Home-style Pit Boss Smoked Hamburgers

These aren’t burgers you threw on a smoker. Two ingredients get mixed straight into the meat before they ever see smoke, and that’s what makes this version different. A little heat, a little melt, and the smoke has something to actually work with besides ground beef.

Pit Boss Smoked Burgers Recipe

Patty thickness is the thing we kept coming back to during testing, and it matters more than you’d think going in. Too thin and the patty can’t survive the smoke time. It overcooks fast, and the smoke flavor ends up overwhelming everything rather than complementing it. Three quarters of an inch is the sweet spot we kept landing on, and it’s worth taking the extra 30 seconds to check before they go on.

The panko is doing more work than people expect. Without enough of it, the mixture gets too wet to even form properly. You’re fighting it before it ever even hits the smoker. Once it’s cooking, a patty with too little panko doesn’t crumble a little. It falls apart in chunks. The panko is what holds everything together through that longer smoke time, so you’re not babying the patties or losing half your burger to the grates.

The smoke time itself is a balance between flavor and tenderness. This isn’t a low-and-slow breakdown situation like a brisket. You’re giving the smoke enough time to work all the way through the meat, past the surface, so the green chile and cheese you mixed in are actually working With It. That’s what makes this taste like it was built for the smoker and not thrown on one.

Why you will come back to Smoking Hamburgers

The method is straightforward to love, and here’s why:

• Smoked burgers are so juicy and soft!
• They are absolutely packed with flavor, even more than a standard grilled burger.
• These pit boss hamburgers are incredibly straightforward to cook. They take a little longer to cook, but the wait is worth it.
• You can top them with all your favorite burger toppings.

What You’ll Need for Smoking Burgers

Here’s what you will need to grab at the grocery store

• Ground sirloin – This recipe calls for 1 pound, which makes about 5 burgers. The method is straightforward to multiply. We recommend using a higher ground beef to fat ratio for smoked burgers, such as 90/10 or 85/15. Lean meat won’t hold together as well.
• Panko breadcrumbs – we love the texture that panko breadcrumbs bring to these burgers. You can also use standard breadcrumbs if you prefer.
• Burger seasoning – we like to use this Burger seasoning (affiliate link) But you can use your favorite beef seasoning if you prefer.
• Roasted green chiles – These come in a can and add so much flavor to plenty of recipes and they’re not spicy at all. We always keep a few cans on hand. However, you can totally skip this ingredient. They also help you have a juicy, soft smoked burger.
• Shredded cheese – We love using cheese as a binder in burgers. It adds a ton of flavor. If you like it, then try these Cheesy ranch burgers.

Best toppings for Smoked Burgers

You can top your burgers with your favorite toppings and condiments. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Condiments

Sauces and condiments help to add moisture and flavor to your sandwich and burger. You can go classic or creative.

• Mayonnaise
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Ranch dressing
• Barbecue sauce
• Fry sauce
• Smoked White Queso Dip

Cheese

For a classic cheeseburger, try a yellow cheese such as Cheddar or American cheese.

White cheeses like Swiss or Gouda add a smoky flavor to your smoky burger.

Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack are great choices for a spicy style burger.

Tart goat cheese and tangy blue cheese pair well with beef.

Burger Toppings

Serve up a few topping choices to a crowd so they can build their well-balanced smoked hamburger.

• Lettuce
• Tomato slices
• Onion slices
• Pickles
• Bacon
• Fried egg
• Coleslaw
• Avocado slices
• Guacamole
• Kimchi
• Onion strings

How to cook Smoked Burgers (Step by Step)

Here’s how to cook these smoked beef burgers.

1. Preheat the smoker to 190°F.
2. Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, burger seasoning, green chiles, and cheese in a mixing bowl.
3. Using your hand, mix until combined without overmixing.
4. Form into 5 equal-sized patties. We like to use this Patty maker
5. Place burgers on the smoker and smoke for 25 minutes. Flip only once.
6. Continue smoking for an additional 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is to your preference of burger. See the section called “internal temperature guide” below.
7. Remove from the smoker and stack with your favorite bun and toppings.

What pellets to use when smoking burgers?

Because these burgers aren’t smoked for long, you will want to use a stronger flavor of wood pellets.

We recommend using hickory, oak, or mesquite, which have a strong flavor when they are smoked.

For Pit Boss smoked burgers, we like using a good Pit Boss brand smoking pellet

Smoked Burger Recipe Tips and Tricks

Here are a few tips and tricks for making this smoked burger recipe:

The type of ground beef you use matters. A house favorite ground beef to fat ratio is 90/10 or 85/15. You may wish to use organic and/or grass-fed beef or support a farmer at your local farmer’s market.

When forming the patties, you should divide the meat into 5 equal parts, then form them into balls and flatten them with your hands. You can also use a Patty maker

Make sure to grease the grates before adding the burgers. You can use grill spray or rub half an onion or potato on the grates to grease them.

When you are making burgers on a smoker, it is important to use a Meat thermometer

The burgers may appear underdone even if they are not because smoking causes the meat to turn pink. See the section called “internal temperature guide” below.

Though it is tempting to flip over and over again, make sure you only flip the burgers once. This keeps the cooking even inside the burger and the grill marks pretty.

Internal temperature guide for burgers on pellet grill

Follow the temperature guides listed below when using your meat thermometer. You may want to use a Wireless meat thermometer

Remember that meat will continue to cook when it is removed from heat. After you take them off the grill, you will want the burgers to rest for 5 minutes before serving, which helps your burger patties stay super juicy.

• Rare: 125°F-130°F
• Medium Rare: 130°-140°F
• Medium: 140°-150°F
• Medium Well: 150°F-160°F
• Well Done: 160°F

Sides for Smoked Hamburgers

Burgers are satisfying on their own, but it always helps to have a few sides on deck!

Try a Grilled Peach Salad With beautiful summer produce on top. So sweet and flavorful.

Pasta Salad Is always a hit with burgers — we recently updated this recipe with plenty of tips and tricks.

For a bit of green for your spread, try Cucumber Salad Or Broccoli Salad. These healthy sides would be satisfying.

And don’t forget the potato chips!

Smoked Burgers FAQs