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    Home » Recipes » Grill Recipes » Smoker Recipes » Smoked Burgers With Cheese

    Smoked Burgers With Cheese

    Published: May 22, 2022 · Modified: Sep 21, 2022 by Jenna Passaro · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Traeger Smoked Burgers Recipe images with cheese on hamburgers and text overlay

    Delicious Traeger smoked burgers (and smoked cheeseburgers!) are tender, juicy, and loaded up with smoky flavor. Make my easy DIY hamburger patties using ground beef – or use store bought ½ LB beef patties. Let’s smoke ‘em up!

    Traeger Smoked Burger
    There are a few methods to smoking burgers on the pellet grill. In this recipe, you’ll see my tried and true method for how long to smoke burgers at 225 degrees F (my favorite smoked burgers traeger temperature at the moment) right on the grill grates.

    HEY THERE — Are you on instagram? I post quick, easy smoker recipes there @sipbitego.

    Table of Contents

    • Why it’s such a good smoked hamburgers recipe…
    • Why do you smoke burgers on low?
    • Ingredients
    • How to smoke burgers
    • Smoked burgers temperature chart
    • Meat thermometer recommendations
    • FAQs
    • More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes
    • Meat thermometer recommendations
    • Meat thermometer recommendations
    • Are you a foodie, too?
    • Traeger Smoked Burgers / Smoker Cheeseburgers Recipe | Sip Bite Go

    Why it’s such a good smoked hamburgers recipe…

    • Learn to make easy burger patties with just salt and pepper. 
    • Melt cheese in the smoker, too! Learn exactly when to add cheese.
    • Massive smoke flavor!! Especially if you use strong pellets like the yummy Traeger Hickory Pellets used in this demo.
    • It’s a pretty quick smoker recipe. Even at my lower smoking temperature for burgers on the Traeger, you’ll be ready to enjoy them in about 1.5 hours. 
    • New to smoked foods? See my step by step video for beginners (scroll to bottom of page). 
    Smoked Burgers with cheese and buns on Traeger Grills

    Why do you smoke burgers on low?

    This recipe smokes burgers at 225 degrees F. 

    The reason: massive FLAVOR!!!!

    It’s true that there are faster ways to smoke burgers – at 350, 400, 450, and even 500 degrees F – but I love smoking burgers at 225 degrees (or 250 if I’m “rushing it”) because they slowly pick up a TON of smoke flavor.

    And they come out with a beautiful deep, rich color. 

    Also see how to smoke bacon wrapped burgers stuffed with cheddar cheese – aka “Juicy Lucy’s… it’s a super tasty burger smoker recipe.

    Traeger Smoked Cheeseburgers with pellet grill melted cheddar cheese
    You place burgers on smoker grill grates directly, so they pick up a ton of smoky flavor while they cook.

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you need to make from-scratch burgers smoked to perfection.

    Infographic with ingredients list for smoking burgers with cheese

    For basic smoked burgers from scratch

    • Ground beef (ideally 80/20 blend)
    • Salt and pepper
    • Burger buns
    • Cheddar cheese (or gouda, etc, to make a smoked cheeseburger)

    Condiment ideas (optional)

    • Tomato
    • Pickles / relish
    • Lettuce
    • Onion
    • Ketchup
    • BBQ sauce

    See how to get more smoke flavor from your favorite recipes…

    Juicy ground beef smoked burger with condiments on a smoked hamburger bun
    This smoked burger recipe creates a very juicy burger!

