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.

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.

All of the ingredients needed to make this recipe.

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:

  1. Set up/preheat your smoker to 225°F.
  2. Make your burger patties by measuring 8 oz. of ground beef per burger. 
  3. 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.)
  4. Season the patties generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
  5. 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.)
  6. 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. 
  7. Add cheese slices after the last flip if desired.
  8. The burgers are done when they have reached a 160-165°F internal temperature. Use a meat thermometer at the center of the patty.
  9. Serve the burgers immediately with your favorite toppings!

A picture collage showing how to make this recipe.

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!

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

Smoking Burgers FAQs

How long to smoke 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.
5 from 11 votes

Smoked Burger Recipe

Recipe Cost $ $13.19
Serving Cost $ $3.30
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
4 people
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!

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

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

Serving: 1burger | Calories: 808kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 933mg | Potassium: 904mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 717IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 257mg | Iron: 6mg

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Recipe Rating




16 Comments

  1. Cheryl Everitt says:

    These burgers are delicious. Thanks for sharing.

  2. Nellie Tracy says:

    We love this recipe thanks so much!

  3. 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.

    1. Exactly, low and slow is the way to go! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

  4. Erica Schwarz says:

    These burgers sound amazing! I LOVE the smoker, can’t wait to try this recipe.

  5. BRANDY BURKETT says:

    I love a good burger!

  6. I like my burgers smoky. Sounds tasty!

  7. Sandra Watts says:

    They do look so very good!

  8. My husband really wants a smoker grill, so we are saving for one. I’m keeping this recipes for when we get it!

  9. Brandon Sparks says:

    I am so happy to have found this. This is going to be a hit. Thanks..

  10. stephanie says:

    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!

  11. This was an instant hit in my family, Loved by everyone. Great recipe!!

  12. Burgers are a family favorite and these were a hit! Easy and such great instructions.

  13. TAYLER ROSS says:

    We had these burgers for dinner last night and OMG were they delicious! Thanks so much for sharing!

  14. stephanie says:

    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…