"Jucy Lucy" Stuffed Burger for the Grill

The original stuffed burger? Some say so. The "jucy lucy" origin story is far from definite, but the burger is definitely juicy and delicious!

Two bars in South Minneapolis (Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club) both claim to have invented this inside-out burger with cheese in the center — one calling it "Jucy" and the other calling it "Juicy." Though we'll never know for certain who started it, we know it opened the door for a lot of great experimentation.

In this version, I have added chopped bacon to the centers of the stuffed burgers. Feel free to adapt as you wish!

Jucy Lucy stuffed burger, plated with fries

Yield: 3 burgers, 2/3 lb. each

Supplies needed: 

• Charcoal or BBQ Blend wood pellets

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of 80/20 ground beef
• 6 slices of bacon
• 6 slices of cheddar cheese (or your favorite burger cheese)
• 3 brioche buns
• butter 
• salt or seasoned salt
• pepper

Jucy Lucy stuffed burger ingredients

Steps:

Step 1. Set up the grill for two zone heating. The direct heat side should be around 450-500 degrees.

Step 2. Chop bacon into small pieces and fry until crispy (feel free to nibble on some, yum…)

Step 3. Patty the ground beef into 6 thin ⅓ pound patties.

Step 4. Place a slice of cheese and a sprinkling of chopped bacon on top of three of the ground beef patties. Fold in any corners of the cheese that are close to the edges of the patty.

Step 5. Slice your buns and lightly butter the insides.

Step 6. Place another patty on top of each of these three patties, making 3 “sandwiches.” Press the edges of the patties together, making sure to seal the edges very tight so that the cheese won't leak out while cooking.

Step 7. Season with salt and pepper. Feel free to apply other seasonings, if you like.

Step 8. Place the burgers over the direct heat zone on your grill, and cook them for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Step 9. After 3-4 minutes on each side (or once you have a good sear), move the burgers to the indirect heat zone and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Step 10. Just prior to removing the burgers from the grill, top each one with another piece of cheese, and let it melt.

Step 11. Once you have moved the burgers to a plate, place buns (buttered sides down) on the direct heat side of the grill. Watch carefully — the toasting of the buns can happen fast!

Step 12. Assemble the burgers on the buns, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

A word of caution: the internal melted cheese can be VERY HOT. Be careful on the first bite!

I think you'll agree that the "Jucy Lucy" stuffed burger deserves to be a staple in your repertoire. My family loves it, and I hope yours will, too.