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.
You will love these 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!
Traeger Smoked Burgers 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 make Smoked 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!
Smoked Burger Recipe Variations and Additions
- If you want to make these burgers a little leaner, you can use half ground beef and half ground turkey.
Storing and Serving Traeger Smoked Burgers
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!
Smoking Burgers FAQs
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.
This recipe should produce enough for about four burgers.
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.
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!
More Smoked Recipes:
Smoked Burger Recipe
Equipment
- Smoker grill
- Kitchen scale
- grilling tools
- Instant-read thermometer
- cutting board
- chef's knife
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
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
- 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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These burgers are delicious. Thanks for sharing.
We love this recipe thanks so much!
So glad it was a hit!
Slow cooked and DELICIOUS! I’m getting used to my Traeger and the longer cooking times at slower temperatures. But it’s true – as this recipe attests- the flavor is AMAZING.
Exactly, low and slow is the way to go! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
These burgers sound amazing! I LOVE the smoker, can’t wait to try this recipe.
I love a good burger!
I like my burgers smoky. Sounds tasty!
They do look so very good!
My husband really wants a smoker grill, so we are saving for one. I’m keeping this recipes for when we get it!
I am so happy to have found this. This is going to be a hit. Thanks..
That is the best looking burger that I have ever seen in my life. I’m literally drooling on my phone. I can’t wait to make these!
This was an instant hit in my family, Loved by everyone. Great recipe!!
Burgers are a family favorite and these were a hit! Easy and such great instructions.
We had these burgers for dinner last night and OMG were they delicious! Thanks so much for sharing!
Smoking burgers really does add so much of a level of flavor. I really enjoyed these! I’m on a kick where I want to smoke everything…