Name: Traeger Burgers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 pound ground beef (I use 85/15 for burgers); 1/4 cup apple sauce; 3/4 cup Ritz crackers, crushed (about 20 crackers); 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base (or 1 tbsp bouillon powder or 1 crushed bouillon cube); 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 2 tablespoon dried minced onion; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 2 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

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This is the BEST Traeger burger recipe! Smoky, juicy, and full of flavor, this recipe is a twist on an old retro burger recipe. Tender, lean ground beef is combined with the addition of some special ingredients for flavor and texture to make the BEST smoky burgers you will ever have. You’re going to love them!

This is a close up view of the Traeger burger patties on the grill grates, half with melted cheese.

Whenever we are having company for a backyard BBQ, my husband and I have a go-to burger recipe that gets TONS of compliments every time!

This particular recipe is based on an old classic–you can see the original here on a site called Yesterdish— a site devoted to rescuing America’s lost recipes. I’m not totally sure where it originates other than it came out of the recipe box in North Carolina.

I make a few key changes to the ingredients. First of all, I scale the recipe down to two pounds of ground beef.

While the retro recipe is great when we are serving a large crowd, for a regular old Friday night, it’s too many burgers! 2 lbs makes the perfect amount for a family with a few patties for leftovers.

Next, I use a few simple pantry staples to recreate the Lipton Onion Soup Mix.

My version also omits the hot sauce–I bet adding a shake of Tabasco would be delicious, but I want to make sure I keep the taste of these burgers kid-friendly.

But best of all, I give you instructions to make these juicy burgers right on your Traeger grill for the ultimate smoky flavor!

This is a pretty easy recipe, and kids love it, too. My middle son asks us to make these all the time! This is going to be one of your go-to summer recipes!

Traeger Burgers are the Best Burgers

Cooking burgers on the Traeger brings this classic American favorite to the next level. The Traeger gives optimal flavor, moisture, and tenderness to the patties.

You have far more options to influence the flavor of your burgers on the Traeger than you do with a charcoal or a gas grill. I love giving the burgers a blast of smoke at a lower temperature for 20-30 minutes for that perfect flavor, but then being able to finish on high heat so you can get dinner on the table quickly.

Why These Burgers Are PERFECT

This Traeger burger recipe is incredibly juicy, moist, and full of flavor, even without using high-fat beef.

Ingredients

To make this smoked Traeger burger recipe, you need:

Ground Beef – I use grass-fed beef at 85/15. What’s great about this recipe is this perfect blend of ingredients suits lean ground beef very well, so you do not need a high-fat burger mix to keep them juicy! This works great with 85/15, 90/10, and 93/7.

Apple Sauce – I know what you’re thinking… “what the heck is that for?” You’ll just have to trust me. 😉

Crushed Ritz Crackers – I’m not normally one to throw crushed packaged crackers into a meal, so you’re just going to have to trust me here that it’s worth it. Use a gluten-free Ritz-style cracker if needed, but don’t leave these out!

Beef Boullion – I use Better than Bouillon beef paste. This is part of what is needed to recreate the Lipton onion soup mix in the burgers. It enriches the beef flavor beautifully. See the recipe card for other bouillon suggestions.

Spices – Dried minced onions, garlic powder, onion powder, and Montreal Steak Seasoning.

Worcestershire Sauce

As for equipment, you need a Traeger Pellet Grill (or any other pellet grill brand). A burger press is helpful, but not necessary.

These are the ingredients needed to make the Traeger burger recipe on a white backdrop.

Step-by-Step Instructions

This is a Trager pellet grill with the hood open as it heats up on a wooden deck.

1. Heat Up the Traeger

Preheat your Traeger–turn it on to the “Smoke” setting with the lid open until you can see the smoke. Then close the lid and turn the Traeger temperature to 180°F.

(Yes, my Traeger is OLD and non-aesthetic. Haha. But just goes to show how well these things hold up over time!)

This is a large white bowl with all the ingredients and a blue spoon.

2. Combine Ingredients

While the Traeger heats up, make the burger mixture. Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands to make sure all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

This is a food scale and plate with burger patties being portioned and pressed.

3. Make the Burger Patties

Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions (due to the weight of the meat and the other ingredients, each patty weighs about 4.8 ounces). Use a burger press or two plates to flatten the patties until they are about 1/2 inch thick.

Set patties on a tray (I like to put a square of parchment paper between each patty) so they’re ready to bring out to the grill.

This is a person placing the raw burger patties on the grill grates.

4. Smoke Burgers

When the Traeger reaches 180°, place patties directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and let them smoke at 180° for 30 minutes.

This is a metal spatula flipping the burger patties on the Traeger grill.

5. Turn Up the Heat

After 30 minutes, turn the heat up to High (450°). Let the burgers cook 4-5 more minutes while the Traeger heats up, then open the lid and flip the burgers over. Close the lid and let them cook for another 4 minutes cooking time.

If you made thick patties rather than thinner patties, you may need to cook for more time.

