Easy Pellet Grill Smoked Burgers

I started smoking burgers on my pellet grill after getting tired of dry, overcooked patties. What I got instead was a tender, juicy burger with a subtle smoky flavor and that unmistakable pink smoke ring.

There’s no flipping, no flare-ups, and no need to babysit the grill. Just steady heat and consistently great results. Once you try it, you’ll see why this has become my favorite way to cook burgers.

Why I love smoking burgers on the pellet grill

Once I started smoking burgers, I never looked back.

There’s no comparison to the flavor and texture you get when you cook burgers low and slow on a pellet grill. The smoke adds a subtle wood-fired flavor, helps form a flavorful crust, and keeps the patties juicy and tender without any babysitting.

I used to stress about burgers shrinking, drying out, or flaring up over high heat. Smoking removes all of that. It’s a steady, consistent method that lets the meat shine while you focus on the rest of the meal.

If you want a burger that’s packed with flavor, easy to cook, and hard to mess up, this is the method to try.

Ingredients for Smoked Burgers

• Ground Beef – I used Snake River Farms American Wagyu ground beef, but USDA Prime or Black Angus 80/20 ground beef will also work just fine.
• Burger/Steak Rub – We love our homemade steak rub! A simple SPG blend is all you need for the perfect burger. 
• Bacon – Thick-cut bacon makes a delicious, crispy, smoked bacon for the ultimate burger topping. 
• Homemade Burger Sauce – This homemade burger sauce is going to be on repeat. It’s a simple combination of mayo, ketchup, dijon mustard, pickle juice, relish, and SPG rub. 
• Burger Toppings – I went classic with American cheese, red onion, tomato, and butterleaf lettuce. You can check out other topping suggestions below.
• Brioche Burger Buns – I used brioche burger buns in this recipe. However, your preferred burger buns will work fine. 

What type of ground beef is best for burgers

Most people will buy their meat already ground at the store, which is what I usually do. Of course, if you have a meat grinder at home, making your own burger blends can produce excellent results.

What’s important here is choosing the proper fat-to-meat ratio. For me, I like an 80/20 blend.

That means 80% of the ground mixture is beef, and 20% is fat. This ratio tends to provide enough fat for flavor while keeping enough moisture throughout the cooking process to keep your burger juicy. 

I don’t recommend making this recipe with grass-fed ground beef. 

How to make smoked hamburgers 

1. Fire up the smoker

Preheat your pellet smoker to 250°F. You can smoke at higher temperatures like 300°F, which will help you develop a better crust, but most pellet grills struggle to impart a lot of smoke flavor. I find that you get the best results around 250°F.

I used my Traeger Grills Ironwood Pellet Grill, but any pellet grill will work for this recipe. For wood pellets, I kept it on brand with Traeger’s Signature Blend Pellets. 

You can use whatever brand of pellets you like. I don’t think it makes a huge difference. For burgers, I like using hickory, oak, or cherry pellets.

2. Make the rub (SPG)

I like to use a combination of a coarser and a finer ground pepper in the rub to get some variation in the texture.

Place the ground pepper, salt, and garlic in a bowl or lidded jar and mix well to combine.

The rub will be used as seasoning for your burger patties, burger sauce, and bacon.

3. Prep the patties

Add the ground beef to a mixing bowl and generously season with the SPG blend (remember to keep some for the sauce and bacon).

Start by gently forming the ground meat into one large ball. For ½-pound burgers, divide the meat in half. For four smaller patties, split it into quarters. You can also divide into thirds if you want a good middle ground between size and cook time.

Pro Tip: The larger ½-pound patties hold up better on the smoker, absorb more smoke, and give you a juicy interior with a flavorful crust.

Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten into patties. Press a slight dimple into the center of each one. This helps the burger cook evenly and prevents it from puffing up in the middle.

Place the patties on a plate with parchment paper and chill for at least 30 minutes before hitting the smoker.

3. Prep the Bacon

Place bacon on a wire rack over a baking sheet. The bacon can touch, but do not overcrowd. Season with the SPG blend on both sides and place in the smoker.

4. Smoke the patties

After chilling, place the burger patties in the smoker and smoke until 140°F internal temperature.

When it comes to smoked burgers, it’s best to serve them at least 140°F so they’ve had a chance to pick up some smoke flavor, smoke ring, and a little bit of a crust on the outside. The burgers will have a natural pink color from the smoke.

If you like your burgers with a bit more char, you can use the reverse sear method and take them off when they get to around 110°F, crank the smoker as high as it will go, and then finish them with a quick sear.

5. If using cheese

If you’re putting cheese on your burger and want it melted, place it on the burger patties near the end of their cook time, or melt the cheese with a culinary torch.

6. Prep the burger sauce

Combine the mayo, dijon mustard, ketchup, pickle juice, relish, and the burger rub in a mixing bowl. If you want to add some heat to the sauce, add your favorite hot sauce, chipotle, or cayenne powder.

7. Toast your buns

Toast the burger buns on the smoker when the burger patties are just about done smoking.

8. Build your burger

There are no rules here, people, but this is how I do it:

I like to sauce the bottom half of the bun, then put the patty and bacon on.

On the top half of the bun, I sauce again and pile it up with pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Then, carefully place the top half on the bottom bun. I like to secure it with a bamboo toothpick; this is optional, but it helps keep everything together while transporting it to the table.

Once you taste a smoked burger done right, there’s no going back. The slow smoke and juicy center turn a simple patty into something unforgettable. Fire up your smoker, grab your favorite toppings, and get ready to make the best burgers you’ve ever had.

If you try this recipe or have a great topping combo, we’d love to hear from you, so please leave a rating and comment below.