Summary
This recipe shows you how to make a Pimento Cheese Juicy Lucy Burger. Divide seasoned ground beef into thin patties, seal pimento cheese between two of them, and cook until the crust is dark and the filling is molten.
What’s on Your Plate
Season ground beef, press into thin patties, stuff with pimento cheese, seal firmly, and cook to 160°F / 71°C. Top the Everyday Version with shredded cabbage, white onion, and Thousand Island dressing. The Full Send adds bacon, bacon jam, and caramelized onions on ciabatta.
Step by Step Photos
Pimento Cheese Juicy Lucy Burger Recipe
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Pimento Cheese Burger
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Equipment
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Ingredients
- 16 ounce Ground beef
- ½ teaspoon *Mis’ Rubin’s Black Magic
- ½ cup Pimento Cheese, or use the ingredients below
~~ — Pimento Cheese — ~~
- 4 ounce Cheddar
- 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- ⅛ teaspoon *Dry mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 ounce pimentos, with juice
~~ — Topping — ~~
- 4 Hamburger Buns
- 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup cabbage, sliced
Instructions
- Gather Ingredients
Pimento Cheese
- 4 ounce Cheddar, 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise, 1/8 teaspoon Dry mustard, 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 ounce pimentosGrate the cheese in the food processor using the S blade then add the remaining ingredients and mix. You can also do this by hand using a box grater. See the Pimento Cheese recipe for more information.
Burgers
- 16 ounce Ground beefDivide the beef into eight balls of 2 ounces each. Flatten the balls as much as possible.
- 1/2 cup Pimento CheesePut a spoonful of pimento cheese in center of 4 of the patties.
- Cover with the other patty. Crimp the edges.
- 1/2 teaspoon Mis’ Rubin’s Black MagicSprinkle the tops and bottoms of each patty with Mis' Rubin's Black Magic.
- At the point you could put the burgers in the freezer and flash freeze them, then seal them for the future. Otherwise, refrigerate them for about 30 minutes.
Grill
- Heat a cast iron grill to over 500 °F (260 °C) , then spray lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking. Put the patties on the grill for 2 minutes, then do a half turn for a minute, then flip and cook for 2 minutes, and do another half turn. Use an instant-read thermometer to test for temperature.
Topping
- While the burgers are grilling, thinly slice the cabbage. If you have room on your grill, toast the buns.
- 4 Hamburger Buns, 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise, 1/4 cup cabbageSpread mayonnaise on the bottom half of each bun. Put the patty on the bun, then top with pimento cheese and thinly sliced red cabbage. Top with the top bun and serve.
Nutrition
Most burgers put the cheese on top. The Pimento Cheese Juicy Lucy Burger seals it inside the patty instead. Pimento cheese fills the center between two thin seasoned beef patties before the burger ever touches heat. As it cooks, the cheese melts into a contained molten pocket that bursts with every bite. Season with Mrs. Rubin’s Black Magic steak seasoning and build two ways: the straightforward Everyday Version with cabbage, white onion, and Thousand Island dressing, or the Full Send with bacon, bacon jam, and caramelized onions on ciabatta.
About the Pimento Cheese Juicy Lucy Burger
The stuffed burger has a specific origin: Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the late 1950s. Two restaurants still claim to have invented it. Matt’s Bar trademarked the deliberate misspelling “Jucy Lucy.” The 5-8 Club across town calls theirs the “Juicy Lucy.” The spelling differs; the concept does not. Both seal cheese between two beef patties, and both have devoted regulars who insist their version came first. The debate has never been settled, and that is part of its appeal.
The technique spread because it solves a genuine cooking problem. Cheese placed on top of a burger on a hot grill melts away before the patty finishes cooking. Sealing it inside keeps it contained and ensures cheese in every bite.
Pimento cheese is an ideal filling. Made from sharp cheddar, mayonnaise, and pimento peppers, it has appeared on tables across the American South since the early 1900s. Its firm, chunky texture holds well inside the patty. Make a batch of The Good Plate’s Pimento Cheese Spread ahead of time and use it as the filling. For another take on the stuffed patty technique, French’s Fancy Cheeseburgers seal blue cheese and butter inside the same two-patty construction.
Why This Recipe Works
Pressing the beef into thin, uniform patties with a burger form gives you control over the walls of meat surrounding the filling. Thin patties seal cleanly at the edges when you press firmly all the way around the seam. A solid seal prevents the cheese from leaking during cooking.
*Black Magic seasoning builds a dark, flavorful crust on the exterior of the patty. That crust creates textural contrast with the soft, creamy filling inside. Uniform patties, formed with a *burger press, cook evenly and keep the cheese centered rather than migrating to one side. Working quickly and keeping the ground beef cold through the forming process helps the patties hold their shape on the heat.
Common Mistakes and Gotchas
Watch out for these common issues when making the Pimento Cheese Juicy Lucy Burger:
- Seal the seam thoroughly. Any gap lets the pimento cheese escape during cooking. Press firmly all the way around the edge with your fingertips before the burger hits the heat. Run your finger around the edge a second time to be sure.
- Do not press down on the patty while it cooks. On a stuffed burger, pressing forces the cheese out through any weak point in the seam. Leave it alone and let the heat do the work.
- Let the burger rest two minutes before serving. The molten cheese inside stays extremely hot longer than the exterior of the burger and will burn if eaten immediately.
Serving and Storage
Serving
The Everyday Version uses Thousand Island dressing spread on both halves of a standard bun, topped with shredded cabbage and sliced white onion. Keep the toppings simple. The molten filling does the work.
The Full Send layers crispy bacon strips, bacon jam, and caramelized onions on ciabatta. Build it once and it earns a permanent spot in the rotation. Both versions pair well with seasoned fries. The Gorgonzola Burgers and Habanero Cheddar Burgers from The Good Plate’s pub burger series round out a full burger spread for a crowd.
Storing
Stuffed burgers are great to prep, flash freeze, vacuum seal and freeze. Thaw them before cooking.
Store cooked patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat so the cheese inside warms through without the exterior drying out. Do not freeze cooked stuffed patties. The filling can separate on thawing and the texture of the beef suffers.
Recommended Equipment
A great burger starts before the beef hits the heat.
A reliable scale, a proper burger press, accurate thermometers, and a solid cast iron surface give you control at every step.
These are the tools worth having.
FAQ
Can you use store-bought pimento cheese?
Yes. Any spread with good flavor and firm texture works. A very loose or runny spread may leak through the seam more easily. The Good Plate’s Pimento Cheese Spread has exactly the right consistency for this technique.
What internal temperature should the burger reach?
Cook commercial ground beef to 160°F / 71°C per USDA guidelines. If you grind your own beef from whole muscle cuts, that changes the calculus. Because the grinding process only exposes the surface of the original cut rather than distributing surface bacteria throughout the meat, a home-ground burger can be safely served at a lower temperature. At 135°F / 57°C, a home-ground burger delivers excellent texture and full flavor.
Can the patties be made ahead of time?
Yes. Form, seal, and refrigerate the patties uncovered on a plate for up to two hours before cooking. The cold helps the seam firm up so the patties hold their shape better on the heat.
What if the seam breaks during cooking?
The cheese will melt out onto the pan or grill, but the burger is not ruined. Scoop the melted pimento cheese onto the top of the patty and serve it open-faced. The flavor is identical.
