There’s no substitute for smoking burgers over a wood fire. The taste, convenience, and versatility of using a pellet grill to smoke burgers is an easy way to get a great smoky flavor infused into your meat. As you prepare and plan to serve some delicious food, you inevitably ask, how long it takes to smoke burgers?
It takes about 1 hour to smoke a beef hamburger to a safe internal temperature of 160°F. Various factors will increase or decrease this cooking time, such as patty thickness, smoker temperature, etc.
I like to smoke burgers with mesquite or hickory wood pellets at a low 225°F. After about 25 – 30 minutes, or once they’ve reached an internal temp of 125°F, I remove them from the smoker then increase the smoker’s temperature to its highest setting.
Once pre-heated, return the burgers to the smoker and grill them for about 4 minutes per side to sear the meat surfaces. Add it to the patty after the first flip if you want cheese.
Now that you know the general amount of time it takes to smoke hamburgers, you may be wondering what best practices you should follow to get the best result.
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How Long to Smoke Burgers on a Traeger or Pellet Grill?
It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to smoke burgers on a pellet grill. You begin by smoking at a lower 225°F with high smoke. After about 25-30 minutes, you remove the burgers, increase the smoker’s temperature to its highest setting, then return them to the grill for about another 8 minutes.
There are a few steps and tips to follow, as outlined in the rest of this article.
What Temperature Should You Grill Hamburgers?
If you’re using a pellet grill to grill your hamburgers instead of smoking them, the first thing you want to do is set your smoker to its highest temperature. This can be 400 to 450°F, or your grill may have the ability to go as high as 500°F. Grilling at a high temp over wood versus gas means you’ll get great flavors added to the meat.
One method is grilling the burgers over a high temperature and flipping often for an even cook. If you can grill over direct flame, then apply that option.
What Temp to Smoke Burgers on a Pellet Grill?
When it comes to smoking, instead of grilling your burgers, you’ll want to set your smoker to 225°F. You can also set your smoke level to high if you have that option. Smoke the burgers for 25-30 minutes or until their internal temperature reaches 125°F then remove them from the grill. Increase your smoker’s temperature to its highest setting and wait for it to get there.
Once your smoker reaches your desired temp, place the patties back on the grates. This will give your burgers a beautiful sear and caramelize the exterior into a delicious crust.
The grilling part will take about 4 minutes per side on a burger that’s 1.5 inches thick. Make sure you don’t push on the patties with your spatula, letting all the flavorful juices leak out.
When Do You Know Your Burgers Are Done?
I follow the USDA guideline that ground meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. You can get away with a lower temp, creating a more rare steak because the harmful bacteria live near the meat’s surface. Because of this, it doesn’t take long to heat the surface of the beef hot enough to kill the harmful bacteria.
However, when you grind your meat into hamburger patties, you mix the bacteria into all parts of the burger. To be safe, I like to get the internal temp to reach a safe 160°F.
How Long Does It Take To Smoke Burgers at 250 or 275°F?
It will take about an hour to smoke a thawed or fresh burger when cooking at 250 to 275°F. However, many factors affect how long a burger takes to cook.
How Long Does It Take to Smoke Burgers at 300 or 350°F?
This will depend on how thick your patties are, but it will take about 30 – 45 minutes to cook. Make sure you smoke your hamburgers to an internal temperature of 160°F. You can pull them off at 155°F since the heat will continue cooking the meat for another 5°F or more.
Best Wood Pellets for Smoking Burgers
Wood pellets burn hot, long, and give off less ash than wood chips. That being said, the question is, what wood pellets should you use when smoking burgers on a pellet grill?
You can use hickory, mesquite, oak, or most pellets except for your fruit options like applewood. I suggest staying away from fruitwood when smoking burgers. I will discuss a couple of the most common choices in more detail.
Hickory
Hickory wood pellets give a bold flavor and aroma that pairs well with garlic and other seasonings. You even get a bacon-like infusion when smoking burgers with hickory.
Mesquite
Mesquite wood pellets bring a much smokier and heftier flavor to your meat. This goes well with spicy BBQ flavors and even gets a steak-like element to your food.
How Long to Smoke Turkey Burgers?
When smoking turkey burgers, make sure they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. How long this will take will depend on the thickness of your meat, along with the temp of your smoker.
I recommend using either mesquite, apple, or pecan wood pellets. Each of these brings a nice flavor and aroma that pairs well with turkey.
If you smoke your patties at 250°F, it should take about 1.5 hours, give or take, for them to be done.
Since homemade turkey patties made with ground turkey meat can crumble much more easily than beef patties, I suggest placing them in the freezer for about 30 minutes before moving them into the smoker. This will help prevent them from breaking up on the grates.
Can You Smoke Frozen Burgers?
Yes, you can smoke frozen burger patties, but you shouldn’t. If you have the time, let the meat thaw. Smoking or grilling fresh will give you better flavors and juiciness.
Frozen burger patties could still come out tasting good, but it is more difficult getting them to turn out as well as they would have if the patties were cooked after being thawed.
How Long Does it Take To Smoke Frozen Burgers?
Smoking a patty that’s frozen will take longer than if it was fresh. I suggest taking the time to thaw the meat before smoking or grilling. You won’t lose much time, and the result should taste better.
If you have to or want to smoke your burgers from frozen, the time it will take will vary. Factors such as the thickness of the patty, the temperature of your smoker, even the humidity will all affect the time it takes to be done.
Do You Flip Burgers When Smoking?
If you have them directly on the grill grates, you don’t need to flip them while smoking at a low temperature. When it comes time to crank up the heat and sear, you will toss them once.
If you decide to cook your burgers on a pellet grill with a high temperature, such as above 350°F, you will want to flip your burgers at least once.
You can flip more than once, and sometimes I do, but it isn’t a requirement. However, once you add cheese, your flipping has come to an end. Make sure to add the cheese after you last flip, and you are within 4 minutes from taking them off the grill.
Conclusion
As discussed throughout this article, the time it takes to smoke your burgers depends. However, you can get them deliciously smoked in about an hour.
Just make sure to cook your meat to a safe temperature, leave yourself enough time to cook the hamburgers for your guests, and grill them over high heat after smoking the patties. Do this by taking them off the grill after being smoked, raising the temperature to be high, then adding them back onto to caramelize the exterior. This is a great way to add more flavor.
If you’re curious about how long it takes to smoke other food, look at our complete guide on How Long To Smoke Ribs.
Below is a Pinterest-friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Smoking Food Board!!