    How to smoke burgers

    Now I’ll walk you through it…

    Infographic with recipe steps and captions for Traeger smoked hamburgers with cheese

    Quick look at smoked hamburgers on the Traeger…

    1. Make beef patties and preheat the smoker. 
    2. Smoke burgers.
    3. Add bun and cheese when almost done and finish smoking burgers to desired temperature.
    4. Assemble smoked cheeseburger and enjoy.
    Traeger Smoked Hamburgers with cheese on a plate

    Detailed recipe steps

    1. Measure the beef patties. To make the patties, use a scale to measure 8 oz burger patties, or ½ LB burgers, that are about ½ inch thick. (If you don’t have a scale, you can eyeball dividing up each LB of burger meat in half.)
    2. (optional) Season ground beef into burger patties for smoking. To a large bowl, add ground beef. You can choose to season the meat now with salt and pepper, or wait to add it on when you add the burgers to the grill. (we have tested and like both methods). 
    3. Shape burger patties (smoosh the meat together gently) so each one is about ½ inch thick. The goal is to create burger patties that are a bit wider than the diameter of the hamburger buns. Chill burger patties in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, or up to a few hours before smoking them.
    4. Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 225 degrees F. In the Sip Bite Go recipe video you’ll see we like using Hickory wood pellets for burgers because they provide phenomenal smoky flavor to the beef. 
    5. Smoke burgers. Remove burger patties from the fridge and season them with salt and pepper (if you haven’t already seasoned them). Then add them directly to the preheated smoker grill grates. Close the lid and smoke burger patties for 60 minutes. Optionally, you can flip the burgers at the 30 minute mark (but usually, I don’t). 
    6. (Optional) Toast buns and turn it into a smoked cheeseburger about 5-10 degrees prior to your ideal doneness temperature. So for medium smoked burgers, you’ll add the buns (inside facing down) directly onto the grill grates and add cheddar cheese on top of the still-smoking burgers when the temperature of the patties measure about 135 degrees F internally. From this point, you’ll smoke them another 15-20 minutes, with cheese on top, until the next step. Check the buns periodically and pull them off when they look toasted.
    7. Continue smoking burgers until done. They’re ready when the internal temperature reaches your desired level. Our burgers in the photos measured 145 degrees F for medium burgers. Transfer to a platter. 
    8. Finish smoked burgers with your favorite condiments and enjoy.
    Medium Temperature Traeger Smoked Burger
    My perfect medium temperature burger smoked on the Traeger!

    Serve your burgers with smoked bacon on top and a side of smoked mac and cheese.

    Another recipe to smoke on the Traeger at 225 degrees F is this side dish for smoked asparagus. It cooks in about an hour.

    Smoked burgers temperature chart

    Can you smoke hamburgers to any desired temp you’d like? Sure can!

    We smoked these burger patties to a perfect 145 degrees F. The cheese was added to the burgers on the Traeger when they were about 140 degrees, so the cheddar picked up a yummy smoke flavor as well. 

    Smoked Burger Temperature Guide Chart Infographic
    • Rare smoked burgers (125-130°F) is still red inside.
    • Medium rare smoked burgers (130-140°F) is red to pink inside.
    • Medium smoked burgers (140-150°F) is mostly pink.
    • Medium well (150-160°F) has just a slight bit of pink inside.
    • Well cooked (160°F) has no red or pink inside.

    Gourmet burger recipes from Sip Bite Go to check out…

    • Smoked burgers
    • Onion smash burgers
    • See how to make hamburger patties step by step
    • GUIDE: how long to grill burgers
    • Sous vide burgers
    • Mayo seared sous vide burgers
    • Sous vide lamb burgers
    • Smoked bacon wrapped burgers
    • Bacon wrapped burgers
    • Cheeseburger pizza

    Meat thermometer recommendations

    Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly. 

    On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:

    1. Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
    2. ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill. 

    It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature. 

    How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.

    While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!

    Traeger Grill with homemade hamburger patties and salt and pepper

    Also try this smoked meatballs recipe.

    FAQs

    What temp are smoked burgers done?

    Perfect medium temperature smoked burgers are done at 145 degrees F, as seen in the Sip Bite Go demonstration. You can use the burger temperature chart above to cook burgers on the smoker to different levels of doneness. 

    What pellets do you use to smoke burgers?

