American
Juicy Lucy Burgers
American cheese is sealed inside two thin beef patties, then the burger cooks until the center reaches 160°F and the cheese melts. It tastes beefy and salty, with a hot cheese middle.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- Sealing two thin patties around the cheese keeps it inside.
- Ground beef still has to reach 160°F in the center, cheese and all.
- A covered rest after cooking lets the cheese settle before you cut.
- A simple bun lets the molten cheese be the point.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Divide the ground beef into 8 thin patties. Season both sides with the salt and pepper.
- 2
Place a folded slice of American cheese on four of the patties. Top with the remaining patties and pinch the edges firmly so the cheese is sealed inside.
- 3
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let the pan cool slightly before continuing.
- 4
Cook the stuffed patties until the center, including the cheese pocket, reaches 160°F, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
- 5
Rest the burgers 3 minutes so the cheese thickens slightly before you cut them.
- 6
Toast the burger buns and add the lettuce, tomato, and burgers.
Pro tips
- Pinch the seam all the way around or the cheese will leak into the pan.
- Medium heat, not high, gives the center time to hit 160°F before the outside burns.
- Let them rest before the first cut so you are not chasing molten cheese across the plate.
Easy substitutions
- American cheese
- cheddar cheese cut into small thick squares
- vegetable oil
- butter for the skillet
- burger buns
- potato rolls
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate cooked burgers for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat covered in a skillet over medium-low heat until the center is hot again.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 526
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Moderate · Stovetop · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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