A South Minneapolis griddle burger in which a slice of American cheese is sealed inside two thin beef patties rather than laid on top, so that frying liquefies the cheese into a molten core. The patty is cooked on a flat-top, dressed simply with grilled onion, pickle, mustard and a plain bun, and served whole so the diner punctures the seal at the table. The defining feature is the lava-hot cheese center, which scalds anyone who bites in too soon.
The stuffed cheeseburger is tied to two bars about three miles apart on Cedar Avenue in South Minneapolis, both claiming to have originated it in the 1950s. Matt's Bar spells it "Jucy Lucy" and tells of a customer who bit into the molten cheese and declared "that's one juicy Lucy"; the 5-8 Club uses the conventional "Juicy" spelling but offers no creation anecdote. The dispute has never been settled, and the divergent spellings remain the two camps' shorthand for the rivalry.
The first bite must be a cautious one: pierce the patty and the trapped cheese erupts, still near boiling, and will burn a careless mouth. The beef shell is thin and crusted from the flat-top; inside, the American cheese has gone fully liquid and salty, pooling over the tongue. Grilled onion adds sweetness, pickle and mustard cut the richness. Eaten correctly, you let the molten center vent and cool for a moment before committing.
Two thin patties are needed because a single thick one cannot trap molten cheese without it leaking; the cheese is laid in the center and the edges of the two patties are crimped into a sealed pocket. Processed American cheese is chosen deliberately: its added emulsifying salts keep the melt smooth and pourable rather than splitting into grease and curds the way aged cheddar does. The flat-top sears the exterior by Maillard browning at around 175°C while the insulated interior heat liquefies the core; the seal must hold until service, then fail on cue at the first bite.
Variations
Matt's keeps it spartan — patty, cheese, onion, bun; the 5-8 Club offers stuffings beyond American cheese, including blue cheese and pepper-jack versions. Home cooks and gastropubs have since stuffed the pocket with bacon, jalapeño, or caramelized onion alongside the cheese. The dish is sometimes called a "stuffed burger" or "inside-out cheeseburger" outside Minnesota, where the proper-noun name does not travel.
On the Palate
Where Juicy Lucy sits in the American flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 2How it's made
6 steps · 20 min
- 15 min
Divide ground beef into four equal thin patties, pressing each wider and thinner than the bun.
- 22 min
Lay a folded slice of American cheese in the center of two patties, leaving a clear margin.
- 33 min
Cap each with a second patty and crimp the edges firmly all around to seal the cheese inside.
Watch outCrimp the edges of the two patties firmly all around to seal the cheese in — any gap and the molten core leaks out onto the flat-top during cooking.
- 48 min
Heat a flat-top or cast-iron skillet to high; cook the burgers about 4 minutes per side without pressing.
- 51 min
Pierce the top of each patty with a knife tip to vent steam, then rest 1 minute off the heat.
Watch outPierce the top with a knife tip to vent steam, then rest a minute — this releases pressure so the pocket doesn't burst and the seal holds until the first bite.
- 63 min
Toast the buns, dress with grilled onion, pickle and mustard, set the patty in, and serve at once.
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