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At the time of writing this it’s mid-September, so summer may be coming to a close! However, the sun is still shining bright over here, and as the motto goes around here - “there’s no time of year for good food!” It can be the middle of winter and I’ll still be in the mood for an awesome burger!
What Is a Jucy Lucy Burger?
One of the best books I’ve ever received as a gift was The Ultimate Burger by America’s Test Kitchen. I thought I loved burgers before looking into the book, but wow did that book really open my eyes to the awesome world of burgers! I keep telling myself that I’ll try all the recipes in the book, but I flip flop between following the recipes and then being inspired to make my own combinations! The recipes are so awesome and so inspirational at the same time! I doubt I’m even a quarter of the way through the book to be honest with you!
One of my favourite discoveries from the book was the Jucy Lucy. A Jucy Lucy originates from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and this genius burger is stuffed with CHEESE! Yes, cheese is inside the patty! It became popular around all of Minneapolis, but an official story comes from Matt’s Bar, where a patron asked for two patties with cheese in the middle, and when he bit into the new creation, he yelled “That’s one Juicy Lucy!” (source: Matt’s Bar). Now, their motto is literally “Fear the cheese!”. Also, the “i” is missing in the name because the demand grew so rapidly that the owners forgot to add the “i” on the menu!
There you have it, history! But yes, when you take a bite cheese just explodes in your mouth! Ooooh now that’s dangerous! I’m not sure I’d yell “juicy Lucy” when taking a bite, but I’ve exclaimed some other things haha!
A favourite spin on the traditional Jucy Lucy burger recipe included in The Ultimate Burger that I really loved was the Brie-Stuffed Turkey Burgers! I absolutely adore brie cheese, and that idea is genius!
With all that being said, we’re really going to have a blast by making these Jucy Lucy burgers transform into probably the best homemade hamburger you’ve ever had! Not only will we be stuffing our beef patties with cheese, but we’ll be adding bacon to the mix! Because bacon ALWAYS makes everything better!
I don’t know about you, but I love bacon in burgers. One example where bacon really shines is in my California Grilled Chicken Burger recipe. Bacon just contrasts so nicely with a tender and juicy patty! I was originally going to stuff the bacon with the cheese, but then I didn’t think you could really stuff bacon. You know something I’ve never actually done before? A bacon-wrapped ANYTHING! Feast your eyes on my very first “bacon-wrapped” recipe! Let’s just say it sure was a success and I’m here still salivating over the amazing burger I had created last night! The kitchen was smelling so good as this burger patty was cooking!
You’ll love the molten goodness of the cheese bursting with every bite, and you’ll get an amazing contrast with crispy, smoky bacon. Is your mouth watering and your tummy rumbling? Mine sure is! So let’s get to the recipe!
What cheese is used in a jucy lucy?▼
American cheese traditionally is used in a Jucy Lucy. Where I am, you don’t get American cheese. Sad face. I’ve never had American cheese before but I hear such good things about it, and one day I seriously need to make a burger with American cheese!
If you have access to American cheese, then yes, by all means go use that! That’s the real authentic stuff for a Juicy Lucy!
For those of you in the same boat as I am, then you can use cheddar cheese. I used a medium yellow cheddar cheese here. As mentioned earlier, there is a variation of Jucy Lucy using ground turkey instead of beef, and the cheese used was brie. So I guess you could technically use whatever cheese you want, but to be authentic then go for the American cheese! Essentially, I would recommend a cheese that will have a strong taste but will also still be gooey. My personal recommendations for other variations would be Monterey Jack, white cheddar, or Havarti.
What kind of ground beef should I use?▼
In this recipe, I’m using extra lean ground beef, also known as 90% ground beef, simply because that’s what I already had in the fridge. If you’re barbecuing your patties, then I actually recommend a higher fat content of beef, such as lean or medium ground beef. That will be even juicier and go amazingly well on the char!
Do I grill or pan-fry the beef patty?▼
Traditionally, the Jucy Lucy is grilled. However, do what you’d like! In this recipe, I’ll be pan-frying my burger patty. You could of course take these to the barbecue if you have that luxury!
Tips for the Best Bacon-wrapped Jucy Lucy
- Don’t over-salt your patty! The bacon and the cheese will already be very salty. As a result, you’ll want to be very minimal with salting the beef patty.
