Smoked Burgers Recipe With a Reverse Sear (Juicy, Big Smoke Flavor)
Smoked burgers are what I make when I want burger night to feel like an event instead of a quick weekday dinner. Low heat, real smoke, then a hard sear at the end. You get a burger you can’t fake on a gas grill.
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The one move people skip: I put the patties on cold, straight from the fridge, and I don’t touch them. No flipping, no pressing. The smoke does the work for the first hour, and the sear at the end builds the crust. That’s the whole trick.
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Chef Jenn’s Take on Smoked Burgers
Most people cook burgers one way: hot and fast, flipping every thirty seconds, pressing down with the spatula until the juice runs out onto the grill. That gets you a gray, dry patty and a flare-up. Smoked burgers go the other direction, and that’s the point.
I keep the seasoning to just salt and pepper here. With good 80/20 beef and a full hour of smoke, anything more is doing damage control on a problem you don’t have.
What makes this version work is starting cold and finishing hot. Cold patties keep their shape on the grates and take on smoke more evenly while the inside comes up slowly. Then you crank the heat for the reverse sear, and that fast blast at the end is what gives you a crust instead of a soft, steamed exterior. Low and slow for flavor, hot and fast for texture.
What You’ll Love About Smoked Burgers
- The smoke flavor goes all the way through the patty, not just sitting on the surface, because the beef spends close to an hour absorbing it before it ever sees high heat.
- I season with just salt and pepper, and I mean it. A two-pound batch of good 80/20 beef and real smoke doesn’t need a seasoning blend doing damage control.
- The reverse sear means you control the doneness instead of guessing. You’re pulling at a number on a thermometer, not poking the patty and hoping.
Ingredients
- 80/20 ground beef – Don’t go leaner. The fat is what keeps these juicy through a long smoke.
- Kosher salt – Coarse kosher, not table salt. If all you have is fine salt, cut the amount by about a third, or it’ll taste oversalted.
- Black pepper – Coarsely ground, fresh if you can. Pre-ground fine pepper fades fast under smoke.
- Cheese slices – Your choice. A melting cheese like cheddar, American, or pepper jack works best. Skip anything crumbly, it won’t melt over the patty.
- Buns – Toast them. Any sturdy burger bun holds up; a soft potato-style bun is my pick.
How to Make Smoked Burgers
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Divide the beef into four even portions, about eight ounces each, and shape them gently into patties roughly four and a half inches wide and three-quarters of an inch thick. Handle the meat as little as possible. The more you work ground beef, the tougher the patty gets.
Press a shallow dimple into the center of each patty with your thumb. This keeps them from puffing up into a dome in the middle as they cook. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then refrigerate at least thirty minutes, or pop them into the freezer for 10 minutes.
Preheat the smoker to 225°F with hickory or mesquite. Hickory gives you a classic, mellow barbecue smoke. Mesquite is bolder and can get aggressive, so go lighter on the wood if you use it.
Lay the cold patties directly on the grates and walk away. Smoke at 225°F without flipping until the internal temperature hits 135°F for medium-rare. The amount of time on the smoker will vary, so always cook to temp, not time!
Remove the cooked patties from the smoker for a minute. Now reverse sear. Crank the smoker to high (about 400°F), or move the patties to a screaming hot cast iron skillet. When up to temp, sear one to two minutes per side until a crust forms, then pull at 145°F for medium or 160°F for well done.
Add a cheese slice to each patty in the last minute of the sear so it melts. Rest the burgers three to five minutes before building, then serve on toasted buns with whatever toppings you like.
Make It A Meal
Smoked burgers want classic cookout sides that can hold their place next to all that smoke. I serve these with my Chef Jenn’s Warm German Potato Salad when I want something hearty, or Texas Corn Succotash in the summer when the corn is good.
If you want a crunchy, no-cook option to round out the plate, the Italian Broccoli Salad does the job. And since the smoker is already running, throw on a batch of Smoked Queso to snack on while the burgers cook.
Storage
Store cooked patties in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat low and slow, around 250°F in the oven or smoker, so they don’t dry out; the microwave works but toughens them. Freeze cooked, cooled patties for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Smoke them at 225°F. Keep the patties on without flipping until the internal temperature reaches 135°F, then sear at high heat to finish.
No. Leave them alone during the smoke so they cook evenly and take on smoke. You only sear both sides at the end during the reverse sear.
Hickory for a classic, balanced barbecue smoke. Mesquite, if you want something bolder, but use less of it since it can turn harsh.
Smoked Burgers Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper coarsely ground
- 4 slices cheese your choice
- 4 buns toasted
- all your favorite burger toppings
Instructions
- Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions (about 8 oz each). Handle as little as possible and shape into patties about 4.5 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick.
- Press a shallow dimple into the center of each patty with your thumb. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate the patties at least 30 minutes or pop them into the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the smoker to 225°F with hickory or mesquite pellets.
- Place the cold patties directly on the grates. Smoke without flipping until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. Cook to temp, not time!
- Set the smoked patties aside. Crank the smoker to high (about 400°F), or transfer patties to a screaming hot cast iron skillet. Return the patties to the smoker and sear 1 to 2 minutes per side until a crust forms.
- Pull at 145°F for medium or 160°F for well done. Add a cheese slice to each patty in the last minute of searing.
- Rest 3 to 5 minutes, then serve on toasted buns with your toppings of choice.
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Start cold. Patties straight from the fridge (or freezer) keep their shape on the grates and pick up smoke more evenly than room-temperature meat.
- Don’t skip the dimple. Without it, the centers puff into a dome, and the burgers cook unevenly.
- The reverse sear is what builds the crust. Get the skillet or smoker truly screaming hot before the patties go on, or you’ll steam them instead of searing.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.