If you've never had smoked burgers, prepare to never go back to anything else! This recipe makes for a seriously juicy burger but requires minimal effort, it's perfect for cookouts, potlucks, and any other summer parties you're hosting or heading to this season!
We're whipping up burgers all summer long! Try these classic smashed burgers, this bacon jam burger (a STAT classic!), or a delicious diner-style patty melt which is one of our family favorites!
Delicious Smoked Burgers All Summer Long!
I have a survey going on in my newsletters (with a giveaway of an Amazon gift card!) for my subscribers (it ends May 17th, 2024!), and the biggest ask so far for the summer is more smoker and grilling recipes.
Makes sense: it's time to be outside, Memorial Day is literally a few weeks away!
So we're delivering with my husband's 'famous' smoked burger recipe. I showed it on my Instagram, and y'all were all in my DM's about it! Love when we get to come together about food; and nothing brings people together like a smoked cheeseburger in the summertime.
If this is your first time smoking a burger, you've found the right recipe site. This post is all about how to smoke hamburgers on a pellet grill smoker, though any electric smoker should work, even a charcoal grill with a smoke box could work.
We're going over the best cuts if you want to make your own ground beef, what woods give the best smoke flavor, and of course, giving y'all a step by step visual guide on perfectly smoked burgers.
Jump to:
The Best Cuts of Meat for Juicy Burgers
Not every piece of beef is great ground up; ground meat needs a good percentage of fat along with good, flavorful meat. Without those you'll have flavorless, dry and crumbly burgers.
When you're grinding your own blend or buying burger patties you want a 20% fat/80% lean ground beef blend. Some people even like a 25% fat/75% lean mix, which makes for a really decadent burger.
The blend I used in this recipe was ground chuck and brisket, which is fave from a local grocery store. Both these cuts have plenty of fat and flavor and make a delicious burger. Another blend we like is chuck and sirloin, sirloin really has that great beefy flavor while the chuck provides the fat.
Ingredients to Make Smoked Burgers
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Burger Patties - Use a 20-25% fat ground beef blend for the best burger results. Lean beef will make a dry burger.
- Burger Buns - I am a staunch believer in milk buns, brioche buns, and potato buns! They are the best for burgers.
- Seasoning - I simply have salt and pepper here because I want the pellets to flavor the burgers, but use your favorite burger seasoning.
- Your Favorite Cheese
- Wood Pellets for the Smoker - I consider this an ingredient... after all, it's flavoring our food! We used applewood pellets but my husband's favorite for burgers is hickory wood.
How to Smoke Hamburgers on a Pellet Grill Smoker
Step 1 | Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F. When using an electric pellet grill smoker like a Pit Boss or Traeger grill, you c
Step 2 | Season your burger patties. I used just simple salt and pepper since I enjoy this burger blend and really, we want to let that applewood smoke shine as well.
Step 3 | Place burgers on the smoker. We're placing them directly on the grill grates, and leaving them for 40-45 minutes to smoke at 225, or until they reach your preferred cooking temperature (we took them off at medium: 145 degrees F).
Step 4 | Give the burgers a little sear on the grill side of the pellet grill. Okay, this is an optional step but it really gets that Maillard reaction going, giving us more flavor! Just for two minutes or so on each side. Again, this is totally optional, we have had rave reviews from just cooking the burgers in the smoker without any grill action.
Step 5 | Drop the slices of cheese on the burgers if you're making cheeseburgers. Let them melt for a few minutes before removing the burgers from the smoker or grill.
Step 6 | Assemble your smoked burgers. Use whatever toppings you like! If you're interested to know what's topping this burger, it's an avocado chimichurri aioli, ruffled chips, and a fried egg topped with umami seasoning with american cheese! This burger was BOMB, let me tell ya!
How Long to Smoke Hamburgers
You could be doing a super thiccc pub-style burger, smoking ½ pound patties, or using pre-made patties from the store, all of which need different amount of times for smoking.
Like many recipes, it's all about the temperature instead of timing. I've done my online research, and the range of times for smoking burgers range wildly from 35 minutes to over an hour for the same 225 degree temperature smoker. That can be really confusing, right?
Your best bet is to use a thermometer to check the temperature. For burgers you want to keep the temp around medium to well done, which is around 145 degrees F to 160 degrees F (63-71 degrees C).
Top Tips for the Best Burgers
- Toast the top and bottom buns with a tiny touch of softened butter on the grill or in a pan on medium heat. Doing this gives not only toasty buns and great flavor, but more structure to the bread so it doesn't get soggy from the burger and toppings.
- Only cook burgers to medium rare if they are freshly ground. Ground meat has more surfaces to garner bacteria, which are likely to survive at medium-rare temperatures throughout the burger. Otherwise you're looking for an internal temperature of around 155-160 degrees F (166-171 degrees C) with a meat thermometer.
- If you're looking for a little oomph while making your own burger patties, mix in a hearty splash of Worcestershire sauce or throw in a little umami seasoning!
- Speaking of making the patties, you'll want a kitchen scale to ensure each burger is the same size for even cook times.
- If you want to sear the burgers but don't have a grill, use a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
Storage and Reheating
Burgers store well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container or zip top bag.
Rewarm the burger patties in the oven or in the microwave until hot.
Equipment
- Electric Pellet Grill Smoker - this is the one I use. Though any type of smoker or even a grill with a smoke box can work.
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer - for safety, you gotta check on the temperature of the burgers. Let the burgers reach about 166-171 for well done.
- Kitchen Scale - a scale is needed if you're making your own patties so they all end up the same size and cook equally.
FAQs
Depending on the size of the burger, it can take from 35 minutes to an hour. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature for perfectly cooked
You don't have to flip them while smoking. When burgers are smoked, the heat and smoke is surrounding the burgers from all sides rather than having the main source of cooking heat come from the hot grill grates.
Smoking causes a chemical reaction with meat that turns it slightly pink thanks to the smoke's nitric oxide reaction with the myoglobin in the meat. So if you see your well done burgers are somewhat pink, this is the reason.
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Smoked Burgers Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 burger patties, ½ pound each; 20% fat/80% lean blend
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, use more or less, if needed
- 2 teaspoon black pepper, use more or less, if needed
- 4 slices American cheese, use your favorite cheese
- 4 burger buns
- 2 tablespoon butter, optional, for toasting the buns
- Toppings of your choice
Instructions
- Fill the auger with your applewood pellets and set your smoker to 225 degrees F. When the smoke becomes wispy and blue it's ready for the burgers.
- Season the burger patties on both sides with salt and pepper.4 burger patties, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoon black pepper
- Place the burgers onto the smoker's grates and smoke for at least 35 minutes, then check the internal temperature. You're looking for 145 degrees F for medium, up to 160 for well done. *If you're going to sear the burgers as well, remove the burgers 10 degrees earlier (135 degrees for medium and 150 for well done).
- OPTIONAL: Turn the grill to 400 degrees F or use a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium high heat and sear the burgers for 2-3 minutes on each side to gain some char and color.
- Add the slices of cheese to melt five minutes before the end of the cook on the smoker (or right after flipping the burger while searing during the optional step).4 slices American cheese
- OPTIONAL: Toast the buns by spreading butter on their cut sides and toasting on a pan over medium heat on the stove until browned.4 burger buns, 2 tablespoon butter
- Assemble the smoked burgers with the buns and choices of toppings. Serve hot.Toppings of your choice
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