How to Smoke Hamburgers

If you are wondering how to smoke hamburgers on a gas grill or how to smoke hamburgers on an electric smoker, you’ll be pleased to find that it’s really not that difficult to do. Smoking burgers gives them a deep flavor that’s not something you can replicate by just frying them in the skillet. Here’s everything you need to know about smoking hamburgers on the grill or on a smoker.

How to Smoke Hamburgers?

There are a couple of different ways that you can smoke hamburgers. You can either smoke them on a smoker or a grill. This is how you can smoke them by using either method.

How to Smoke Hamburgers on a Smoker:

1. Place wood chips into the smoker’s tray.
2. Turn the smoker on, and let it heat up until it reaches 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Put the hamburger patties on the grates to cook.
4. Let the patties cook for about 60 minutes.
5. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of each hamburger patty to make sure that they are thoroughly cooked. The internal temperature should be 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Remove the patties from the smoker if they have reached the desired internal temperature.

How to Smoke Hamburgers on a Grill:

1. Place 2 cups of wood chips into a bucket of water.
2. Let soak for about 30 minutes.
3. Remove the wood chips from the bucket, and place them on a sheet of aluminum foil.
4. Fold the edges of the aluminum foil up so that it forms a pouch.
5. Poke at least 10 holes into the bottle of the pouch.
6. Put it one side of the grill’s grates.
7. Preheat the grill.
8. When the pouch containing the wood chips starts to smoke, place the burgers on the grill.
9. Let them cook anywhere from 5-9 minutes, and remove the hamburger patties when they reach the desired doneness.

Recommended Internal Temperature and Smoking Time for Hamburgers

The recommended cooking time will vary based on your individual preferences. Smoking hamburgers on a smoker will take a lot longer than it would on a grill. The thickness of the hamburger patties will also influence how long they will need to cook. Here’s a rough guide as to how long you should smoke your hamburgers for on a smoker or on a grill.

Smoking Hamburgers Internal Temperature:

Many first-time smokers don’t cook their hamburger patties long enough or leave them on for too long. This can lead to meat that is raw in the middle or is charred on the outside.

It’s best to use the ThermoPro Meat Thermometer to determine whether your hamburger patties are done. This will ensure that you don’t cook or burgers for too little or too long.

If you want a burger that’s well done, you can expect to cook it for at least an hour. It should have an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Smoking Hamburger Internal Temperature:

You’ll find that you can cook hamburgers faster on a grill than on a smoker. This is because your grill will get a lot hotter than your smoker will. Unfortunately, this can lead to your hamburger patties cooking a lot faster than you expected and them inadvertently burning. This is how long you should cook hamburgers dependent on your taste preferences.

• Rare: 5-6 minutes per side with an internal temperature of 125°F
• Medium Rare: 6-7 minutes per side with an internal temperature of 135°F
• Medium: 7-8 minutes per side with an internal temperature of 145°F
• Well Done: 8-9 minutes per side with an internal temperature of 160°F

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t depend on the amount of time that the hamburger patties have been cooking in order to determine whether or not they are done. It’s imperative that you use a meat thermometer like the ThermoPro Meat Thermometer in order to determine whether or not your hamburger patties are cooked thoroughly.

Smoked Burgers Tips and Tricks

If you’ve never smoked hamburger patties before, you may have a lot of questions about it. Fortunately, there are a lot of tips and tricks that you can use in order to smoke the perfect burgers. These of some of the most popular tips and tricks that very experienced grillers use.

1. When you are trying to learn how to smoke hamburgers on a smoker or grill, you probably are wondering if you can just use any meat that you have on hand. Because smoking can cause meat to dry out, you really need to choose hamburger that has at least 15% fat in it. If you’d prefer not to use ground beef, you can also use a mix of equal parts ground pork and ground turkey. By choosing meat that contains the right amount of fat, you will ensure that you are left with burgers that aren’t too dry to eat.
2. When checking on your hamburger patties, you may think that it’s time to flip them based on their color. However, smoking will naturally change the color of the meat. What this means is that even if your burgers look brown, this doesn’t mean that they are ready to be eaten. This is why you need to use the ThermoPro Meat Thermometer to find out what the internal temperature of the meat is. By using a meat thermometer you won’t have to worry about whether or not your meat isn’t cooked enough. You should never determine if your meat is cooked enough based on the color of it.
3. A lot of individuals that are novices when it comes to smoking meat will make their hamburger patties way too big. They will be so thick that it will be difficult for the burgers to cook thoroughly. This is why it’s important that you make your hamburger patties the right size. Their diameter should be no more than five inches. Your patties should also be about half an inch thick. Make sure they are flat on the bottom so that they sit easily on the grates of the grill or smoker.
4. Many of us have been guilty of pushing down on our hamburger patties with a spatula while cooking them. While you may think this helps them cook faster, you will find that what you are actually doing is pushing all of the juices out of the patty. Avoid the temptation to push down on the hamburger patty with your spatula. Just let them cook for the specified amount of time, and use a meat thermometer to determine whether or not they are ready to be removed from the smoker or grill.
5. Not all types of wood chips should be used if you are wanting to smoke the best hamburgers. You need to use a stronger wood in order to get a rich smoky taste. Oak and hickory are all great choices. It’s especially important that you use the right wood when you are smoking hamburgers on a grill as they won’t be exposed to the smoke nearly as long as they would be if you’d cooked them on a smoker.
6. If you are going to put cheese on your burgers, you need to wait until they are just about done. It’s best to put the cheese on a couple of minutes before you are about to remove your hamburgers from the grill or smoker. If the cheese is heated for too long, it can alter the flavor of the overall hamburger. If you’re using a grill, now is a great time to put your hamburger buns on the grates to toast them as well. This will add a nice crunch that will complement your burger. You should spread a little bit of butter or margarine on each side of the buns so that they don’t stick to the grates of the grill.

The End

Smoking hamburgers on the grill or smoker may just change the way you make hamburgers forever. The key to the perfect burger really is making sure that you cook it for the right amount of time. You can easily cook your hamburger patties to the perfect temperature by utilizing the ThermoPro Meat Thermometer. It’s very easy to use, and it will allow you to check the internal temperature of the meat throughout the entire smoking process.

You shouldn’t try to smoke hamburgers without using one as you are just setting yourself up for disaster. The ThermoPro Meat Thermometer is a must-have device whether you are a novice smoker or a more experienced griller.