Today’s post is brought to you by my favorite human being: my bff/hubby and partner in crime, Ryan. And he is sharing his famous Juicy Lucy burger. That’s right, friends. It is an epic day. Enjoy!
Well hello there. Looking for Nikki? Looks like you’ll have to settle for me this week. Pleased to introduce myself for this special guest appearance. I’m Ryan – husband, taste-tester and #1 fan. And I’m here today because I love America and I want to make your 4th of July hamburgers great again. After months of pressure, I finally gave in and will be sharing one of my deepest secrets with you… my Juicy Lucy hamburger recipe.
I’ve been reluctant to share the recipe for two reasons. First of all: once you know how to make it, what do you need me for? I like to think I’m a super fun guy to hang out with, but what if all my friends are really just food groupies and only hang out with me to eat my burgers? Very possible. Second: I don’t have a recipe, I’ve never measured anything out. I like to throw together a bunch of different ingredients until they form a certain consistency, mix in the meat and form the patties. So, how did I become an expert Juicy Lucy maker? Glad you asked.
Once upon a time, I was a meat and potato guy. Then Nikki and I joined forces in life and she started cleverly sneaking vegetables into my caveman diet. That being said, I’m pretty sure my prowess on the grill was the first thing that caught her attention and put me on her radar as relationship material. I remember it much more clearly than Nikki, so this is exactly how it happened…
Back in high school, whether it was house parties, BBQ’s or concerts, the grill was my domain. I turned basic ground beef into glorious hamburgers simply by adding a little A-1 and Worcestershire Sauce. And if I was old enough, I would have added some beer, but we were in high school at the time, so that definitely did NOT happen. Nikki attended one of these infamous backyard BBQ’s and instead of impressing the future food blogger with fancy words and compliments, I made her a hamburger…THEN I hit her with the fancy words and compliments. Ballgame.
Over the years, my burger recipe continued to grow and get better. I credit most of that to Nikki because she actually knows what’s going on the kitchen. She would suggest I add a little of this or try a little of that. But the game-changer came when we saw an episode of Man vs. Food. The show was in Minneapolis, Minnesota – home of the original Juicy Lucy. Cheese INSIDE the burger. Brilliant!! That brings us to present day. They call it present day because each day is a gift and today’s gift is the gift of hamburger. That’s right, I paid attention, took measurements and am sharing my burgers with the world. Below is my official Juicy Lucy recipe. Happy eating!!
Ingredients
How to make it
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the ground beef and cheese. Then, whisk together until well combined.
Add the ground beef to the wet mixture and gently combine with your hands until everything is well mixed.
Next, stack 3 pieces of sliced cheese and cut into fourths. This will give you 12 small cheese squares, and each burger will be stuffed with 2 cheese squares.
Now it’s time to make the burgers! Take enough meat to roll out into slightly larger than the size of a golf ball. Flatten to a patty. Add two cheese squares on top. Roll another ball of meat the same size as the first, and flatten on top of cheese. Pinch the edges (to keep the cheese from escaping while cooking) to make one Juicy Lucy burger. Finally put a small dent in the center of each burger with your thumb – this keeps the burger flat while cooking.
Note: these can be made ahead of time and put in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to grill them. It’s actually a good idea to freeze them for about 30 minutes just to help set the shape and keep everything together while grilling.
Get your grill to around 400 degrees fahrenheit. Cook for roughly 5 minutes on each side. A good way to tell they’re ready is when the burgers start to sweat. Also, if you have good grill marks when you flip they’re good. This will make a medium to medium-well burger. But cook to your liking.
Serve them on your favorite burger buns (we love using Potato Bread or Brioche buns). These are pretty insane on their own (i.e. you can slap them on a bun and they are GOOD TO GO). Of course, extra toppings like cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, mayo, etc, won’t hurt either.
Pardon while I wipe my drool.
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 Tablespoon burger seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
- 1 Tablespoon A1 steak sauce
- 1 Tablespoon BBQ sauce
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons beer
- 3 slices cheese, cut into fourths
- 6 burger buns
- Cheese
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Onions
- Lettuce
- In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the ground beef and cheese (everything listed starting with the burger seasoning down to the beer). Whisk together until well combined. Add the ground beef to the wet mixture and gently combine with your hands until everything is well mixed.
- Stack 3 pieces of sliced cheese and cut into fourths, making 12 total cheese squares.
- Make 12 balls of meat (slightly larger than the size of a golf ball). To make one burger, flatten one ball of meat, then top with two cheese squares. Take a second ball of meat and flatten on top of cheese. Pinch the edges together to make one stuffed patty. Put a small dent in the center of each burger with your thumb to keep the burger flat while cooking.
- To cook, set your grill to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Cook for roughly 5 minutes on each side. This will make a medium to medium-well burger. But cook to your liking. Top with cheese for the last few minutes (optional).
- Serve on burger buns with condiments and toppings of your choice.
- Tip #1: Ryan's favorite cheese to use, both inside and on top of the burgers, is a combination of Cheddar and Colby Jack. But use whatever your favorite is!
- Tip#2: For burger seasoning Ryan likes to use one made by Weber and for seasoned salt he uses one made by Borsari.
- Tip #3: Burgers can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for a few hours prior to grilling.
Looking forward to trying this. They look and sound YUMMY! Thanks Ryan!
I know you and your family will love these, Bonnie! xx
Who knew my son could make such a gourmet burger?? Definitely exposure to your culinary skills, Nikki!! xo
:)