This cheese stuffed burger is commonly called a Juicy Lucy, and my version also has crispy bacon and smoky barbecue sauce!
Not your average cheeseburger, this burger is stuffed with caramelized onions and plenty of buttery sharp cheddar cheese!
Juicy Lucy Cheese Stuffed Burger Recipe
I’m so excited to be sharing this recipe here with you guys. A good cheeseburger is hard to beat… but if it’s a juicy Lucy cheeseburger, well, I think it’s unbeatable!
Here in the Midwest, we love our cookout season, and I promise if you make this ultimate juicy Lucy stuffed burger, you’ll be the absolute star of the cookout!!
- Course: Main, Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Servings: 4 burgers
- Author: Amanda of TheChunkyChef
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR CHEESE STUFFED BURGER
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (75 or 80% lean)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- A drizzle of olive oil
- 1/2 Tbsp butter
- All-natural barbecue sauce
- 4 hamburger buns, toasted
INSTRUCTIONS
1
To a large skillet, add bacon strips and heat over med-low heat. Cook until bacon is cooked to your desired crispness, then transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool. Drain all but about a tablespoon of the bacon grease, reserving that last Tbsp in the pan.
2
Increase heat under the same skillet to MED heat. Add sliced onion and cook 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove onions to a plate, and turn off the heat.
3
Divide the beef into 8 equal portions and shape into balls. On a flat surface, lay down a sheet of wax paper and top with a ball of ground beef. Top with another sheet of wax paper and use a flat bottomed pan to press the meat into 1/4-1/2 inch patties. Repeat with remaining patties.
4
To one of the thin patties, top with 1/8 cup cheddar cheese, a tablespoon or two of the onions, and another 1/8 cup cheese. Leave a border around the patty. Top with another thin patty, pressing the edges of the top and bottom patty together to seal well. Shape into a thick burger patty.
5
Double-check burger to make sure there are no holes, then season well with salt and pepper. In the same skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil and the butter and heat over MED heat.
6
Add burgers to the pan (I like to cook 2 burgers at a time to make sure I have room to flip them carefully), and cook approximately 8 minutes, until burgers are brown up the sides.
7
Use a wide spatula and carefully flip burger to the other side and cook another 5 minutes or so, until golden brown.