Juicy
intro
A cheese-stuffed Midwestern American beef burger with a crisp seared crust, oozing melted cheddar center, and juice-dripping tender bite in every serving.
Ingredients
Steps
Portion and season beef
Divide the 680g 80/20 ground beef into 8 equal 85g portions, gently shaping each into a 10cm (4-inch) wide thin patty. Sprinkle all patty surfaces evenly with 5g (1 tsp) kosher salt, 1g (1/2 tsp) black pepper, and 1.5g (1/2 tsp) garlic powder, taking care not to overwork the meat to avoid tough, dry patties.
Stuff cheddar centers
Place one 28g cube of sharp cheddar directly in the center of 4 of the thin patties. Top each cheese-topped patty with a second thin beef patty, pinching the edges tightly all the way around to fully seal the cheese inside, forming 4 total 170g stuffed patties that are 2.5cm (1 inch) thick. Press a small 1cm dimple in the center of each patty to prevent bulging while cooking.
Preheat cooking surface
Preheat a cast iron skillet or outdoor gas grill to medium-high heat (200°C / 400°F), brushing the cooking grate or pan surface lightly with 15ml (1 tbsp) of the melted butter to prevent sticking. Let the surface heat fully for 5 minutes before adding patties.
Sear stuffed patties
Place the stuffed patties dimpled-side down on the preheated cooking surface. Cook for 4 minutes on the first side without moving to build a deep seared crust, then flip carefully with a thin spatula. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on the second side for medium doneness (internal temperature 71°C / 160°F), taking care not to pierce the patties to avoid cheese leaks.
Toast brioche buns
During the last minute of patty cooking, brush the cut sides of the 4 split brioche buns with the remaining 15ml (1 tbsp) melted butter. Place the buns cut-side down on the cooler edge of the grill or pan (175°C / 350°F zone), toasting for 45-60 seconds until light golden brown and slightly crisp.
Rest and assemble burgers
Transfer cooked patties to the toasted bottom buns, letting them rest for 2 minutes to allow the juices and melted cheese to settle evenly. Top each patty with 3 dill pickle slices (about 15g total per burger), then cap with the top toasted bun. Serve immediately while the cheese is hot and oozing.
Tips
2.Seal patty edges extremely tightly, and never pierce patties with a fork while cooking: any gap or puncture will cause melted cheddar to leak out, removing the signature juicy, cheesy core.
3.Never press down on patties with a spatula while cooking: this squeezes out all the flavorful fat and beef juices that give the burger its iconic juicy texture.
My kids went absolutely crazy for these burgers! I used sharp cheddar for the stuffing and served them with crispy sweet potato fries for our weekly Friday family dinner. No leftovers at all, that’s how good they were!
Prepped a batch of these patties on Sunday for quick weeknight dinners and they held up perfectly in the fridge for 3 days. Cooked them up in a cast iron skillet after work in 10 minutes, SO juicy even when reheated a little. Total game changer for my busy work weeks, will be adding these to the regular rotation!
Brought these to my neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and I got asked for the recipe no less than 8 times! Pro tip: add a little diced pickled jalapeño in with the cheese stuffing for a tiny kick that’s chef’s kiss.
Tried these for my first ever time making burgers from scratch instead of frozen patties. Messed up a little sealing the edges on one so the cheese leaked out, but the ones I got right were insane. Way better than the fast food burgers down the street from my dorm.
Wait, how do I keep the cheese from oozing out while I’m grilling? I tried making these last night and half my cheese melted through the patties onto the coals, was so sad because the bites that had cheese were amazing.
OMG, these are so much better than the regular stuffed burgers I’ve been making for years. The seasoning blend in the patty is spot on, I didn’t even need extra salt on mine. 10/10
Has anyone tried making these with a dairy-free cheese alternative? I miss a good juicy cheeseburger so bad but regular cheese doesn’t sit right with me.
This was way easier to pull off on a busy weeknight than I thought it would be! I was worried medium difficulty meant I’d be in the kitchen for an hour, but I had these on the table in right around 25 minutes like the recipe said. Win!
Tried stuffing these with crumbled blue cheese instead of American and it was life changing. The tangy blue cheese pairs so perfectly with the savory beef patty, I’ll never go back to plain cheeseburgers again.
Just made these for my Fourth of July cookout and I’m pretty sure I just earned official grill master status among my friend group. The burgers were so juicy, the cheese was perfectly melted in every single bite, no dry patties anywhere. Absolute home run.
I added a little crispy bacon crumble in with the cheese stuffing and OMG, it was next level. My husband said these are better than the gourmet burgers we get at our favorite downtown spot that cost $18 a pop.
I was really intimidated because this is marked medium difficulty, but I’ve only been cooking for a couple months and I pulled these off! The only thing I messed up was I overhandled the beef a little so one patty was a tiny bit tough, but overall they were so good.
Made these for our Sunday football watch party and they were a total touchdown (pun absolutely intended). Served them on brioche buns with all the fixings, and even my picky cousin who only eats plain fast food burgers went back for seconds.