How to Smoke Hamburgers

Let smoked hamburgers star as the highlight of your next backyard barbecue -- smoking your hamburgers adds a twist to the traditional cooking style of ordinary burgers. The smoky flavor from the wood chips is something the ordinary grill or skillet can't provide. You can easily smoke hamburgers using a traditional smoker or by adding wood chips to your gas grill along with following a few basic steps.

Hamburgers on the grill. (Image: Design Pics/Tomas del Amo/Design Pics/Getty Images)

Smoker

Step 1

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl. Start with the ground beef and add the green peppers and onions followed by the barbecue sauce, egg and Worcestershire sauce. Blend the salt and pepper into this mixture.

Step 2

Form 3/4-inch thick patties and place evenly on a cookie sheet.

Step 3

Turn on the smoker. Allow the smoker temperature to reach 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 4

Cook the burgers. Cooking time generally takes 60 to 90 minutes but may change due to environmental conditions or the actual cooking temperature of the smoker.

Step 5

Check the internal temperature of the burgers. Remove the meat from the smoker when it reaches 150 degrees.

Step 6

Add cheese to the burgers. You can also add other condiments or sides such as pickle slices, barbecue sauce or lettuce.

Grill

Step 1

Fill a 5-gallon bucket with water and soak the wood chips for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2

Place one cup of wood chips in the middle of the aluminum foil and fold the ends to make a pouch.

Step 3

Poke 10 to 15 holes in the bottom of the aluminum foil.

Step 4

Place the pouch of wood chips over the burner shield.

Step 5

Preheat the grill to high heat.

Step 6

Cook the hamburgers on the grill when the pouch starts to smoke.

Things You'll Need

• 2 lbs. ground beef, 85 percent

• 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped

• 1/4 cup onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce

• 1 large egg

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• Bowl

• Cookie sheet

• Smoker

• Sliced cheese, optional

• 5-gallon bucket

• Water

• Wood chips

• Aluminum foil