Juicy Smoked Burgers - The Keep At House Chef

Let our pitmaster train you how one can simply take your burger to the subsequent stage by utilizing your yard pellet smoker. Utilizing an 80/20 mix of floor beef ensures that every patty stays juicy. Get able to wow your loved ones and mates with these next-level smoked burgers which are juicy, flavorful, and oh-so-delicious.

Strive utilizing bang bang sauce or our crazy good comeback sauce as your foremost condiment. Holy yum!

Why Our Recipe

Our pitmaster will train you how one can simply take your burger to the subsequent stage by utilizing a pellet smoker.
This technique can be utilized with any of your private favourite burger blends, or make some enjoyable additions to our recipe.

A close up view of a smoked burger on a black plate.

Chef Cayt is our resident pitmaster smoking professional. Her love of grilling and smoking is aware of no bounds with a complete assortment of people who smoke in her yard. Together with her directions, you’ll be cooking up the juiciest, most flavorful smoked burgers very quickly. Her years of expertise reaching the right smoke make this recipe downright foolproof.

Ingredient Notes

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make smoked burgers.

Floor Beef: Go for an 80/20 mix. The fats is taste, and it helps preserve the burger juicy. When you’re utilizing leaner beef, like 90/10, add a tablespoon of shredded cheese or a tablespoon of softened butter to maintain it moist.
Egg: helps bind all the things collectively to ensure your patty holds it’s form on the grill.
Worcestershire Sauce: is all about including a splash of taste.
Salt and Black Pepper: important for taste. You’ve received to salt that beef!
Garlic Powder and Onion Powder: much more taste. Don’t be bland!

Enjoyable Add-Ins

Finely chopped jalapenos, inexperienced chiles, bacon bits, or minced contemporary garlic can take your smoked burgers to the subsequent stage. Simply watch out to not overdo it! Intention for about 1/4 cup of add-ins per pound of floor beef. An excessive amount of could make the patties crumble, so preserve it balanced to keep up that excellent burger form and texture.

Pellet Suggestions

Hickory: A basic selection that gives a powerful, smoky taste. Excellent for individuals who love that deep campfire taste.

Cherry: Provides a barely candy and fruity taste to your burgers. It additionally provides the meat an exquisite mahogany coloration.

Pecan: Provides nutty taste that pairs splendidly with beef. It’s a bit milder than hickory however nonetheless filled with character.

Oak: A flexible wooden that gives a medium smoky taste. It’s an incredible all-around selection that enhances the meat with out overpowering it.

An overhead view of smoked burger patties before and after cooking.

The Pink Coloration

Don’t fret in case your smoked burgers come out with a reddish hue, particularly when utilizing cherry wooden. This isn’t an indication that they’re undercooked. It’s how they’re alleged to be! The pink coloration comes from the smoking course of, the place the wooden imparts its coloration to the meat via the smoke. It’s the gorgeous indicator of a well-smoked burger.

Patty Sizing

Shrinkage occurs! To make sure your burgers match completely in your buns, goal to make your patties about 1/2 inch wider than the buns throughout. This accounts for the inevitable shrinkage that occurs throughout cooking, providing you with a superbly sized patty that fills the bun from edge to edge. A little bit further width now means an ideal match later!

A smoked burger patty sitting atop a bun on a plate ready to be sandwiched into a smoked burger.

Smoking Time and Temps

For the juiciest smoked burgers, it’s all about hitting the suitable inside temperature. Within the US, it’s protected to prepare dinner burgers to medium, however remember the fact that suggestions could fluctuate in different areas. Since we are able to’t give precise cooking instances because of variations in smoker fashions and climate circumstances, it’s essential to make use of a temperature probe or an instant-read thermometer to make sure accuracy.

Medium: This offers you the right juicy middle that’s barely pink. For the most effective outcomes, take away the burgers from the smoker once they attain 140°F and allow them to relaxation for five minutes. Throughout this time, the temperature will rise to 145°F.

Medium Properly: For many who choose only a trace of pink, goal for an inside temperature of 150°F and let the burgers relaxation till they attain 155°F. It will usually require an additional 1 to 2 minutes per facet in comparison with medium.

Properly Achieved: For a totally cooked burger with no hint of pink, prepare dinner to an inside temperature of 160°F or larger. Bear in mind that well-done burgers will be much less juicy and a bit drier, but when that’s your desire, go for it! This normally means about 8 minutes per facet.