A pellet grill is an excellent choice if you want to cook burgers, but certain things need to be considered. A thin line exists between grilling a good burger and one that isn't. To help you in your quest for how to cook burgers on a pellet grill, you can count on the expert tips provided by our chef de cuisine.

Things to Consider Before Cooking Pellet Burger Grills

Cooking pellet burger grills requires you to consider certain factors if you do not want to smoke the burger up. Considering these things is what makes the difference. Here are some of the key elements you have to consider:

Best Meat to Use

We say that you must consider certain factors when cooking your hamburger on a pellet smoker, and here is one of them: the type of meat you use. 

The kind of meat you use determines how perfect your burger is going to be. Ground beef is the best meat to use when cooking burgers on a pellet grill. Today there is a lot of beef in the market these days labeled ground beef but do not meet up to expectations.

We recommend that you go with any of these ground beef when making your hamburger on a pellet grill:

Out of these choices, we highly recommend the ground chuck. This is because of its tenderness and rich flavor.

Burger Seasoning for Pellet Grilling 

There are lots of burger seasoning recipes out there. But your seasoning can be crafted as simple as just salt and pepper. You can also expand the seasoning to dried onion, garlic powder, and brown sugar. 

If you are not satisfied with any of these options, you may want to add cayenne or red pepper. It must not be too much when adding seasoning, spices, or pepper to your burger. The reason is that it may cause the burger patty to fall apart.

Making Burger Patties 

To make the best burger patty, you need to add crushed crackers or panko breadcrumbs. This is a must hold in the natural fat and juices of your meat. 

Additionally, ensure that you are ready to put the meat on the grill before seasoning it with salt and pepper, or any other spice. This will allow the rub to stick fast to the meat without drying out. You can add additional rubs such as barbecue sauce or seasoning according to taste. 

Furthermore, to make the burger moist and tender, we advise that you do not overpack the meat. Also, use your wet hands to form the meat into one-and-a-half patties. Do not overwork the meat when doing this because you may squash the meat.

Once you notice that your hamburger patties hold together, you can take them away from the grill.

Size 

Have you heard the saying "the thicker the burger, the juicer it is''? Yes, that is true. However, it might be tempting to make thinner patties if you have a big barbecue to deal with. Fact is, if you lose size, you will undoubtedly lose taste. 

The size ranges from a one-pound to 6 ounces for classic burgers. You can decide to increase it to 8 ounces, equivalent to a one-and-a-half-inch thickness.

Temperature

To make the best burgers, you must ensure that you pre-heat the grill and that it is hot. Also ensure that you set your grilling temperature to the highest setting. In most cases, the ideal temperature for grilling burgers is between 400 to 500 degrees. 

For smoked burgers, crank up the heat to 225 degrees Fahrenheit to achieve the best flavor.

Time 

The perfect time to cook a perfect burger is 4 to 8 minutes per side. If you are dealing with rare, cook for two minutes, three for medium-rare, four minutes for medium, and a max minutes for well done.

How to Cook Burgers on a Pellet Grill 

If you want your burgers to be a favorite of the people, you have to make them on a pellet grill such as a Traeger or Camp Chef pellet grill.  They are one of the best pellet grills in the market today. 

The perfect temperature for grilling your patties is 450 degrees Fahrenheit. For smoked burgers, you need around 225 degrees Fahrenheit until the patties reach a temperature of 125 degrees. This will take about 25-30 minutes. Take the patties out after the stipulated time, preheat the grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, then put the patties back into the grill. This will make it sear and grill to your desired doneness. 

Tips to Make the Best Pellet Grill Burger

Monitor the Temperature

You cannot keep track of the internal temperature of your pellet grill just by looking at it. Use a meat thermometer to check the grill temperature periodically. Alternatively, you can use a clock to set the cooking time. Once it rings, you know whether the burger patty is ready.

Check the Color and Appearance

When cooking your burger on a pellet grill you have to pay attention to the color. The outer layer of the burger will appear reddish. This is normal and we call it the smoke ring. Once the burger is cooked it be pinkish on the inside.

Use a Probe Thermometer

Instead of using a clock to check if your meat patty is done, you can use a probe thermometer [1]. The thermometer will help you get an accurate temperature as your patty goes through the cooking process.

Don't Open the Cover Frequently 

Once your burger is on the grill’s grate, please do not open it. The reason is that once you leave the lid open the heat of the grill will not remain constant because of the air that sips into it. 

Always remember the rule of keeping the lid closed while you grill burgers. Therefore, ensure to cover the pellet grill at times.

Choose Top Quality Meat

We cannot overemphasize the need to choose a lump of good quality meat. When making burgers, your perfect choice is ground beef. This must be in the 80/20 proportion: 80percent lean beef and 20 percent fat.

Choose the Right Type of Wood Chips

If you are using a wood pellet grill, you need the correct type of wood chips. You can use cherry, pecan, maple, oak, or hickory pellets. These wood pellets allow full flavor.

Allow for it to Rest Before Serving

Generally, cooking causes the protein to expand and give off liquid. After cooking, if you allow your meat to rest and lose some heat, the protein will relax and re-absorb the fluid that has been expelled. Doing this is very important when cooking burgers.

What To Serve With Homemade Hamburgers?

Wondering what to serve with your deliciously cooked homemade hamburger? Here are some options:

You can serve your burger alongside any of these options provided by our expert chefs.

Why Cook Burgers on a Pellet Grill?

Cooking burgers on a pellet grill, such as a Pit Boss pellet grill, makes it tastes better. The reason is that the grill makes the patties baste in its juice. 

Not only this, it burns slowly, thus giving you temperature consistency. This makes grilling hamburgers on a pellet so effective.

Conclusion

Cooking burgers on pellet grills requires a high level of precision. You have to ensure you are using the right meat, the internal temperature of your grill is within the specified range and your seasoning, salt, or spices are of a healthy dose. 

With the burger recipes in this article, you should have an easy time making a perfect hamburger. If you are a first-time cook and are not sure how to cook hamburgers, this guide will be useful.