4. The true Juicy Lucy uses good old American cheese. I went for smoked Gouda but any cheese variety should work (as long as it melts). Cut 4 slices of cheese into quarters. Stack the cheese quarters together. Place each cheese stack onto one of the burger patties.

How To Press The Burgers Together

The next step is to place another burger patty on top of the cheese-stacked burger patties and press them together. This takes a little bit of patience.

Gently press the edges of the two burger patties together and 'seal' the edges as best you can.

The main goal is to ensure that the cheese is tucked away in between the two patties and that they are sealed well enough so that they don't fall apart as they cook.

When all is said and done you should have 4 burgers.

How To Season Juicy Lucy Burger

When it comes to spices, the Grilled Juicy Lucy Burger is pretty simple. Salt and pepper. I changed things up a little in this department as well.

I like to add the spices to the outside of the burger so they form a little crust as the burger cooks.

1. Add ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper to one side of each burgers along with ½ tsp. each of garlic powder and onion powder.
2. Flip the burgers and add another ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and ½ tsp. each of garlic powder and onion powder to the second side.

Love to grill? Check out these recipes!

• Grilled Chuck Steak
• Steak with Shallot Sauce
• Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers
• Grilled Bruschetta Chicken Breasts
• Grilled Italian Chicken Sandwich
• Grilled Corn Feta Salad
• Ground Chicken Kofta
• Asian Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

How To Grill Juicy Lucy Beef Burgers

Now it's time to cook the burgers.

1. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the burgers on the grill over direct heat.
3. Cover and cook the burgers for about 3 minutes on the first side. Flip the burgers, cover, and grill for 3 minutes on the second side.
4. Move the burger to indirect heat, cover, and cook until the interior of the burger reaches your desired level of doneness. Cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of the burgers, the type of grill used, and how you prefer your burgers.

Moving the burgers to the side of the grill allows the burgers to reach a safe internal temperature of 160 degrees. Cook them for about 4-5 minutes per side on the edges of the grill.

Here is a general cooking guide for internal temperatures (degrees in Fahrenheit):

• 125-130 degrees for Rare
• 130-140 degrees for Medium-Rare
• 145 degrees for Medium
• 150-155 degrees for Medium-Well
• 160 degrees for Well Done

These burgers take a bit longer than regular burgers because they're large and you want the cheese to melt.

Don't mess with them too much as they're grilling and don't press down on them with the spatula!

Love burgers? Check out these recipes!

• Grilled Blue Cheese Burgers
• Southwest Guacamole Burgers
• Black Bean Mushroom Burgers
• Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
• Grilled Burgers with Jalapeno Sauce

What To Serve With Grilled Juicy Lucys

Once the burgers are cooked remove them from the grill and let them rest for a minute. Feel free to toast the buns for a minute or two on the grill before serving.

Vegetables are not part of the authentic Juicy Lucy but I can't resist some fresh lettuce and tomatoes.

Place the burgers on the toasted buns and finish with your favorite toppings. That's all there is to it.

This recipe is gluten free and uses gluten free buns, but feel free to use regular buns if gluten is not an issue for you.

I love to serve grilled burgers with sides like Mediterranean potato salad or Spanish potato salad, crunchy coleslaw or kohlrabi slaw, or pasta salads like Italian pasta salad or dill pickle pasta salad!

A lighter side like fresh tomato salad, crunchy pea salad, green bean salad, or pickled beet salad is also great.

Looking for more ground beef recipes? Don't miss these!

• Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes
• Cheesy Beef Enchiladas
• Pizza Stuffed Peppers
• Cabbage Roll Bowl
• Southwest Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Who Made The First Juicy Lucy?

There's this rivalry between two south Minneapolis bars as to where the Juicy Lucy originated - Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club. People tend to fall into one of the two camps when it comes to who makes the best.

To be fair, I've never tried either of them. I was a St. Paul girl and my loyalty falls between The Nook and The Blue Door Pub.

These two joints are known for their variations on the classic burger (my favorite was the Thai peanut burger with coconut dipping sauce at the Blue Door).

I'm not making any claims that either place 'does it right' and I'm not claiming that my version is authentic -It's my version and that's the beautiful thing about cooking. There's no right or wrong way to eat.

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Goat Cheese Stuffed Bison Burger

Bacon Jam Burgers