Smoked Brisket Burger

On June 22, 2022 (Updated September 26, 2024)

2 reviews

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A smoked brisket burger offers all the flavor of a traditional Texas-style brisket sandwich in burger form. It has a rich and ultra-beefy flavor that makes you feel like you’re eating from an upscale restaurant.

Smoked brisket burger next to a bottle of Texas Style BBQ Sauce with text overlay - Smoked Brisket Burger.

What is a Brisket Burger?

A brisket burger is a burger made of ground brisket meat. You’ll still get that traditional beef burger flavor, but these patties are made exclusively from the brisket cut (rather than chuck, round, or sirloin cuts).

Brisket meat is ground up and formed into patties. The patties are seasoned with salt, pepper, and other seasonings and then cooked on a BBQ.

You haven’t lived until you’ve tried a brisket burger. It’s full of good, beefy flavor, and it’s a great way to get more use out of your brisket!

Ground Brisket vs. Ground Beef

So what exactly is the difference between ground brisket and ground beef? Let’s talk about each one a little bit more.

Ground brisket. This meat is only from the brisket portion of the cow. The brisket is from the lower chest of the animal. It’s one of the least tender cuts of meat, but when slow cooked or smoked it gains an incredible beefy flavor. It can be pricier if you buy this type of ground meat from the store, but if you use your own trimmings from beef brisket, you can actually get more bang for your buck!
Ground beef. Ground beef doesn’t always have to specify where the meat is taken from the animal. It can include any cut of beef, but chuck, round, and sirloin tend to be the most popular. Ground beef is an affordable meat option and is used in hamburgers, meatloaf, meatballs, and more.

Brisket Burger

Making burgers from brisket trimmings means more meals for your money and a crazy flavorful dinner. Brisket trimmings make for excellent burgers because the meat-to-fat ratio is perfect and the beefy flavor is really rich.

Pair the smoky brisket patties with pickled jalapeños, sliced onions, and my Texas BBQ Sauce for a burger your whole family will be talking about for a good, long while.

Ingredients for Brisket Burgers

Here’s what you’ll need to make these burgers.

2 pounds brisket trimmings
2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub (or equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
6 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
6 burger buns

I highly recommend the following toppings, but you can always load up this burger with your favorites. Other great toppings include lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise.

1 sliced onion
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos
1/2 cup Hey Grill Hey Texas BBQ Sauce

My Texas Style BBQ Sauce can be made from scratch using this Texas BBQ Sauce Recipe, or you can purchase a bottle delivered straight to your door from the Hey Grill Hey Store. If you choose to make your own BBQ sauce, I recommend making it ahead of time so it’s ready to go right after the burgers come off the smoker.

How to Make a Brisket Burger

Once you have your brisket trimmings ready to go, here’s how to make a brisket burger.

Preheat. Turn on your favorite smoker and preheat to 225 degrees F. I like using a mix of oak and cherry with brisket meat, but feel free to use your favorite hardwood
Grind the brisket trimmings. Run the brisket trimmings through a meat grinder on the coarser setting and then back through again a second time on the smaller setting/grinder.
Make the patties. Form the meat into 6 equal-sized patties. These will be around 1/3 pounds each.
Season. Season the beef patties on both sides with Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub. If you don’t have any of this on hand, you can also use equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Smoke. With your smoker running steady at 225 degrees F, place the seasoned brisket patties on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke for around 1 hour or until the meat reaches 135 degrees F.
Add cheese and finish smoking. Top each patty with a slice of cheddar cheese. Close the lid, and continue smoking until the patties reach your desired internal temperature (the FDA recommends cooking ground beef to 160 degrees F). Use a meat thermometer to gauge the doneness of your burgers.
Assemble. Remove the patties from the smoker and assemble your brisket burger. Enjoy!

More Smoked Brisket Recipes

After you have your brisket trimmings ready to make into these awesome burgers, check out these other smoked brisket recipes to help you cook up that whole packer brisket!

Brisket Burger Recipe

Hey Grill Hey is dedicated to helping you make better BBQ so you can feed the people you love and become a backyard BBQ hero. If you’re looking to up your BBQ game, join The Grill Squad. It’s my members-only BBQ group that is packed full of awesome pitmaster classes and other amazing perks (like a running discount on my store!) Check it out today!

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