Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- 80/20 ground beef: use high-quality, fresh ground beef. I prefer 80/20 as it has the best flavor (because of the higher fat content), but feel free to use a leaner ground beef if you prefer.
- seasoning: I prefer to keep my seasoning simple with kosher salt and ground black pepper, but feel free to mix this up if you have a go-to burger seasoning.
- toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, burger sauce, pickles, quick-pickled red onions, caramelized onions, etc. are all amazing options!
- cheese: I love using pepperjack, colby or havarti – also feel free to grab a dairy-free alternative.
- bun of choice: a classic sesame burger bun is always good, gluten-free, lettuce bun or brioche buns works too!
Love Burgers – try our Pork Burger + Spicy Mayo Slaw!
What does it mean to reverse sear a burger
Similar to a reverse seared steak, we are reverse searing our burgers here by first bringing the burgers up to the desired internal temperature while smoking at 225 degrees F. Once the burgers reach the desired temp, then we do a quick sear on high heat, which can be done either on the smoker or on a gas grill. This gives it that nice char on the outside while ensuring the inside is not over-cooked. It is called reverse-searing because typically on a gas grill you sear your meat first and then move it indirect heat to finish cooking – here we do the opposite.
Other Burger Recipes You Might Like
- Turkey Avocado Burger
- Grilled Turkey Burger
- Chicken Caesar Burger
- Lamb Burgers
- Chicken Caprese Burger
How to Smoke Burgers
Combine your burger ingredients in a medium-sized bowl – if you want something more than salt and pepper we have this burger seasoning as well! Form into patties and press down in the middle to create an indent with your thumb and season a little more on top of the patty if you desire.
Place directly on the grill grates and close the lid. Let smoke at 225 degrees F. until you reach 5-10 degrees below your desired doneness – 135-140 degrees F. is medium-rare so you would pull them around 130 degrees F.
Then turn up your smoker or use your gas grill and sear the burgers on high heat, both sides, to get that nice char. If you are making a cheese burger place some cheese on top of your patty after you have seared your first side.
Let those burgers rest a bit and then serve with the toppings of your choosing.
FAQs
- How Long to Smoked Burgers at 225: If you are looking for medium-rare finish, it takes approximately 45-60 minutes to smoke a 1/3 pound burger patty at 225 degrees F., depending upon thickness, with a quick sear at the end. BUT you ultimately have to go by your internal temp using an internal meat thermometer. There are so many variables that go into smoking (wind, humidity, hot spots, etc.) – while we are providing a range within which a smoked burger will most likely be done, it is just an estimate. Additionally, if you want your burger more well-done it will require additional cook time.
- What is the Internal Temp of Medium-Rare Burgers: For a 3/4 inch burger you want to look for an internal temp between 130-140 degrees F. for a medium-rare burger. Although it should be noted the USDA states that burgers are safe to eat when they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
- Do you need to flip burgers when you smoke them: No, you don’t need to flip burgers when you smoke them – they are placed directly on the grill grates so the smoke/heat will circulate around them. When you do the sear at the end you do need to flip them so you get a nice char on both sides.
- What is the best meat for smoked burgers: I would recommend ground beef, specifically high-quality 80/20, for the best flavor.
Make it a Meal: what to serve with smoked burgers
- Smoked Corn on the Cob
- Smoked Broccoli
- Smoked Green Beans
- Smoked Broccoli
- Mexican Street Corn Salad,
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Blueberry Crisp
- Frozen Strawberry Margarita
Other Recipes You Might Like
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Smoked Burger Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 3 burgers 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Smoker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Smoked Burgers – a simple, easy recipe for smoked burgers your whole family will love! Perfect for your next cookout!
Ingredients
Smoked Burgers
- 1lb 80/20 ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
Toppings:
- bun of your choice (regular, gluten-free or lettuce)
- cheese slices (dairy-free or regular)
- sliced tomato
- sliced red onion
- lettuce
- burger sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your Smoker: Ensure your smoker is clean and preheat to 225 degrees F.
- Prep Patties: Place your ground beef in a bowl and add salt and pepper (and other seasoning, as desired). Mix to combine. Take your ground beef and create 3 equal sized balls (you should end up with 3 patties that are approximately 5-6oz each and approximately 3/4 inches thick). Then use your hands to form patties (try not to overwork the meat). Try and make them a little bit bigger than your bun (if you are using one) as they will shrink a little as they cook.
- Create Indent with Thumb + Season: Use your thumb to create an indent in the very center of your patty (this will help ensure the burgers cook evenly without expanding too much in the middle). Sprinkle patties with a little more salt and pepper.
- Place on Smoker: Place patties on smoker for approximately 40-55 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 10-15 degrees below your desired internal temp (See temperature chart in Notes).
- Reverse Sear: Turn smoker up all the way and sear burger 1-2 minutes per side or until you have reached your desired internal temperature – alternatively this can be done on a gas grill (which I actually prefer).
- If Making Cheeseburgers: If you are making cheeseburgers place a piece of cheese on your burger after you sear the first side.
- Let Rest: Remove from grill and let rest for at least 5 minutes. This will help ensure your burgers are nice and juicy!
- Build your Burger: build your burger using a bun, burger sauce, tomato, lettuce and/or onion!
Notes
- Medium-Rare is 130 -140 degrees F; Medium is 140-145 degrees; Medium- 145-155 degrees F.
- Reverse Sear: you don’t HAVE to reverse-sear your burger – you can simply continue smoking until your burger reaches your desired internal temperature and then remove from the smoker. If you are making a cheeseburger and you are not searing, place cheese on when you have about 10 minutes left of cook time.
- Don’t Press Down: Do not press down on the burgers with your spatula. This will release juices that we want to keep in the burger.
- Egg: I know a lot of people use eggs in their burger mixtures – I generally don’t, but as always, feel free to add one in the mix if you want to!
- Pellets/Wood Chips: I love hickory, mesquite or cherry here.
- Internal Temp: use an internal meat thermometer or probe to keep close track of your internal temp; this is the best way to know when your burger is done.
ELH says
These were SO good – don’t skip the sear at the end!