Easy Smoked Hamburger Recipe

Classic American smoked hamburger with cheese on a cutting board.

5 from 1 vote

Easy Smoked Hamburger Recipe

Smoked Hamburger finished over high heat and topped with your favorite ingredients. Cheese or no cheese, this is truly the easiest and best smoked burger ever!

Prep Time1 15

Cook Time40

Course: dinner, Entree

Cuisine: American, hamburgers

Servings: burgers

Author: Mary Cressler

Cost: $15

Equipment

Ingredients

1 ¼ pound ground beef, preferably 80/20
4 teaspoons beef seasoning
4 hamburger buns (Recommend potato buns or brioche)
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices red onion, thick rounds
4 pieces butter lettuce
4 slices tomatoes
⅓ cup fry sauce

Instructions

Preheat Smoker: Prepare the smoker targeting 250 degrees Fahrenheit using a fruit wood like apple or cherry.
Prepare Burger Patties: In a large bowl add ground beef and beef seasoning. Form the beef into 4 equal-sized 1/3 pound beef patties. We recommend a good digital kitchen scale for consistency.
Smoked Burgers: Place the formed beef patties on the grill grate in the preheated smoker. Smoke for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches between 130-140 degrees F. Remove and set aside.
Grill Burgers: Increase the grill heat and prepare for direct grilling targeting 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the smoked hamburger on the grates over direct heat. Sear the first side for 2 minutes and flip. Add cheese if you want cheese and close the lid. Let the burger continue to grill until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove.
Assemble: Place burgers on the bun and add your toppings in layers. Starting with the onions, tomato, lettuce, and then the burger sauce. Add the top bun and enjoy.

Notes

Alternatively: If you don't want to increase your grill temperature, no problem. Just heat up a cast iron skillet over the stovetop. Get it hot! Then finish the smoked burgers over a skillet to get a nice sear and cook to 160 degrees.

Don't want to Sear?: That's cool. Just keep smoking your burgers until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. This should take roughly another 20-30 minutes on the smoker.

Nutrition