    Prepare to have your mind blown if you use Traeger Hickory Pellets like I did in the Sip Bite Go Traeger smoked burger recipe demo. I really love using a strong wood chip flavor for burgers to make them special and memorable.

    Why do you recommend 80/20 ground beef for smoking?

    Saturated fat is pretty comparable to 85/15 ground beef, but they’re just a little more jucy burger at 80/20. (It’s the ratio you’ll find for ground chuck). But we have used more lean ground beef and they’ve turned out pretty juicy, always tender and pretty much just as good! 

    Can you smoke burgers better than grilling them for BBQ parties?

    I think smoking burgers in many ways is easier than grilling them. They’re perfect for outdoor grilling / food smoking parties in the backyard because they’re difficult to mess up. It’s easier to burn traditional grilled burgers, or overcook them if you get carried away chatting with guests while they’re on the grill.

    For party or meal prepping smoked burger, you can pop them on the Traeger before the party starts, since they take about 2 hours. Use a thermometer that stays in the burgers like the one I recommend below and you’ll get alerted on your phone when they’re ready to take off the grill. They always turn out tender and juicy! See more about exactly how can you smoke burgers the easy way.

    Get inspired with easy recipes for a tasty backyard bbq menu – starting with this lineup of the best burger recipes ever.

    Jenna Passaro from Sip Bite Go holding smoked burger patties with cheese and a Traeger smoked burger with toasted buns

    More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes

    • Smoked mac and cheese
    • Smoked cream cheese
    • Smoked brisket flat
    • 321 ribs
    • Beer can chicken on the smoker
    • Smoked wings
    • Smoked tomahawk steak
    • Traeger tri tip
    • Smoked turkey breast
    • Smoked turkey legs
    • Whole smoked turkey
    • Smoked Traeger pizza
    • Smoked onion rings
    • Traeger smoked ham
    • Smoked whole chicken
    • Smoked jalapeno poppers
    • Smoked corn on the cob
    • Traeger beef ribs
    • Smoked leg of lamb
    • Smoked shrimp
    • Grilled chicken wings
    • Grilled skirt steak
    • Flank steak marinade
    • Grilled potato wedges
    • Smoked pulled pork
    • Want more? See my lineup of easy smoker recipes

    See my favorite smoker tools and seasonings in my Amazon Storefront.

    Meat thermometer recommendations

    Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly. 

    On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:

    1. Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
    2. ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill. 

    It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature. 

    How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.

    While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!

    Meat thermometer recommendations

    Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly. 

    On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:

    1. Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
    2. ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill. 

    It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature. 

    How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.

    While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!

    Melted smoked cheeseburger patty with cheddar

    Are you a foodie, too?

    Hey home chefs, hope that answers all your questions about smoker burgers. Soon I’ll also have a recipe for other ground meat smoker options like ground chicken burgers. 

    If you don’t follow me on instagram you totally should @sipbitego. And for more deliciousness, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel and see the Sip Bite Go recipe collection. 

    Traeger Smoked Burger

    Traeger Smoked Burgers / Smoker Cheeseburgers Recipe | Sip Bite Go

    Delicious Traeger smoked burgers / cheeseburgers are tender and juicy. See how long to smoke hamburgers at 225 degrees F in this pellet grill recipe.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner, Football, Game Day, lunch
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Resting Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 766kcal
    Author: Jenna Passaro

    Ingredients

    For basic smoked burgers from scratch

    • 2 lbs ground beef ideally 80/20 so they are juicy
    • ¾ tsp salt
    • ½ tsp pepper
    • 4 burger buns

    To make a smoked cheeseburger

    • 4 slices cheddar cheese

    Condiment ideas (optional, not included in nutrition info)

    • 1 tomato beefsteak, sliced ½”
    • 4 pickles deli style, sliced (substitute relish)
    • ½ cup lettuce Iceberg, shredded
    • 1 medium onion sweet or yellow, sliced ½”
    • ketchup
    • bbq sauce