- This recipe will give you some nice thick patties. However, if you ever want to make smaller burgers, simple cut the portion sizes of the mince and cheese by an equal ratio (for example 4 ounce portion of mince would need a cheese portion that is 1/3 of an inch in thickness and has sides of 1 1/3 inch by 1 1/3 inch).
- Feel free to experiment with a variety of cheeses, including American Cheese, Gruyere and Brie.
- Cover the pan with a lid or a stainless steel bowl to ensure we can sear the burgers to add colour while making sure the inside gets cooked as well.
Ingredients for Jucy Lucy Burgers
Let’s review the ingredients we need for this amazing Bacon-Wrapped Jucy Lucy! We’re going to keep the patties and the toppings pretty simple so the beef, cheese, and bacon totally shine through. For all measurements, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card!
For the Patty
- Ground beef
- Milk
- White bread
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- Bacon
- Cheddar cheese
- Olive oil(for cooking)
For the Toppings
- Mayonnaise
- Lettuce
- Onions
How to Make an Ultra “Jucy” Lucy!
Making the Patties
- In a large bowl, break 1 to 1 1/2 inch large chunks of bread. You may omit the crust if you like. Add milk, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Using a fork, mash the breadcrumbs well. Then add in the meat and knead well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the mince into 4 portions, 6 ounces each. Then divide each of these portions by half. Working with one 3 ounce portion at a time, form the portion to a tight ball and then lightly pat down to a thick disk (1/2 inch thickness). The diameter should be large enough to fit one cheese portion.
- Gently pat the mince out to envelop the cheese completely. Each side should have an even thickness (watch video for demonstration).
- Then, with another 3 ounce portion, roll that into a tight ball and pat it out into a thin disk. Use this portion to wrap around the cheese stuffed portion. Gently pat the mince and ensure the meat on each side is of an even thickness.
- Repeat the same with the remaining portions.
- To wrap with bacon, place one strip of bacon down the center of a patty and another strip at a perpendicular of the previous bacon strip.
- Turn the patty to the other side and then wrap the bacon strips on the other side. Wrap with plastic wrap and let the patties chill for 15-30 minutes.
Cooking the Patties
- Heat a pan on medium high heat and add a touch of olive oil. Add the bacon wrapped patty to the pan making sure that the cross-section of the bacon faces you.
- To ensure the burger cooks all the way and we get an even sear, cover the pan with a lid or a stainless steel bowl and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Then remove the lid, flip the burger and cook on the other side for 4-5 minutes as well with the lid/bowl on.
- Repeat at 1 minute intervals on each side until the mince is completely cooked. Ground beef is cooked at 160 F or you may poke the patty and if it has the same springiness as the tip of your nose, the burger should be cooked.
Assembling the Burger
To assemble the burger, add the mayonnaise on both burger buns. Then, add lettuce, followed by the patty, and top with sliced onions. Add the top bun, and optionally seal it all together with skewers! Cut the burger in half so that you can see that amazing cheese ooze out!
Serving Suggestions for Juicy Lucy Burgers
Go wild with these Bacon-Wrapped Jucy Lucy Burgers! This sure is a special recipe, so of course I recommend some French Fries! Not sure what French Fries to make? I’ve got a recipe for Restaurant-Style French Fries, Air Fryer French Fries, or Oven-Baked French Fries, depending on what equipment you have and how special you want to make this meal! I love to have my fries with some ketchup to dip in of course! Fun fact: I love to dip my burger in ketchup too! Do you do the same? Let me know in the comments!
Don’t feel like plain fries? Take your fries up a notch with Ultimate Mozzarella Cheesy Fries or Loaded Cheese & Bacon Air Fryer Fries if you can’t get enough of the bacon goodness! You could even serve this burger with a poutine! You can make the Epic Classic Canadian Poutine, but if you want a fusion then I recommend Indian-Fusion Aloo Keema Poutine (Indian-spiced minced meat with potatoes!) or Mexican-Fusion Poutine!
Loved This Juicy Lucy Burger? Here Are Other Burger Recipes!
- Crispy Panko Chicken Burger - Baked or Fried!
- California Grilled Chicken Burger
- Supreme Grilled Vegetable Burger
- Crispy Paneer Burger
- Classic American Cheeseburger
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