Easy Smoked Burgers
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Learn how to make Smoked Burgers with this super easy recipe! Simply form the burger patties, season, and wait as your smoker works its magic. I’m also sharing how long to smoke burgers at 225°F, what toppings to use, and all of the best side dishes. Save this for your next cookout!
Smoked Burgers
You guys know how much I LOVE my smoker!! Ever since Chad and I got ours, I’ve been experimenting with so many different recipes.
I’ve made smoked chicken breast, smoked pork belly, hot smoked salmon, smoked tri tip, and even smoked mac and cheese and smoked queso dip! If it can fit in my smoker, I’ve tried it, people!!
Today, I wanted to go back to the basics a bit because I’ve never shared my recipe for smoked burgers!
It’s a unique update to your otherwise classic burger routine and is a great way to impress friends and family at your next backyard barbecue.
They come out perfectly juicy and flavorful every time. All you need are a handful of ingredients, a smoker, and some patience as your smoked burger recipe cooks!
Trust me… it’s worth the wait!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Ground Beef – There are so few ingredients needed to make smoked burgers, so it’s important to make each one count!
Opt for the best quality, organic, and grass-fed beef you can find, and make sure it’s an 80/20 blend. - Salt & Pepper – These are the only seasonings you need for this super easy recipe! If you want to add a bit of heat, cayenne pepper is a good add-on.
Otherwise, keep things simple. As I always say: good beef only needs salt and pepper.
- Burger Buns – For serving, of course. Or, skip the carbs and wrap your smoked burger recipe in lettuce!
- Toppings – Here’s where you can get creative… and indulgent! I love the classics like lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, mustard, and sliced red onion.
You could also add cheese, pickles, avocado, or anything else you love!
How to Smoke Burgers Like a Pro
- Choose your pellets wisely.
When you smoke burgers, they’ll automatically take on the flavor of your chosen pellets or wood chips.
If you want that flavor to be even more pronounced, use high-flavored options!
Some of my favorites include hickory, mesquite, oak, and cherry. Pecan is a popular high-flavored choice as well.
- Preheat your smoker.
One of the key things to remember when learning how long to smoke burgers at 225°F is that you must preheat the smoker first.
It needs to hit that temp before you even put the patties inside.
This ensures that the burgers cook evenly — no surprises when you pull them out of the smoker!
- Form uniform-sized patties.
Another way to ensure your smoked burgers cook evenly is to form uniform-sized patties, especially in terms of thickness.
You’ll also want to avoid overworking the meat, as this will give you tough results. As soon as you have the perfect size, put that patty down and move on to the next one!
- Check the internal temperature.
Use your handy meat thermometer to see if your burgers are ready to pull out of the smoker or not. It must read 150°F for them to be safe to eat.
Determining how long to smoke burgers at 225°F really depends on their thickness and your smoker. That’s why a thermometer is your friend!
Prep Ahead
- Heat the smoker to 225°F
- Prepare burger toppings
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Large Bowl – This one is my go-to!
- A sturdy Silicone Spatula can be used for mixing, scraping, stirring, and smoothing and is easy to clean too!
- Smoker – Wood pellet varieties allow extra flavor to be infused into whatever you’re smoking.
- Meat Thermometer – A digital version will be easiest to read, and be sure it’s the kind that can stay inside the smoker the entire time. Nothing worse than a melted thermometer!
Serving Suggestions
Serve your smoked burgers immediately with your favorite toppings.
If you’re looking for some sauces to add to the mix, I love my copycat Big Mac sauce, homemade honey mustard, or this barbecue ranch sauce!
To make it a meal, keep things classic with a side of fries… or what about sweet potato fries? Both can be made in the air fryer!
For something more wholesome, a large garden salad or my summer corn salad would taste great.
And if you want to serve these up at your next barbecue, whip up a big bowl of smoked potato salad and a batch of smoked corn on the cob!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store smoked burger patties in an airtight container in the fridge separate from the toppings. They’ll keep for up to 3-4 days.
You can use your microwave to reheat individual portions in 30-second bursts until warmed through.
If you want to reheat more than one at a time, pop them in the oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes.
Smoked Burger Recipe FAQ
It depends on the thickness of your burgers as well as your smoker, but I find it typically takes about 2 hours to smoke burgers at 225°F. As mentioned, it’s important to use a meat thermometer to determine if they’re done. Aim for an internal temperature of 150°F!
I like to smoke burgers at 225°F. Again, be ready to experiment with your own smoker as they do differ.
No, you don’t have to worry about flipping your burgers when smoking them. That’s half the beauty of using a smoker! They’ll come out juicy and perfectly cooked on all sides. This is very much a set-it-and-forget-it recipe!
It really all depends on your personal preference, and whether or not you want the burgers to take on a certain flavor. I like hickory and mesquite, and others swear by oak, cherry, or maple.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that if you use a high-flavored option — like mesquite and hickory — the meat will taste like whatever pellets you choose!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Easy Smoked Burgers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- Burger Toppings: buns, lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, mustard, etc. (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225F.
- In a large bowl combine the ground beef and seasoning.
- Divide into four equal portions and shape the meat into four, quarter-pound patties slightly larger in diameter compared to the buns. They will shrink a little during the smoking process.
- Smoke for 2 hours or until the probe of an instant read thermometer reaches 150F.
- Wrap in foil for 5 minutes while prepping the burger toppings.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published April 2024
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I have done smoked burgers before & they are the best
Hi Ken!
I agree!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn