Ember Pit
All cuts

Beef · Ground beef, smash or thick

Burgers

Ground meat is a different safety story. Cook through, and get the grate hot.

Internal target

160°

USDA done

90°Probe220°
Pit
400–500°

Hot grill

Time
8–15 min

Clock, not a scale

Rest
2–3 min on the bun
USDA
160°

Safety floor

USDA 160°F for ground beef. No medium-rare loophole — grinding mixes the surface in.

Watch it cooked

Traeger Grills · Best Smashed Burgers Recipe

Best Smashed Burgers Recipe

Traeger Grills

Watch on YouTube

Recipes

How to cook it

  1. 1

    Preheat 450°F+. Clean, hot grates.

  2. 2

    Smash thin on a preheated steel, or grill ¾-inch patties to 160°F.

  3. 3

    Cheese in the last minute with the lid down.

Probe & cues

Sideways into the center of a thick patty. Smash burgers are done by look and time.

  • Juices run clear. Smash burgers: deep brown crust, no pink smear.

Start a cook

Logs the target and runs a pit timer. Saved on this device.