PREP TIME
15
MINS
IDLE TIME
N/A
HOURS
COOK TIME
15-20
MINS
PELLETS
Fruit
BLEND
SERVES
2-5
PEOPLE
How do you cook burgers on a pellet grill?
Pellet grills make it easy to cook juicy, flavorful burgers with authentic wood-fired taste. Grill burgers over medium-high heat until they reach your preferred level of doneness, then add cheese and your favorite toppings during the final minutes of cooking. Toppings like caramelized onions, crispy bacon, barbecue sauce, and melted cheese pair perfectly with the subtle smoke from hardwood pellets, creating a restaurant-quality burger right in your backyard.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 red onion
- brown sugar
- sweet BBQ sauce (we used GMG Cattle Drive)
- cheddar cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp GMG beef rub
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground pepper
- 1 lb bacon
Caramelized Onion BBQ Burger
High temperatures and sugar tend to make a crispy sweet glaze around anything you cook. This method for searing the onions at a high temperature adds the best flavor to any burger. Â
Preparation:
-Preheat the grill to 500 degrees.
-Put your ground beef, egg, and spices in a large bowl and mix it well.
-Pack together 3-5 thick hamburger patties tightly and set them aside.
-Cut your red onion into 4-5 thick slices and pull apart the onion slices into a few solid rings.
-Coat the onion rings with a light layer of your favorite BBQ sauce, then sprinkle brown sugar over the top and bottom.
-Place the burger patties, bacon, and onion rings on your smoker and grill them hot and fast.
-After your first flip on the burgers (7-10 minutes in,) place a generous amount of cheddar cheese on each patty. Be sure to flip the onions once as well.
-Place the probe in your thickest burger patty and pull at 135 degrees for medium rare.
-We made our burger with bacon, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, brown sugar caramelized onions, and a light layer of extra BBQ sauce.
FAQs
What temperature should burgers be cooked on a pellet grill?
Most burgers cook best between 400°F and 450°F, allowing the outside to develop a flavorful crust while keeping the inside juicy. Always cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F for food safety.
What wood pellets are best for burgers?
Oak, hickory, mesquite, and cherry pellets are all excellent choices. Hickory and oak provide classic barbecue flavor, while cherry adds a mild sweetness that pairs well with beef and bacon.
How do you keep burgers juicy on a pellet grill?
Use ground beef with a little extra fat, avoid pressing down on the patties while cooking, and remove the burgers once they reach the proper internal temperature to help retain their natural juices.
Why caramelize onions for burgers?
Caramelizing onions slowly brings out their natural sweetness, creating a rich, savory topping that balances smoky beef, crispy bacon, melted cheese, and tangy barbecue sauce.
What should I serve with a BBQ bacon burger?
These burgers pair well with smoked French fries, onion rings, potato salad, coleslaw, grilled corn, baked beans, macaroni salad, or a simple green salad for a complete backyard meal.
