We took this cowboy burger recipe to the next level by smoking the patties, bacon and onion rings on the Traeger pellet smoker. (Here is the recipe for smoked onion rings.) I usually cook my burgers by smashing them on the flat top but I wanted to add some smoke flavor to my patties and bacon.
For this recipe I used apple pellets to add a bit of fruity flavor and smoked my patties and bacon at 300 degrees until the patties reached 165 degrees internal. Then I topped them with some cheese and let that melt before I took them off the smoker.
I topped my cowboy burger with mayo, BBQ sauce, jalapenos and my homemade smoked onion rings. You know it came out delicious… give it a try.
Cowboy Burger Ingredients
- 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
- 4 slices of bacon
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Favorite BBQ rub or seasoning
- Mayo
- BBQ sauce
- Jalapenos
- 4 slices of cheddar cheese
- 12 smoked onion rings
- 4 pretzel buns
Burger & Bacon Prep
- Weight out 1/4 pound of hamburger, form it into a ball and place it on wax paper
- Smash with 1/4 pound hamburger press and repeat until all hamburger patties are done
- Season with kosher salt, black pepper and BBQ seasoning or rub
- Season all side of bacon with favorite BBQ seasoning or rub
Smoking Instructions
- Fill hopper with a fruity pellet like apple or cherry
- Pre heat smoker to 300 degrees
- Place burger patties seasoned side down and season the top of the patties
- Place rack of bacon on smoker
- Once burger patties reach 165 degrees internal, flip and top with cheese for 5 minutes
- Remove burger patties and bacon from smoker
Burger Building Instructions
- Toast your pretzel bun
- Place hamburger patty on bottom bun
- Top hamburger with 1 slice of bacon cut in half
- Top bacon with smoked onion rings
- On top bun, top with mayo, BBQ sauce and jalapenos
