Smoked Burgers
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Juicy, delicious, and bursting with rich, smoky flavors, you’re going to love this recipe for Smoked Burgers! Unlike a lot of recipes on the smoker that take hours to make, this hamburger recipe only takes an hour to prep, smoke and sear. For even more smoky flavor, I highly recommend adding smoked caramelized onions to the cheeseburgers for a scrumptious finishing touch!
Table of contents
I love firing up my Traeger on the weekend and throwing a brisket, pork shoulder, or turkey on the smoker for a long day of smoking. But sometimes, I want that same smoky flavor for an easy weeknight meal and this is when I turn to this recipe for smoked burgers!
Since these burgers are much smaller than say a 10 pound brisket, they can take in the smoky flavors much quicker. So even if a burger is only on the smoker for 30-45 minutes, it still gets that great smoky taste, in under an hour.
Since I’m big on the smoke flavor, I also threw some caramelized onions in a cast iron skillet on the smoker right next to the burgers. This is an easy addition to the burgers that adds even more of a smoky flavor, and one that I highly recommend!
Ingredients
- Ground beef – I recommend a ground beef that’s 80/20, meaning 80% lean and 20% fat. This will give you the perfect amount of fat to make tender, juicy burgers.
- Worcestershire sauce – my secret ingredient for adding a wonderful umami flavor to the burger patties. If you don’t have any Worcestershire sauce in the kitchen, you can use soy sauce instead.
- Hamburger seasoning – this easy blend of 5 spices, includes kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. It adds a great flavor to any burger recipe, and it’s easy to mix up in 5 minutes or less. Click the link for the recipe, mix up a big batch and store it in your pantry for anytime you want to make burgers!
- American cheese – feel free to top these burgers with any of your favorite cheeses, or leave off the cheese if you prefer. American, cheddar, Swiss and blue cheese are all cheeses that we’ve tried on these burgers over the years, and they’re all delicious!
- Hamburger buns – I recommend brioche buns, as the buttery flavor is so delicious paired with the smoky burgers, but any burger bun will work.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Make the burger patties. Combine ground beef, burger seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Divide this mixture into four 6 ounce balls of beef. Take each ball of beef and form it into a ½ inch thick burger patty. Use your thumb to press a small well in the middle of each patty. This will prevent the burgers from shrinking up as they cook.
- Smoke the burgers. Preheat a smoker to 225°F. Fill it with hickory, mesquite, or oak pellets, or wood. Place the burger patties directly on the grill grates in the smoker. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 130°F in the middle of each burger patty. This should take between 30-45 minutes.
- Sear the burgers. Once the burgers reach an internal temp of 130°F, remove them from the smoker. To sear the burgers, either turn the smoker up to 450°F, or preheat a grill, flat top, or griddle over high heat. Add the burgers and sear on both sides for 2 minutes.
- Top with cheese (optional). During the last minute of the cooking time, place a slice of cheese on top of each burger patty. Allow it to melt over the burgers. Remove the burgers from the heat and let them rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before placing them on buns with the toppings of your choice.
How to make smoked caramelized onions
If you’d like to add smoked caramelized onions to the burgers, start by preparing the onions before you start making the burgers. They’re easy to make using these simple steps and they add so much flavor to the burgers!
- Dice one pound of onions (approximately 1 large onion).
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 12 inch (or larger) cast iron skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onions to the hot skillet with the melted butter and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt over the onions. Remove the skillet from the stove and transfer it to the smoker set to 225°F.
- Cook the onions on the smoker for at least 45 minutes. I recommend putting them on the smoker before prepping the burgers, then removing them from the smoker while the burgers are resting. This will give the onions about 45-60 minutes on the smoker to allow them to cook down and get that sweet, smoky flavor.
For a fun spin on smoked caramelized onions, check out my friend Sarah’s recipe for Whiskey Smoked Caramelized Onions!
Optional toppings
- Lettuce – I like to add shredded lettuce to these burgers. You can also use leaves of iceberg, butter lettuce, or romaine lettuce.
- Tomatoes – any large juicy tomato will work for this smoked burger recipe.
- Onions – if you don’t want to add the smoked caramelized onions, you can simply add sliced raw onion or pickled onions to the burger.
- Pickles – if you like the tang of dill pickles, or the sweetness of bread and butter pickles, feel free to add slices to the burger. For extra credit, make homemade pickles to top these burgers!
- Burger sauce – I love adding this homemade sauce to these smoked burgers. Simply combine mayo, ketchup, chopped pickles and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Click the link for the full recipe and ingredient amounts. Spread a little of this on the bottom bun before adding the other toppings for a creamy, tangy addition to the burgers.
- Ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise – pick any of these classic condiments to add to the burger instead of the burger sauce.
- Bacon – add a salty crunch to these burgers by using my oven-baked bacon recipe to cook up some crispy bacon and add it the burgers. If you really want to get fancy, try adding bacon jam to the burgers!
- Sauteed mushrooms – always a great burger topping, especially when paired with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese!