6. Add Cheese if Desired

Burgers are done when the internal temperature is 160°F. See notes. Turn off the grill and remove burgers (unless you want to add cheese–for cheeseburgers, turn off the grill, add a slice of cheese to each patty, then close the lid and let the burgers sit in the residual heat of the grill for a few minutes to get the cheese melty, then remove when the cheese is to your liking).

We love using cheddar cheese or pepper jack for burgers. Serve burgers on a bun, lettuce wrap, or however you best enjoy wrapping your burgers.

That’s it! Making a great burger on the Traeger is a little different than making them on a charcoal grill, but they are pretty easy.

Traeger Burger Tips

Due to the chemical reaction from the smoke, the burgers may still look pink even at 160°. I recommend checking the internal temperature with a digital meat thermometer to be certain they are done. On average this takes 8-10 minutes after turning the heat to High, flipping halfway through.

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I recommend using hickory, mesquite, or an all-purpose blend/signature blend wood pellets for these burgers. However, burgers are pretty versatile so any pellet you have should work just fine.

Burger Topping Ideas

Load up your burger with your favorite condiments. Some of our family’s favorite toppings are:

Ketchup
Mustard (yellow or whole grain mustard)
Dill Pickles
Saurkraut (bonus that sauerkraut is good for the gut!)
Barbecue Sauce
Bacon
Fried Egg
Avocado Slices
Chipotle Aioli
Heirloom Tomato Slices
Red Onions or White Onion Slices

As for me, I’m a classic American cheeseburger kinda gal, so ketchup, mustard, and pickles is all I need. YUM!

This is a grilled Traeger burger on a bun on a plate with crinkle fries and side salad.

Substitutions

Need Gluten Free?

While this Traeger burger recipe isn’t gluten-free as written, it is very easy to make gluten-free if needed!

If you cannot eat gluten, use a gluten-free Ritz-style cracker. You can find some made by the Simple Mills, Lance, and Fit Joy brands.

You could also use gluten-free bread crumbs or ground oats instead of the crackers, but the crackers really give an amazing texture & flavor to these burgers.

Worcestershire sauce is often not gluten-free because it can contain barley malt. However, there are brands of Worcestershire sauce available that ARE gluten-free, so make sure you read the labels.

Alternatively, you can use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce (not all soy sauce is gluten-free–be sure to read the label).

You Can Use the Lipton!

If you’d rather stick close to the original recipe and use a pack of onion soup mix, you would use about half of the packet, then omit the dried minced onion, beef bouillon, garlic powder, and onion powder from my recipe.

Nutrition Info

Note: The nutritional info given here is an estimate based off of my chosen brands of ingredients as estimated by my macro-tracking app of choice. Your stats may vary.

This recipe makes 8 patties. For one patty, the info is as follows:

Calories: 295
Protein: 20 grams
Fat: 21 grams
Carbs: 5 grams

Other Traeger Recipes

Try out these other delicious Traeger recipes this summer:

Smoked Chipotle Pork Sirloin is a delicious lean pulled pork with a chipotle-orange marinade.
Honey Garlic Pellet Grill Salmon is one of the BEST ways to eat salmon!
Smoked Ribeye Roast is perfect for holidays or a other special occasions.
Spatchcock Smoked Chicken is a quick and easy way to prep a whole chicken for a delicious meal.
Smoked Whole Chicken with Citrus Rub is another chicken option if you’re intimidated by spatchcocking.
Smoked Chicken Legs with Chimichurri is a delicious appetizer or meal served with a fresh, herby sauce.
Smoked Picanha Steaks are hands down the best steaks you’ll ever eat! Juicy, smoky, tender, and slices like butter.
Smoked Chicken Wings have delicious crispy skin and moist, flavorful meat.
Beer Can Chicken on the Traeger is perfectly juicy and smoked to perfection.

Tasty Sides

Cucumber Blueberry Salad is crunchy, tangy, and super delicious!
Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes are bursting with sweet, tangy flavor–a great complement to these burgers.
Turkish Kebab Shop Salad is a quick and easy way to use a head of purple cabbage.
Kale Crunch Chick-Fil-A Copycat Salad is another superfood salad the whole family will love.
Air Fried Sweet Potato Wedges is a tasty carby side that’s super easy to whip up.

📖 Recipe

3 Comments

Karen S says:

July 24, 2025 at 1:53 am

Oh my goshhhhhhh, what kind of burger sorcery is this??? Still Trying to figure out what the apple sauce does, because it’s not overly sweet or even noticeable, but whatever it is, IT WORKS! I followed this recipe to a T (which is rare for me) and even my burger snob hubby liked it!

1. Holly Lee says:
  
  July 24, 2025 at 2:28 am
  
  Glad you loved them! I know—apple sauce seems so strange, but it works! This is based on an old vintage recipe and it definitely worth hanging on to. 😋
  
Joe says:

April 30, 2024 at 12:22 am

Absolutely amazing! Best burgers I’ve had in a long time, so smokey and juicy. Love that this is based on an old school recipe–they really knew what was up!