Smoked Burger Recipe

If you have never smoked burger patties, then you are in for a real treat. The burgers cook perfectly in the smoker. You will love that the burgers have a crispy texture while still being juicy.

We love smoker recipes because of how easy it is to cook our favorite recipes. Check out these smoker recipes – Smoked Hot Dogs, Smoked Carnitas or Smoked Whole Chicken.

Why This Recipe Works

Skip the grill and make these Smoked Burgers. The flavor is amazing and even better topped with your favorite toppings. Add a side of potato salad and fries for a complete meal idea.

These step by step instructions will have you enjoying a burger in no time.

Ingredients

For the full list of ingredients and recipe, scroll to the bottom for the recipe card.

Variation Ideas

• Oil Options – Use any oil with a high smoke point. Vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil or avocado oil will all work great in this recipe.
• Beef Options – We used lean ground beef but you can also use ground chuck, ground sirloin or ground turkey. You can even make lamb burgers.
• Seasoning – Feel Free to change the seasoning when making these smoked flavor burgers. Season Salt is always a great idea, but you can also add in a teaspoon of onion powder.

How to Cook Burgers in the Smoker

• Step 1 – Heat Smoker – Preheat the smoke to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.  
• Step 2 – Prepare Hamburger Patties – Divide the ground meat into 6 even balls (approximately ⅓ lb each). Then form the balls into patties that are approximately 4 inches wide and 1 inch thick.  

• Step 3 – Season Patties – Season the patties with salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

• Step 4 – Place Patties – Place the patties in the smoker on the grill grates. Then smoke for approximately 50-75 minutes based on how you prefer your burgers to be cooked (see notes).  

• Step 5 – Increase Temperature – Increase the temperature on the smoker to 400 degrees. Then cook the patties for 2-3 minutes per side.  Place a piece of cheese on each patty to melt for the last minute of the cook time.  

• Step 6 – Remove Patties – Remove the melted cheese patties from the smoker.  
• Step 7 – Toast Buns – Place the buns on the grill grates in the smoker to toast them.
• Step 8 – Add Lettuce and Onions – Add a lettuce leaf and onions to the bottom bun of each bun.
• Step 9 – Add Toppings – Then top each one with a patty, sliced tomatoes and the top bun. 
• Step 10 – Serve – Serve warm and enjoy smoke hamburgers.

Expert Tips

• Choosing the Right Beef – We recommend using lean ground beef or with at least 15% fat content. This keeps the burgers moist and from drying out.
• Wood Chip – When smoking burgers make sure to choose the right wood chips for your pellet grill. We recommend using hickory, mesquite or oak for the best flavor.
• Cooking Burgers – Always use a meat thermometer to check if your burger is cooked.
• Increase Temperature – We like to increase the temperature of the smoker for the last minutes of cooking. This really gives the burgers a charred texture and amazing flavor.
• Flipping Burgers – When making this Smoked Burger recipe, there is no need to flip the burgers. Cook for about 50 minutes then increase the temperature to melt the slice cheese.

How to Know When Burgers are Cooked

Here are the internal temperatures needed based on how you like your burgers prepared.  Use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure that your patties are cooked to the preference you desire.  

Cook burgers until the internal temperature reaches these temperature.

• Rare Burgers – 125 degrees F 
• Medium-Rare Burgers – 135 degrees F 
• Medium Burgers – 145 degrees F 
• Well-Done Burgers – 160 degrees F

Burger Topping Ideas

Make sure to serve this Smoked Burger with your favorite condiments. I like to setup a burger bar when having friends over. Here are some our favorite toppings.

• Bacon
• Mushrooms
• Barbecue Sauce
• Pickles
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Caramelized Onions

Serving Ideas

These smoked burgers can be served with many different side dishes. You can easily grill the sides are prepare indoors. These are some of our favorite side dishes.

• Smoked Mac and Cheese – Make Smoked Mac and Cheese for the ultimate comfort food. Creamy, delicious and easy to make. This is the perfect side dish for all your BBQs.
• Corn on the Cob – Grilled Corn on the Cob in Husk is a special way to cook corn but the results are worth it. The corn turns out sweet, delicious and moist.
• Blackstone Asparagus with Bacon – Asparagus is a delicious vegetable that can be cooked many different ways. We love making it on the Blackstone as it gets cooks easily, fast and tender. 
• Blackstone French Fries – These Blackstone French Fries are the perfect side dish and come out perfectly crispy every time.
• Pasta Salad
• Chips