Smoked Burgers

Name: Smoked Burgers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef (80/20 blend); Sea salt (to taste); Cracked black pepper (to taste); 4 burger buns; 4 slices cheddar cheese; ¼ head of lettuce; 1 vine-ripe tomato (sliced); ½ cup pickle chips; ½ white onion (sliced); ¼ cup ketchup; ¼ cup yellow mustard

The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.

Recipe Cost $13.19

Recipe Serving Cost $3.30

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These Smoked Burgers are the best I’ve ever had. Bring a new dimension to your next grilled dinner with the help of your Traeger!

This recipe costs about $13.19 to make. The recipe makes four servings for approximately $3.30 per serving.

Smoked burgers are one of my family’s favorite dinners, and they pair great with loads of sides. My favorites include mac ‘n’ cheese, corn on the cob, or a refreshing cucumber tomato salad.

The finished Smoked Burgers on a wooden cutting board.

Smoked Hamburgers

I love a grilled burger, but what I love even more are smoked burgers! Smoking the burger patties takes them to the next level.

Their irresistible smoky flavor just cannot be beaten. Admittedly, it takes a little more time than cooking a burger on a stovetop or regular grill, but it’s worth it.

And even though you’ll need to cook your patties a bit longer, it’s still effortless. The Traeger grill does all the work for you!

Ingredients and Estimated Cost

Per Serving Cost: $3.30

Recipe Cost: $13.19

2 pounds ground beef, 80/20 blend: $9.58
4 Burger buns: $1.16
¼ head of lettuce: $0.42
1 vine-ripe tomato: $0.26
½ cup pickle chips: $0.67
½ white onion: $0.52
¼ cup ketchup: $0.22
¼ cup yellow mustard: $0.36

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have. I updated the pricing for this recipe in March 2023.

How To Smoke Burgers

***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.

Nothing fancy here—smoking burgers on a Traeger grill is as stress-free as making them on a stovetop or a ‘normal’ grill.

To make smoked burgers:

Set up/preheat your smoker to 225°F.
Make your burger patties by measuring 8 oz. of ground beef per burger.
Then shape the ground beef into about ½-inch thick patties. (Don’t worry about making the patties too thick, as they’ll generally shrink while they cook.)
Season the patties generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
Place the burger patties onto the smoker grates and smoke until the internal temperature is 135°F. (This usually takes up to an hour, depending on the thickness of your patties.)
To sear the patties, increase the temperature of your smoker to 450°F. Once the temperature has increased, cook the patties on each side for 2-3 minutes.
Add cheese slices after the last flip if desired.
The burgers are done when they have reached a 160-165°F internal temperature. Use a meat thermometer at the center of the patty.
Serve the burgers immediately with your favorite toppings!

Recipe Variations

If you want to make these burgers a little leaner, you can use half ground beef and half ground turkey.

Storage and Serving Tips

SERVE: Unlike some smoker recipes, you can serve these burgers immediately when they’re done cooking. No extra wait time!

STORE: You can keep smoked burgers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Use a Ziploc bag or plastic wrap.

FREEZE: In the freezer, smoked burgers stay fresh for 3-4 months. Again, I recommend using a freezer-safe Ziploc bag.

REHEAT: Use your preferred reheating method to warm up your burgers again (though make sure they’ve thawed first if you keep them in the freezer). The stovetop, grill, or even a microwave will do. Remember to Get that meat back up to a 160-165°F internal temperature!

A close up picture of Smoked Hamburgers on a cutting board.

Recipe FAQs

How long does it take to make smoked burgers?

This is a relatively quick smoking recipe. The prep time is only 20 minutes, and the cooking time on the grill is 1.5 hours or so.

How many servings does this recipe make?

This recipe should produce enough for about four burgers.

What kind of ground beef should I use for this recipe?

I recommend an 80/20 meat/fat ratio for super juicy burgers! However, you can also go 85/15 for leaner patties. I wouldn’t go any leaner than that, or you’ll end up with dry burgers.

My burger is just the right amount of pink that I like. Is it done cooking?

One important tip with a smoker, always cook to temperature. Smoking can turn your burgers pink and give the illusion that the patties are more (or less) done than they truly are. Don’t go by color and appearance!

Hamburgers made in the smoked on a cutting board with all of the toppings.

More Smoked Recipes:

An overhead picture of a Pellet Grill Burger on a cutting board.

These Smoked Burgers are the best I’ve ever had. Bring a new dimension to your next grilled dinner with the help of your Traeger!

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: burger, ground beef, smoker recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings: people

US Customary – Metric

Calories: 808kcal

Author: A Food Folks and Fun Original!

Ingredients

FOR BURGERS:

2 pounds ground beef 80/20 blend
Sea salt to taste
Cracked black pepper to taste

FOR SERVING:

4 burger buns
4 slices cheddar cheese

TOPPINGS:

¼ head of lettuce
1 vine-ripe tomato sliced
½ cup pickle chips
½ white onion sliced
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup yellow mustard

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

PREHEAT SMOKER:

Preheat your smoker to 225°F.

FORM PATTIES:

Measure out 8 oz. of ground beef for each patty.
Shape the ground beef into about ½-inch thick patties.
Season the patties generously with salt and pepper on both sides.

SMOKE BURGERS:

Place the burger patties onto the smoker grates and smoke until the internal temperature is 135°F. (It usually takes up to an hour, depending on the thickness of your patties).

SEAR BURGERS:

Increase the temperature of your smoker to 450°F. Once the temperature has increased, sear the patties on each side for 2-3 minutes.
Add cheese slices after the last flip.
Burgers are done when they have reached 160-165°F internal temperature.

SERVE:

Serve immediately on hamburger buns and with your favorite toppings.

Notes

INTERNAL COOKING TEMPERATURES FOR BURGERS:

Rare: 125 degrees F

Medium-rare: 135 degrees F

Medium: 145 degrees F

Medium-well: 150-155 degrees F

Well-done: 160-165 degrees F

The USDA’s recommended internal temperature for cooking ground beef is 160 degrees F.
Note that when you tent the burgers under the foil, the internal temperature will increase slightly. I usually like to cook my burgers 1-2 degrees under my target internal temperature.
Wood Pellet Choices: Signature blend, Pecan

Nutrition

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Two Stovetop Burgers on a wooden serving board.