Your pellet pizza oven is a powerful, high-heat outdoor oven that can cook much more than pizza. You can use it to make an incredible hamburger with a perfect crust and a juicy inside that a regular grill can't replicate.
These simple, direct steps will help you make a fantastic burger every time.
Why This Method Works So Well
A better burger comes from a better cooking method. A pellet pizza oven gets much hotter than a typical grill and uses real wood smoke for flavor. This combination gives you a great crust, a juicy center, and a rich, smoky taste.
High Heat Creates the Best Crust
That dark, crispy, and flavorful crust on a great burger appears when the meat hits a very hot, dry surface. The intense heat creates hundreds of new flavors, which is what makes a seared burger taste so good. The surface must be hot and dry. If it is not hot enough, the meat will steam and turn gray instead of getting a delicious brown crust. Your pizza oven provides the ideal dry, high heat for this to happen.
Use Cast Iron for a Perfect Sear
A regular grill produces grill marks, but a pizza oven with a cast-iron skillet creates a perfect, edge-to-edge crust. A cast iron pan also protects your pizza stone from grease and stains. The heavy pan holds a lot of heat, which gives you a consistently hot surface for a great sear.
Wood Pellets Add Authentic Flavor
A pellet oven adds a layer of real wood-smoke flavor that you can't get from a gas grill. As the pellets burn, they release smoke that gives the meat a delicious, smoky taste. You get the perfect sear of a steakhouse and the authentic taste of a smoker.
Step 1: Choose Your Wood Pellets
The wood pellets you choose are a key ingredient. Burgers cook fast, so you need a wood with a strong flavor to get that smoky taste.
- For a Strong, Classic Smoke: Use Hickory or Mesquite.
- For a Milder, Sweeter Smoke: Use Pecan.
- For a Subtle, Fruity Smoke: Use Apple or Cherry.
- For an All-Purpose Flavor: Use a "Competition Blend."
| Wood Pellet Flavor Guide for Burgers | ||
| Pellet Type | Flavor Profile | Intensity |
| Hickory | Strong, smoky, slightly sweet, bacon-like | High |
| Mesquite | Bold, earthy, intense | Very High |
| Pecan | Milder than hickory, nutty, sweet | Medium-High |
| Cherry / Apple | Light, fruity, subtly sweet | Low-Medium |
| Competition Blend | Balanced, complex, savory | Medium |
Step 2: Prepare Your Burger Patties
A great burger starts with the right meat and preparation. These simple tips will make a huge difference.
Use 80/20 Ground Beef
For juicy, flavorful burgers, always use 80/20 ground beef. It is 80% lean meat and 20% fat. The fat keeps the burger moist and flavorful during high-heat cooking. Leaner beef will dry out. The 80/20 ratio is the perfect balance.
How to Form the Patties
The way you handle the meat affects the final texture. Follow these steps for a tender, not tough, burger.
- Keep the Meat Cold: Work with cold ground beef. This keeps the fat solid, so it melts during cooking and makes the burger juicy.
- Don't Overwork It: Form the patties gently. Over-mixing makes burgers tough.
- Season Just Before Cooking: Salt and pepper the outside of the patties right before they go in the oven. Salting the meat too early can dry it out.
- Make a Dimple: Burgers can puff up in the middle as they cook. To keep them flat, press a small dimple in the center of each patty with your thumb. This helps the burger cook and sear evenly.
Step 3: Cook the Burgers
This is where you get great results. Controlling the heat is the key to a perfect burger.
Preheat Your Oven and Skillet
Preheating is the most important step. Place your cast-iron skillet in the pizza oven and fire it up. A Big Horn® oven can preheat to 662°F in about 18 minutes. For burgers, you want the skillet's surface to be between 400°F and 500°F.
Pro Tip: Use an infrared thermometer to check the skillet's temperature. The oven's built-in thermometer measures the air temperature, but the skillet surface temperature is what matters for a perfect sear.
Cook to the Right Temperature
The best way to know when your burger is done is to use an instant-read meat thermometer. Cook times are just an estimate.
For safety, the USDA recommends cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F. If you use very fresh, high-quality meat, you can cook it to a lower temperature.
Important: The burger will continue to cook for a few minutes after you take it off the heat. Pull it from the skillet when it's about 5 degrees below your target temperature.
| Burger Doneness | Pull from Heat at This Temp (°F) | Final Temp After Resting (°F) |
| Medium-Rare | 125-130°F | 130-135°F |
| Medium | 135-140°F | 140-145°F |
| Medium-Well | 145-150°F | 150-155°F |
| Well-Done | 155°F | 160°F |
Step 4: Build Your Burger
Now for the fun part. A perfectly cooked, smoky patty is a great base for your favorite toppings.
- Cheese: Choose a cheese that melts well. Smoked Gouda, sharp cheddar, American, or Provolone are all great choices. If you like a little kick, try Pepper Jack.
- Sauces: A good BBQ sauce is a great fit. You can also make a simple burger sauce by mixing mayo, ketchup, mustard, and a little relish. For something extra special, try bacon jam or some sweet caramelized onions.
- Toppings: A great burger needs balance. Start with a good bun, like a brioche or potato roll, and toast it in the hot skillet with a little butter. Add some crisp lettuce, a slice of ripe tomato, and bacon for texture. Finally, add something tangy like pickles or sliced red onion to bring it all together.
Your New Go-To Burger Recipe
Your pellet pizza oven is a versatile outdoor cooking machine. Using high heat and real wood pellets makes an amazing hamburger. This method gives you a great crust and authentic smoky flavor.
Ready to make your best burger yet? Explore the full range of high-performance Big Horn Outdoors® pellet pizza ovens and see the difference that authentic flavor and precision engineering can make.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can I cook burgers on the pizza stone itself?
Not at all. You should always use a griddle or pan made of cast iron. This keeps the pizza stone clean and free of grease and spots that are tough to get off. The burger will also sear better and more evenly on all sides if you use a hot pan.
Q2: How hot should my oven be?
For a Big Horn® oven, this can be over 1000°F. You should heat your pizza oven to its top setting. What's important is how hot the surface of your cast-iron skillet is. Before you put the burgers on, use an infrared thermometer to make sure the top of the pan is between 400°F and 500°F.
Q3: The burgers won't come off the pan. What should I do?
If the burgers are stuck, it's likely that the pan is not hot enough. When cast iron is properly heated, it naturally doesn't stick. To ensure the surface of the pan is above 400°F, give it at least 10 minutes to heat up in the oven. You can add a very small amount of high-smoke-point oil, like canola or avocado oil, for meat that is very lean.
Q4: How long does it take for the oven to get hot?
It takes about 18 minutes for a Big Horn® pizza oven to heat up to 950°F (662°C). The pan might need a few more minutes to reach the right temperature for cooking burgers.
Q5: What kind of cheese goes best with a smoky burger?
Smoked burgers go well with cheeses that have strong flavors. You could use blue cheese, smoked Gouda, or sharp cheddar. You can't go wrong with good American or Provolone cheese for a classic, melty choice.
