Treat yourself to a BBQ experience with our flavor-packed smoked hamburgers, topped with caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and melted cheddar cheese. Master the art of the perfect smoky, juicy burger with this easy-to-follow recipe that’ll become a cookout favorite.
Sink your teeth into the perfect smoked hamburgers piled high on toasted buns with caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and gooey cheddar cheese. This easy smoker recipe is the best way to get juicy burgers with amazing smoky flavor on any grill with our tips for charcoal, gas grills, and pellet smokers.
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 lbs ground beef 70/30 or 60/40 ground beef blend
- ▢ 1 tsp salt
- ▢ 1/2 tsp pepper
- ▢ 1 white onion roughly diced
- ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
- ▢ 1 tbsp butter
- ▢ 4 slices Cheddar cheese
- ▢ 8 strips bacon cooked
- ▢ 4 Brioche Buns
- ▢ Lettuce
- ▢ Tomato sliced
- ▢ Pickles
- ▢ Mayo or Roasted Garlic Aioli
- ▢ Ketchup
- ▢ Mustard
Instructions
Prep the burgers
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Gently form the ground beef into even portions and roll it into balls. Working with your hands, gently press to form 4 quarter-pound burger patties, using your fingers to pinch the edges together.
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Arrange the patties onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Prep the grill
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When ready to grill, prep the smoker for indirect heat at a temperature of 225 degrees f, adding wood chips or a wood chunk for a true smoked flavor.
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Place a drip pan under the grill grate, and cover the lid, adjusting the air vents as needed to maintain the temperature.
Smoke the burgers
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When the grill has reached an even 225 degrees, and the smoke is clean, clean the grill grate and season the patties on both sides with salt and a little pepper.
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Place the burgers on the cooler side of the grill on the grill grates and cover the grill, allowing the burgers to smoke for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
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Use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the patties and adjust the air vents as needed to make sure the grill maintains an even temperature.
Caramelize the onions
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Meanwhile, use a cast iron skillet over indirect heat on the grill or stovetop. Add the onions, oil and butter to the pan and stir occasionally as the onions soften and turn golden brown on the edges, about 10 minutes.
Sear the burgers
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When the burgers are about 10 degrees below your desired finished temperature, transfer them to the hot side of the grill, and sear quickly to form a good crust.
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Add the cheddar cheese just to melt and toast the buns.
Serve
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Carefully remove the smoked burgers from the grill and transfer them to a clean platter.
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Build your burgers with the lettuce and smoked burger patty topped with caramelized onions, bacon, tomato, ketchup, mustard, and mayo. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 938kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 278mg | Sodium: 1467mg | Potassium: 451mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 996IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 3mg