Best smoked burgers recipe (YES, even on a Pellet Grill!)

A great grilling technique starts with a great grill.

If you are looking to get a smoker that smokes your burgers to perfection, you really can’t go wrong with a pellet smoker.

Pellet smokers are so named because they use pellets made out of compacted wood and sawdust, that add a smokey taste to your food that is out of this world.

If you are looking to get a great taste for your burgers, here is a rundown on how you can use a pellet smoker to achieve a high-quality flavor.

Tips for Making a Great Pellet Smoked Burger

There are several meats that you can grill on a pellet smoker, but these grills are known for grilling a hamburger to perfection.

Here are some tips and tricks that will help you grill the best hamburger possible.

• Temperature: The ideal temperature for grilling burgers on a pellet smoker is 425 – 450 degrees. This way it will be cooked through and you’ll get a nice sear and a smokey flavor.
• Appearance: The outer layer of the burger will get a reddish appearance as it smokes. This is known as a smoke ring (read our FULL guide!) and it is perfectly normal.
• Use a Thermometer: Using a meat thermometer will be the best way to tell if your burger is done. If you cut into it, you will lose some of the juices and you may dry out the burger. The burger will be around 160 degrees when it’s done. An instant read meat thermometer is recommended.
• Don’t Open the Cover Too Often: If you open the grill cover too often, it will lose heat. Therefore, you will want to minimize the times you flip the burger. It is ideal to flip the burger after 8-9 minutes, then allow it to grill for 8-9 minutes on the other side. This may seem like a long time, but it will be just enough to allow the burger to become infused with the smokey taste.
• Go for high quality meat: Of course, you can use frozen, pre-made patties, but high-quality meat will get you the best results. An 85/15 ratio of meat to fat is ideal but 80/20 will make a juicier burger.
• Use strong wood chips: Mesquite, hickory and oak are recommended for infusing burgers with a great smokey flavor.

How to Cook Burgers on Pellet Grill

Cooking burgers on a grill are something that might be new to you so we’ve come up with this how to cook burgers on pellet grill to guide you through.

Thing Should Know How to Cook Burgers on Pellet Grill

Ground Beef

Remember that the quality of your meat will make or break your hamburger. This is why it’s extremely important that you choose the ground beef well. Ground chuck is highly recommended due to its tenderness and rich flavor. The meat also has a moist texture, which is perfect for hamburgers.

Seasoning

Season your ground beef well before you form them into patties. If you want juicy and tender patties, it is best to add the salt and pepper just before you toss the patties into the grill. This is to allow for the seasonings to adhere well into the meat before it even dries out. You can add more seasoning depending on the taste that you want to achieve.

Size

Be generous with the patties. But don’t make it too large that your guests will not be comfortable biting on it. Ideally, it should only be slightly bigger than your bun since the meat has a tendency to shrink when cooked. Use your thumb in making indentations in the patties before grilling. This helps to keep the patty in shape and for them to remain flat and not inflate.

How Long Does It Take to Cook a Hamburger on a Pellet Grill?

Patties that are about ½ inches thick should be cooked for around 4-8 minutes each side. When flipping the patties, flip only once at the middle. Try not to squish the patty using a spatula because doing so could make the delicious juices spill out.

For rare, the burger must be cooked 2 minutes on each side. Medium rare should be 3 minutes on each side while the medium is 4 minutes. If you want it well done, cook it for 5 minutes.

Related: How Long to Grill Frozen Burgers

How Do You Cook Hamburgers on a Camp Chef Pellet Grill?

Start by shaping your burgers to about half an inch bigger than the buns. As mentioned, the patty has the tendency to shrink while being cooked. Season both sides of your burger with whatever seasoning that you prefer. If you want the old fashion way, simply season it with salt and pepper, and perhaps a small amount of garlic powder.

How Do You Cook Burgers on Pit Boss Pellet Grill?

If you prefer to cook burgers in a Pit Boss wood pellet grill, then here are the steps that you need to follow:

1. Start the grill and put it on smoke mode. Leave the lid open until about 3 to 7 minutes. Preheat the grill at 400 °F.
2. Prepare your patty in a bowl. Combine the ground chuck, pepper, onion, garlic, salt, and other seasonings. Form them into burger patties.
3. Apply a small amount of oil on the grill’s grate. Grill each side of the patties for up to 5 to 8 minutes or until they are cooked according to your preferences.
4. When the patties are cooked, remove them from the grill and place them at the bun. Add tomatoes, cheese, and other fixings that you fancy. You can choose to add two smoked hamburgers if you prefer to serve a double burger to some of your burger-loving guests!
5. Enjoy!

What is a Pellet Grill?

Pellet grills run on electricity. Pellets are added to the hopper, which are then funneled down to a rotating auger and motor. The auger pulls the pellets into the firepot, which speed and temperature are set by a temperature control panel.

When the pellets hit the firepot, an ignitor rod creates a flame that produces smoke. A fan at the bottom of the unit spreads the smoke and heat throughout the grill to heat your food.

Benefits of Smoking with a Pellet Smoker

Smoking with a pellet smoker provides the following benefits.

• No flare ups
• Great smokey flavor
• Easy to use
• Very fuel efficient, burns one pound of pellet for every hour of cook time
• Weather will not affect your smoker’s grilling temperature
• No heavy propane tanks needed
• Very versatile
• Set and forget controls
• Low maintenance so it is great for busy people
• Will not over smoke food
• It is a grill and smoker in one so users get more bang for their buck

If you love burgers and you don’t have a pellet smoked burger at least once in your life, you may be missing out. These smokers provide a unique flavor that can not be beat.

What are your favorite pellet smoked burger recipes?

Also read: this is the best wood for smoking meatloaf

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Lakeside Smokers is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with BBQ Smoking (& Japanese food!) at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.