Juicy Lucy Cheese-Stuffed Burger

Illustration generated by AI. The recipe is hand-curated and checked by MealPrep's allergen, diet and nutrition rules.

American · 40 min · Beef · high-protein

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Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chuck, 80/20
• 4 American cheese slices
• 2 hamburger buns
• 1 yellow onion
• 1/4 cup dill pickle chips
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Method (tap to check — screen stays awake)

1. Divide the beef into eight 4-oz balls and flatten each between sheets of parchment into a thin 5-inch round.
2. Fold two cheese slices into a small square and set it in the middle of four of the rounds, leaving a clear 1-inch border of bare meat.
3. Top with the remaining rounds and pinch the borders together hard, then roll the sealed edge inward and smooth it with your palm. Any gap is a blowout, and molten cheese in a hot pan is the failure mode of this burger.
4. Season the outsides only, and press a dimple into the top of each. Chill 15 minutes so the seal firms up.
5. Cook in a cast-iron skillet over medium — not high — heat, about 375F, for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Flip once and gently; the lower heat gives the cheese time to melt before the outside burns.
6. Check 160F in the meat, avoiding the molten core, which will read much hotter and tell you nothing.
7. Toast the buttered buns in the same pan. Rest the burgers 5 full minutes before serving, or the first bite is a mouthful of scalding cheese. Serve with raw onion and pickles.

Nutrition figures are estimates. Verify allergens on every ingredient label before cooking.

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