Juicy Lucy Burger Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

line cook

I worked at the 5-8 club 25 years ago cooking the juicy Lucy’s. The original recipe for the 5-8 was 1lb of hamburger cut into six sections. Smash each section between wax paper with a heavy plate to make patty. Place a folded piece of American cheese between 2 patty’s and pinch to seal. No seasoning other than what you got from the old flattop and raw or fried onions where the topping choices on a local bakery hamburger bun.

MollyG

To be clear - Matt’s Bar is the only Jucy Lucy (not a spelling error). Perfect recipe and thank you for keeping it simple... American cheese, grilled onions. Nothing says home to me like this burger.

Hal

I was looking for a salad recipe but this burger has me completely distracted. Excuse me while make a quick trip to the market.

godboutat

Oh, how I miss Matt's. The fries were almost as great as the Lucy. I have seen another technique that wraps a half inch square of American cheese in some ground beef to make a meatball and then put the bigger burger around that. Yours is much easier. I'll eat it as I watch the Twins charge to the postseason.

JDM

Ummm, "Jucy Lucy". And it should be a cube of cheese, try peper jack, or American, then risk blisters on the inside of your mouth, down your chin, and between thumb and forefinger...ahhhh, THAT's a Jucy Lucy....Amen.

Alexa Weibel, Senior Staff Editor, NYT Cooking

I hear you, I do! But, it's only 1/2 teaspoon—and doesn't add sweetness so much as it promotes caramelization on the onions, which develops deeper flavor.

christhecook

Tried original recipe first. VERY good....then for second time around, I seasoned the meat with just a bit of Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. I also used homemade pimento cheese instead of American. O.M.G. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Either way, this recipe is a keeper!!

Mimilinda

Loved it, but I really don‘t know how you do this in 35 minutes! To save time I started with the onions. While they were frying away I shaped, seasoned and filled the patties. The seasoning was perfect. Next time I‘m going to double the amount of cheese though. Twice five minutes was perfect. I also switched off the heat when heating the buns in the same pan. Even then they were on the verge of getting burnt! And, oh yes, ketchup! I definitely need Ketchup, even on this burger...!

Catherine P.

A nit about the cheese. You cut or tear a slice of cheese into quarters, stack them and then put them in the middle of the bottom pattie.

Del

I had one in MSP and when I bit into it, the hot cheesy juices hit my friend in the face across from me.

kate watts

Perfection. I did not think the type of pickle was important, but bought a new jar of bread and butter pickles anyway. Glad I did- it really makes a difference.

Sue

Excellent. Wouldn't change a thing.

mark

In Saint Paul The Blue Door makes a Juicy Bluesy, using blue cheese. Also really delicious.

minneapolitan

Matt’s Bar, duh ;)

Jules

As a Mpls resident, it get's not better than Matt's or the 5-8. Praying our city returns to some type of normal so we dare venture there again.

Sheerah

This recipe was a total disaster. The onions were good, but the cheese exploded out of every patty while cooking and the middle of the patties WOULD NOT cook. Maybe possible to make this if patties are formed suuuper thin.

Mary

Yum!!! No changes necessary on the recipe, however the comments on how others customized to their taste are appreciated. So the Pattie’s don’t stick during the flattening process, try pressing the meat out on plastic wrap. Sometimes waxed paper sticks/tears and so on.

Tina

We prefer 5-8’s to Matt’s and when we make this burger at home we use sliced up mozzarella string cheese sticks. The cheese doesn’t melt into an oily mess and you get a great melt. If you find yourself at 5-8’s check out the Saucy Sally!

Mary

This is actually a really good way to cook a burger with bleu cheese, which is hard to melt on top.

Jules

As a Mpls resident, it get's not better than Matt's or the 5-8. Praying our city returns to some type of normal so we dare venture there again.

Bill H.

Watch the salt and pepper if using kosher salt. I should have only seasoned one side - burgers came out a bit salty.

mark

In Saint Paul The Blue Door makes a Juicy Bluesy, using blue cheese. Also really delicious.

Tim

We liked this and considered it a taste adventure. I will tweak my approach by making the patties thinner the next time. My only negative comment would be that it was right on the borderline of greasy. Butter, oil, and hamburger fat can seem to add up. I need more practice but love the idea and the pickles as described are perfect.

EJM

I used grated cheddar and it was good......

minneapolitan

Matt’s Bar, duh ;)

Carol

Made these last night. The patties were big, american cheese encased. Sautéed the onions, etc. Dressed up the burgers and my partner bit into one. It exploded hot cheese everywhere. Got his shirt off before it was burning his skin much. We didn't eat them straight off of the griddle. I know the instructions indicate not to cut the burger. I wouldn't recommend this preparation. Perhaps I missed something.

Bynska

This happened to me the very first time I tried one at Matt's. I checked to see if there was a "Tip" about this, but no -- and there should be one here. I hope he didn't suffer too long.

Squirrel Butler

Carefully use a fork to pierce the top of the burger to release some of the internal pressure. By "Carefully", I mean have an oven mitt on, stand back, and you can even hold a spatter screen over it while you do it.Depending on how well this works for your first attempt, you may want to pierce it more than once.

