These easy Smoked Hamburgers are juicy, smoky, and simple to make, delivering that bold barbecue flavor right from the smoker. But what really sets them apart? A special homemade sauce that adds a tangy, savory kick to every bite.

Smoked Burger with sauce running down the side.

With summer here and my daughter home from college, I've practically moved into my outdoor kitchen. This recipe was born out of our excitement to try a homemade sriracha sauce - and let me tell you, it turned out to be a total hit!

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Ingredients
It's All About the Temp
Step-by-Step Instructions
Substitutions and additions
Equipment
Storage
More From the Smoker
Video of Recipe
Recipe
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Ingredients

Burger Patties - Scweid & Sons can be found at your local Publix 😉
Bacon Slices
Special Sauce - Mayo, Sriracha, Mustard and Butter
Buns
Sliced Cheese - I used cheddar, but pepper jack works beautifully as well!
Kairos Seasoning - Or your favorite burger seasoning
Toppings of your choice (tomatoes, lettuce, onion..)

See Smoked Hamburgers recipe card below for quantities.

It's All About the Temp

The key to great smoked food is temperature! With the technology we have today-and the wide variety of meat thermometers available-there's no excuse for dry meat. We can easily monitor both the smoker temperature and the internal temperature of the meat to ensure a perfect cook every time. Think smarter, not harder!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Bacon being laid on the grates on a smoker.

Step 1: Preheat Smoker to 250°F. Place bacon on the smoker (it will need to cook longer than hamburgers).

Step 2: After bacon has been cooking for 15 minutes, season patties with Kairos or your favorite BBQ rub. Place hamburgers onto the smoker.

Step 3: Once bacon is crispy, remove from smoker, chop up and set aside to cool.

Sauce on a spatula from the glass mixing bowl.

Step 4: Make sauce by combining melted butter, mustard, mayo, sriracha, bacon bits and 1.5 teaspoon of BBQ rub.

Placing a burger patty with cheese onto a bun.

Step 5: Once hamburgers reach an internal temperature of 140°F, place cheese on top of them. Remove from smoker once cheese has melted.

Burger with lettuce and cheese on a cutting board.

Step 6: Build Smoked Hamburger from the bottom up (bottom bun, sauce, burger, sauce, remaining toppings and top bun).

Substitutions and additions

Cheese: Don't have cheddar? Using a Monterey Jack or Colby-Jack cheese works great too! I don't suggest using a creamy cheese like gouda or mozzarella. They don't jive with this sauce too well.
Additional Topping Ideas:
- Lettuce, tomato, onion
- Dill pickle chips
- Fried egg
- Pickled red onions or jalapeños
- Spicy coleslaw
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Shallots

Burger cut in half and laid on another burger.

Equipment

Traeger Grills - This Timberline Series has me sold! Best smoker I have on the deck.
Smoking Pecan Pellets - Purely pecans! With no blends, hardwoods, additives or fillers.
Meater - Meat thermometers that can handle the high temps and Bluetooths right to your phone for easy monitoring.
Kairos Seasoning - For this recipe I used a Texas Style rub, but be sure to check out their seasoning combos.

Storage

Refrigerate your Smoked Hamburgers for up to 3 days in an airtight container (best if reheated in oven or air fryer). Meat be frozen in an airtight container for up to 4 months.

More From the Smoker

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Video of Recipe

Recipe