    Instructions

    • Make beef patties. To make the patties, use a scale to measure 8 oz burger patties, or ½ LB burgers, that are about ½ inch thick. (If you don’t have a scale, you can eyeball dividing up each LB of burger meat in half.)
    • (optional) Season ground beef into burger patties for smoking. To a large bowl, add ground beef. You can choose to season the meat now by mixing in the salt and pepper before forming the patties, or you can wait to add it on top when you add the burgers to the grill. (we have tested and like both methods).
    • Shape burger patties (smoosh the meat together gently) so each one is about ½ inch thick. The goal is to create burger patties that are a bit wider than the diameter of the hamburger buns. Chill burger patties in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, or up to a few hours before smoking them.
    • Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 225 degrees F. In the Sip Bite Go recipe video you’ll see we like using Hickory wood pellets for burgers because they provide phenomenal smoky flavor to the beef.
    • Smoke burgers. Remove burger patties from the fridge and season them with salt and pepper (if you haven’t already seasoned them). Then add them directly to the preheated smoker grill grates. Close the lid and smoke burger patties for 60 minutes. Optionally, you can flip the burgers at the 30 minute mark (but usually, I don’t).
    • (Optional) Toast buns and turn it into a smoked cheeseburger about 5-10 degrees prior to your ideal doneness temperature. So for medium smoked burgers, you’ll add the buns (inside facing down) directly onto the grill grates and add cheddar cheese on top of the still-smoking burgers when the temperature of the patties measure about 135 degrees F internally. From this point, you’ll smoke them another 15-20 minutes, with cheese on top, until the next step. Check the buns periodically and pull them off when they look toasted.
    • Continue smoking burgers until done. They’re ready when the internal temperature reaches your desired level. Our burgers in the photos measured 145 degrees F for medium burgers. Transfer to a platter.
    • Finish smoked burgers with your favorite condiments and enjoy.

    Video

    Notes

    Done temperatures for smoked burgers…
    • Rare (125-130°F) is still red inside.
    • Medium rare (130-140°F) is red to pink inside.
    • Medium (140-150°F) is mostly pink.
    • Medium well (150-160°F) has just a slight bit of pink inside.
    • Well (160°F) has no red or pink inside.
    See the recipe: https://sipbitego.com/smoked-burgers
    Watch the full-length YouTube recipe video for smoked burgers on Sip Bite Go’s YouTube channel.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 766kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 912mg | Potassium: 681mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 172IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 224mg | Iron: 6mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @SipBiteGo or tag #sipbitego!
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    jenna passaro food blogger from Portland Oregon

    Hey, I’m Jenna Passaro.

    I develop easy recipes that can transform your kitchen into a restaurant – and you into a true home chef.

      

    Where to start?

    Learn the secrets to smoking tasty Traeger recipes and making pizza at home. And cook amazing tri tip steak dinners.

    Or, fall in love with something new to cook with your air fryer, pellet smoker, BBQ grill, sous vide cooker, and more…

    You’ll notice, I kind of geek out over new cooking trends and tools!

    Instagram me @sipbitego & chef hubs @handmodelpatrick

    My story. Growing up, I didn’t learn to cook.

    (I was actually banned from cooking for years)

    And then in my 20’s I didn’t have to cook because my job as an event planner involved a lot of travel and it was easier to eat out. At the time, I was 100% positive that restaurant food would always taste better than cooking at home, and there was nothing I could do about it.

    Until I fell in love with a chef. He would come over and cook me delicious meals right in my own kitchen. My mind was blown.

    Since then, I’ve been on a mission to figure out easy ways to make restaurant style food at home and share it here on Sip Bite Go.

    Love to eat out and travel? I can totally relate. See my guide on where to eat in Portland, OR.

    jenna passaro the home chef's sous vide cookbook

    Never in a million years did I imagine I’d ditch the 9-5 lifestyle in my late 20’s, move across the country on a whim, start a new life, start a food blog, and write a book.

    But here I am!

    See my book on Amazon: The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook.

     

       

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