RailGrl

I have been a celebrity burger chef among my family and friends for decades, but these are by far the best I have ever made. i found it easier to fold the cheese slice into quarters to be sure it fit inside the patties. I won’t do burgers any other way from now on, and I have no doubts my burger-fame will continue to grow.

hlewis2962

This was really great! Used some Cooper cheese and brioche buns, some fresh 80/20 ground beef, and 8oz per burger. Wasn’t shy with the seasoning and it paid off, family was thrilled. This was quick and fun to make. Even made a mini one (sans pickles and onions) for the dog!

Ryan M.

This was really good, I put some green chile in the middle to make it New Mexican style.

malahat

Dial way, way, WAY back on the salt in the carmelized onions. Made it as instructed here. Ewww.

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Juicy Lucy Burger Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make burgers extra juicy? ›

Key Steps for Juicy Burger Patties
  1. Use cold butter and grate it. The most important part about adding butter to your burgers is making sure it's a similar shape and temperature to the ground beef. ...
  2. Be gentle when mixing and shaping. ...
  3. Salt the burgers after shaping.

What is Juicy Lucy burger from? ›

Matt's Bar HOME OF THE ORIGINAL JUCY LUCY! Matt's Bar & Grill, now a Minneapolis landmark, began in 1954 as a neighborhood burger eatery. Shortly after we opened, founder Matt Bristol explains how the “Jucy Lucy” was created when a local customer asked for two hamburger patties with a slice of cheese in the middle.

How many eggs per lb of ground beef for burgers? ›

However, as a general rule of thumb, for every pound of ground beef, you can use 1 to 2 eggs to bind the ingredients together and add moisture to the meat. For hamburgers, a common ratio is 1 egg for every 1 to 1.5 pounds of ground beef. This will help bind the meat together and keep the burgers moist.

How do you make juicy burgers that don't fall apart? ›

Add 1 egg yolk per pound of hamburger. It won't add appreciably to the fat content and will bind the meat beautifully. The other thing you can do is add canned, drained, crushed black beans or chickpeas to the hamburger. The starch from the beans will bind the meat together and add an interesting taste.

Why aren't my burgers juicy? ›

Using meat that's too lean.

One of the hallmarks of a really good burger is one that's super juicy when you bite into it, and you just don't get that by using lean meat. Using meat that's too lean results in burgers that are lacking in both flavor and texture, and easily end up dry and crumbly.

What can I add to my burger to make it taste better? ›

Grinding your own meat allows you to customize how lean or fatty your burger is. Blue cheese, grilled pineapple, or avocado will add a lot of flavor to a classic hamburger. Many, if not all, of these ingredients can already be found in your kitchen and pantry.

What helps homemade burgers stick together? ›

Bind the patty together

If you're going for a leaner meat or adding bulky ingredients (eg spring onions, onions, chillies), add an egg and a handful of breadcrumbs to bind the burgers.

What is the world famous Juicy Lucy? ›

What is a Juicy Lucy? A Juicy Lucy from the 5-8 Club, the Twin Cities' Home of the Juicy Lucy®, is Minneapolis' contribution to American food culture. Our burgers are stuffed full of cheese and grilled to a sizzle. To top it off, we serve our cheesy creations on a bakery fresh bun.

What is a fun fact about Juicy Lucy? ›

One account claims it preceded his purchase of the bar in the 1950s, but that Bristol formally added it to the menu and thus popularized it. Another version is that the burger was invented by a customer in 1954 who remarked "Oooh, that's one juicy lucy!" after biting into it.

Why did Juicy Lucy close? ›

WHY IS JUICY LUCY SHUTTING DOWN? Holmes said the decision to close comes from repercussions of the pandemic shutdowns, out-of-control food and labor costs and a “brutal economy.” Recent news of state-owed back taxes on his business didn't help, he said.

Is Worcestershire sauce good in hamburgers? ›

Yes definitely. I like adding Worcester sauce in my burgers. It adds a nice little bit of a kick from inside the burger. While there are times I like to go really fancy, some days, you just want to have a nice and simply quick and dirty burger for quick grilling…

What is the best binder for burgers? ›

If they aren't bound well, the patties will start to fall apart as soon as you start cooking them. The most commonly used binding agent for hamburger patties is eggs. They work well with ground meat and are easy to incorporate into the rest of your ingredients.

When making homemade burgers do you add egg? ›

Instructions for How to Make Ground Beef Patties for burgers: In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, 1 egg, and a generous amount of salt and pepper to season (half tsp each). Egg is a burger binding agent for the ground beef patty. Divide the well mixed beef into four equal round balls and form into patties.

How do you keep burgers from drying out after cooking? ›

If you've cooked your burgers ahead of time and won't be serving them right away, there is one secret trick to making sure they don't dry up: wrap them in parchment paper.

How do you tenderize ground beef for burgers? ›

How to Tenderize Ground Beef with Baking Soda
  1. Sprinkle baking soda over the beef. Add ½ teaspoon baking soda to 1 pound of ground beef. ...
  2. Mix well. Stir the baking soda mixture into the beef until well combined.
  3. Let it rest. Set the beef aside for about 15 minutes before proceeding to cook.
Mar 4, 2021

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