Seasoned Chicken Juicy Lucy

One thing I’ve always been curious to try is a Juicy Lucy. I’ve never had the opportunity because I don’t eat red meat so I decided to create my own version using ground chicken. It took some tweaking to get the texture and size of the patty right but the result was yummy! The recipe can be found here.

I didn’t want to use plain ground chicken without any seasoning because the burger wouldn’t have much flavor then. I followed the seasoning recipe from the Buffalo Chicken Penne recipe. I use this seasoning mix all the time at home. It’s great on a grilled chicken breast or veggies because it adds a salty flavor with a bit of spice, but now I’m getting off topic! I thought this seasoning would complement the cheese inside the burger nicely. I mean, I had to start somewhere and this was my best option!

I combined 1 lb ground chicken with the seasoning mix plus about ½ cup breadcrumbs. I wanted something to help hold the burger together while cooking and breadcrumbs are great for that. Now you might have to get your hands dirty and use them to mix the ingredients together. I find it blends everything better than just stirring with a spoon.

You have a couple of options for forming the patties. One option is to use a burger press and the second option is to use your hands. We have a burger press at home that I tried for the first patty but found it was easier to form the patties by hand. It’s really up to you what you prefer and find easiest to use. I like to separate the mixture into 3 balls so I know the patties will be roughly the same size. Then I flatten each patty, add cheese to the middle, and fold the sides around the cheese until it is covered completely. I found it easiest to do this on wax paper; it kept the counter clean and made picking up the burgers much easier.

I cooked the burgers for about 8-10 minutes on each side. When the burgers were almost done cooking I toasted the buns in the oven. I also like to add a slice of cheese to each bun before toasting because you can never have too much cheese! And I’m not a ‘one slice of cheese type of girl’ so sometimes I add a slice of cheese to both sides of the bun!

The burger is full of cheesy deliciousness with the center cheese being completely melted. The seasoning really stands out and gives the burger a great taste without being overwhelming. The burgers are great on their own without added condiments so you don’t need mustard or ketchup, but feel free to add anything to your liking. They are also great without a bun so it can be a slightly healthier option!

If you do make this recipe at home please be careful, the cheese inside the burger will be HOT!

We paired our Juicy Lucy’s with Loaded Baked Potato Salad fresh from the Festival Foods Deli. It was a great side for the burger. There are other Potato Salad options available in the Deli as well, including German, Homestyle, and Original. You could also pair the burger with chips and dip, fresh fruit, pasta salad, and more. I like to swing by the Deli every time I go to the store because it’s fresh, convenient, there are many options, and you will always find something you like!