Recipe tips
- Do not immediately place the burgers on buns after searing them. This is a common mistake people make when preparing burgers. It’s one that I did for years. By resting the smoked burgers, you allow the juices to redistribute throughout the burgers and not just soak right into the buns. I recommend waiting 5 minutes before assembling the burgers. Just like you rest a steak, resting burgers makes them more juicy and flavorful! And this process prevents your buns from getting soggy. It’s a win-win!
- Always make sure your grill, griddle, or smoker is hot before searing the burgers. Adding the smoked burgers to a hot surface will give you a beautiful sear on the outside. It will also keep the burgers super juicy on the inside.
- Never flatten the burgers with a spatula after they’re on the smoker. This will release all of the juicy flavor in the middle of the burger, creating a hamburger that’s less flavorful and juicy.
- Don’t worry if there’s a red or pink ring on the inside of the cooked burgers. This does not mean that the meat isn’t cooked. It’s the smoke ring that forms when meats, like pork and beef, are cooked on a smoker.
- Remember to smoke to temperature, not time! I recommend using a meat probe, or wireless meat thermometer, to watch the temperature of the burgers without opening the lid of the smoker. If you don’t have either of these, I recommend starting to check the temperature of the burgers with an instant-read meat thermometer after 30 minutes. Depending on how steady the temperature of the smoker stays throughout the cooking process, it could take anywhere from 30-45 minutes to cook the smoked burgers.
- The ideal smoking temperature for burgers is 225°F. Low and slow is the name of the game! If you smoke the burgers at a higher temperature, they will cook quicker, and won’t be as tender, or have as much smoke flavor.
- I recommend using hickory pellets, or wood, to smoke the burgers. You could also use mesquite or oak wood chips or pellets.
Tools you’ll need
- Smoker – this is the Traeger Pro Series Pellet Grill and Smoker I have at home and used for this recipe.
- Wood or Pellets – I recommend Traeger Hickory Pellets for this recipe.
- Thermometer – on the Traeger, I use the probes that come with the smoker. If you do not have a smoker with a meat probe, I recommend this wireless meat thermometer.
What to serve with the burgers
There are dozens of options for scrumptious side dishes to pair with these smoked burgers. For an easy option, serve the burgers with your favorite potato chips. To step up your side dish game, pair the burger with any of these recipes.
- Chili Cheese Fries
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Animal Style Fries
- Truffle Fries
- Air Fryer Tater Tots
- BBQ Baked Beans
- Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Cheesy Grilled Potatoes
- Broccoli Slaw
- Corn on the Cob (Grilled, Boiled or Roasted)
- Grilled Zucchini
Smoked Mac and Cheese smokes at 225°F for one hour, so it really is the perfect pairing for these burgers. Prep the mac and cheese ahead of time, then cook it right alongside the burgers on the smoker!
More recipes on the smoker
I’ve been cooking meals on a smoker since I could walk. Growing up in Oklahoma, I was always eager to help my Dad and Grandpa outside on the smoker. Try these tested and perfected smoker recipes, with some new creations and recipes passed down from my families archives!
Smoked Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef, 80/20
- 1 tablespoon hamburger seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 4 slices cheddar cheese, or American cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat a smoker to 225°F. Fill with hickory, mesquite, or oak pellets, or wood.
- Combine the ground beef, hamburger seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl.
- Form the mixture into four 6 ounce burger patties, about ½ inch thick and use your finger to make an indentation in the middle of each of the burger patties.
- Place the burger patties directly on the grill grates in the smoker and cook to an internal temperature of 130°F. This should take between 30-45 minutes.
- Remove the burgers from the smoker once they reach 130°F.
- Turn the smoker up to 450°F, or heat a grill, griddle or flat top over high heat, to sear the burgers. Once the surface is hot, add the smoked burger patties and cook for 2 minutes per side.
- Top the burgers with a slice of cheese during the last minute of the cook time.
- Remove the burgers from the heat and rest the burgers on a cutting board for 5 minutes before serving them.
- Serve them on a toasted bun, or protein-style without the bun. Add the toppings of your choice. See the notes section below for how to make smoked caramelized onions to go on the burgers.
Notes
- To add smoked caramelized onions:
- Dice 1 pound of onions.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 12 inch (or larger) cast iron skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onions and cook for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt over the onions, then remove the skillet from the stove and transfer it to the smoker set to 225°F.
- Cook for 45-60 minutes on the smoker.
- For the burgers, remember to smoke to temperature, not time! I recommend using a meat probe, or wireless meat thermometer, to watch the temperature of the burgers without opening the lid of the smoker. If you don’t have either of these, I recommend starting to check the temperature of the burgers with an instant-read meat thermometer after 30 minutes. Depending on how steady the temperature of the smoker stays throughout the cooking process, it could take anywhere from 30-45 minutes to cook the smoked burgers.
- Don’t worry if there’s a red or pink ring on the inside of the cooked burgers. This does not mean that the meat isn’t cooked. It’s the smoke ring that forms when meats, like pork and beef, are cooked on a smoker.
Nutrition Facts
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