Smoked Hamburgers at 225°F

Smoked Hamburger at 225°F

One of the best things about having a smoker is being able to smoke food that isn’t commonly smoked.

Usually, smoked burgers aren’t on the menu at restaurants but smoked burgers actually taste really amazing.

The combination of a little smoke with each burger bite will make any burger recipe that you know and love even better!

So let’s quickly cover how to smoke burgers at 225°F so you can enjoy a little smoke flavor with each burger bite.

Smoked burgers at 225°F will usually take 60 minutes to 90 minutes for the burger patty to reach an internal temperature of 160°F. Burger patties do not need to be flipped when smoking at 225°F, however, the temperature of the smoker can be cranked up at the end to add a nice sear to the patties.

Watch this video tutorial of smoking burgers at 225°F:

Now let’s quickly cover some commonly asked questions about smoking burgers at 225°F.

How Much Time It Takes To Smoke Burgers At 225°F

Smoking burgers at 225°F will take about 60 minutes to 90 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 160°F.

If you prefer your burgers medium-rare then smoking burgers at 225°F for 45 minutes to 60 minutes will usually do the trick.

You can take smoked burgers off the grill after 30 minutes regardless of the internal temperature and then place the patties on a grill or back on the smoker at a higher temperature.

The higher temperature will allow the outside of the patties to develop sear marks and will also finish off the patties once they reach your desired internal temperature.

Here’s a chart that outlines the burger doneness by internal temperature:

Burger Doneness Internal Temperature
Rare120°F – 125°F
Medium Rare130°F – 135°F
Medium140°F – 145°F
Medium Well150°F – 155°F
Well Done160°F – 165°F

Do You Flip Burgers When Smoking?

Similar to brisket or ribs being smoked at 225°F, burger patties do not need to be flipped when smoking. Smokers cook through indirect heat meaning the heat and smoke will be cooking the burger patty from all sides.

However, if the smoker is cranked to a high temperature such as 450°F then the burger patty will need to be flipped to get a sear on both sides.

See this article for more information on when to flip meat on a smoker.

How To Sear Burgers On Smokers

Generally, smokers and pellet grills have lower temperature settings compared to charcoal or propane grills.

In fact, most smokers are intended to smoke food “low and slow” which is anywhere from 225°F to 300°F.

However, what happens when we want to sear a burger on a smoker?

In order to sear a burger on a smoker, get the smoker as hot as possible which is usually around 450°F. After the smoker preheats for 10 minutes, place the burger patties on the grill grates for 2 minutes on each side to allow sear marks to develop.

This method of smoking the meat first and then adding sear marks at the end is called reverse searing.

See this article to learn more about searing meat on smokers.

Why Are Smoked Burgers Pink?

Smoked burger patties may have a pink color to them even when cooked thoroughly.

Similar to how smoke rings are created on brisket, nitric oxide (NO) binds to the red major meat protein myoglobin to create the distinctive pink/red smoke ring. In burgers, the entire patty itself may remain a stable pink color from the wood smoke.

Smoked burger patties that have reached an internal temperature of 120°F for rare and 160°F for well-done will be safe to consume as long as the burger patties have not been smoking for more than 4 hours.

Can You Cook Burgers at 225°F?

Burgers can be cooked or smoked at 225°F especially given how thin burger patties usually are. Generally, burger patties will take anywhere from 45 minutes for rare to 90 minutes for well done when cooking or smoking at 225°F.

Burger patties that are cooked at 225°F will not have sear marks so you will need to raise the cooking temperature in order to sear the outside of the patties.

How to Store Leftover Smoked Burgers

Although when you smoke hamburgers, there will probably not be any leftovers. Here is how to store leftover smoked hamburgers in the fridge and freezer.

When storing leftover smoked burgers in the refrigerator, place the hamburgers in an airtight container and place the burgers in the fridge. Hamburgers can be safely refrigerated for about 3 to 4 days.

When storing leftover smoked burgers in the freezer, place the hamburger in a resealable or vacuum-sealed bag and place the burgers in the freezer. Hamburgers can be safely frozen for up to 4 months.

At What Temperature Do You Smoke Hamburgers?

Hamburgers can be smoked from start to finish at 225°F. Generally, hamburgers will take anywhere from 45 minutes for rare to 90 minutes for well done when smoking at 225°F.

Keep in mind that smoked hamburgers at 225°F may have a pink/red internal color even when the patty has been fully cooked. The hamburger will also not have any sear marks when smoked at 225°F.

In order to create sear marks on a smoked hamburger, see this article to learn more about reverse searing.

How Do You Smoke Hamburgers in a Pellet Grill?

Follow these steps in order to smoke hamburgers in a pellet grill:

  1. Set the pellet grill’s cooking temperature to 225°F
  2. Wait 10 minutes for the pellet grill to preheat
  3. Place the hamburger patties on the pellet grill
  4. Check the internal temperature of the hamburger patties until they reach desired doneness

Here’s a chart that outlines the hamburger doneness by internal temperature:

Burger Doneness Internal Temperature
Rare120°F – 125°F
Medium Rare130°F – 135°F
Medium140°F – 145°F
Medium Well150°F – 155°F
Well Done160°F – 165°F

Usually, hamburgers will take about 45 minutes to reach rare and 90 minutes to reach well done when smoking at 225°F.

Smoked Hamburger

Smoked Hamburgers at 225°F

Smoked hamburgers will add a nice smoky flavor to your favorite hamburger recipe. Throw your favorite hamburger mixture on the smoker and wait 45 minutes for rare or 90 minutes for well done smoky burgers.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 1 Smoker or Pellet Grill

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lb ground beef (80/20)
  • 4 slices cheese
  • 4 burger buns
  • assorted burger toppings

Seasoning

  • salt
  • black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the smoker for at least 10 minutes at 225°F.
  • Season ground beef with salt and pepper.
  • Shape ground beef into 4 patties about 1/2 inch larger in diameter than burger buns.
  • Place seasoned patties on the smoker for up to 1 hour or until internal temperature of the burger patty reaches 120°F.
  • Remove patties from smoker and increase the cooking temperature of smoker to 450°F.
  • After 10 minutes, place the burger patties back on the grill grate. Sear the burger patties for 2-3 minutes on both sides.
  • Add cheese after the first flip when searing.
  • Check the internal temperature of burger patties for desired doneness.
  • Remove the burger patties and toast the buns on the smoker at a high heat.
  • Assemble the smoked burgers on the toasted buns with any toppings.

Video

Keyword Smoking
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Steven

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