Stuffed Pocket Burgers on the Smoker
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These smoked pocket burgers are just smoked burgers stuffed with other meat such as pulled pork, topped with cheese, wrapped in bacon then smoked until perfectly done. These are beyond delicious and you have to try them SOON!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1.5 hours
- Smoker Temp: 240°F
- Meat Finish Temp: 160°F
- Recommended Wood: Mesquite
- 2-3 lbs ground chuck (80/20 or 85/15)
- 12 oz can of beverage (or a drinking glass)
- Pulled pork, leftover*
- Sharp cheddar cheese, grated or shredded
- Bacon, thin sliced
- Jeff's original rub
- Jeff's Texas style rub
- Jeff's barbecue sauce
*See my favorite pulled pork recipe HERE.
2 lbs of ground chuck (80/20 or 85/15) into a mixing bowl.
Add ¼ cup of Jeff's Texas style rub .
Combine but don't overwork the meat.
Use a scale if you have one or just estimate to divide meat into 8 oz (½ lb) balls.
Round with your hands but it doesn't have to be perfect.
I made 4 balls from 2 lbs of meat and placed them on parchment paper to keep my work area clean.
Use a cleaned, 12 oz beverage can (beer, soda, etc.)
Mt. Dew did the trick for me.. use what you have available.
Note: You can also just use a drinking glass or similar.
Press the can into the center of the ball of meat to form the pocket.
The meat will break a little around the edges. Use your hands to form the meat around the can.
Wrap a thin slice of bacon around the meat.
Hold the meat with one hand to maintain it's shape while you remove the can gently.
Voila!
Add a teaspoon or more of Jeff's Original rub for great flavor.
Stuff with pulled pork (or any other meat/veggies of your choice
Add more of my original rub to the top of the pulled pork..
Grated cheese on top.
I used sharp cheddar but you can use a different kind if you prefer.
The burgers are stuffed and ready to smoke!
Setup your smoker for cooking with indirect heat at 225-240°F
If your smoker has a water pan, use it.I like to use mesquite for these and especially to get a good smoked flavor in a relatively short period of time. Use your own favorite smoking wood if desired.
Place the burgers on the grate and allow them to smoke cook for about 1.5 hours or until the burger reaches 160°F.
About 25-30 minutes before they are finished, brush with Jeff's barbecue sauce (Purchase formula here | Purchase bottled sauce) if desired.
When the burgers are finished cooking, remove them from the smoker grate and serve immediately.
They can be eaten as an entree or placed between buns with condiments, tomato, onions, lettuce, etc for one of the best hamburgers you've ever eaten.
How do I use frozen pulled pork?
If your pulled pork is frozen, You can place it in the fridge the day before you need to use it to allow it to thaw enough so that it can be broken apart. There is no need to heat it before stuffing it into the burgers. During the cooking time the pulled pork will heat through inside the pocket of the burger.
If the pulled pork seems dry, add a small pat of butter to the top after stuffing it into the burger and before adding the cheese.
Can I stuff the burgers with something other than pulled pork?
Yes you can. Chopped brisket, pulled chicken, chili, pieces of smoked sausage, pepper and onions, mushrooms, jalapeños, etc. The sky really is the limit here so let your imagination go wild if you like;-)
Can I mix some ground pork with the ground beef?
Yes. Many people like to make their burgers with a ratio of ground pork and ground beef. For something really exciting, try mixing some spicy ground sausage into the ground beef. I like to go with about 25% pork and 75% beef but you can use whatever ratio you want.
Do I have to use your rub/sauce for this to be good?
Absolutely not although, I am quite partial to my own rubs and sauce AND, I am not a big fan of most store bought rubs, sauces and seasonings since many of them are based on salt NOT on flavor.
Smoked Pulled Pork Stuffed Burgers (wrapped in bacon)
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs ground chuck (80/20 or 85/15)
- 12 oz beverage in can
- Pulled pork (leftover*)
- Sharp cheddar cheese (grated or shredded)
- Bacon (thin sliced)
- Jeff's original rub
- Jeff's Texas style rub
- Jeff's barbecue sauce
Instructions
Step 1: Season Ground Meat
- Place ground chuck (80/20 or 85/15) into mixing bowl.
- Add ¼ cup of Jeff's Texas style rub .
- Combine but don’t overwork the meat.
Step 2: Form Meat into Balls
- Use a scale if you have one or just estimate to divide meat into 8 oz (½ lb) balls.
- Form the balls with your hands but it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Step 3: Make the Pocket
- Use a cleaned, unopened 12 oz beverage (beer, soda, etc.)
- Press the can into the center of the ball of meat to form the pocket.
- The meat will break a little around the edges. Use your hands to form the meat around the can.
Step 4: Wrap in Bacon and Remove Can
- Wrap a thin slice of bacon around the meat.
- Hold the meat with one hand to maintain it’s shape while you remove the can gently.
Step 5: Stuff with Pulled Pork and Cheese
- Add a teaspoon of Jeff's Original rub into the pocket for great flavor.
- Stuff with pulled pork..
- Add more of my original rub to the top of the pulled pork..
- Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
- I used sharp cheddar but you can use a different kind if you prefer.
- The burgers are now stuffed and ready to smoke!
Step 6: Smoke
- Setup your smoker for cooking with indirect heat at 225-240°F
- If your smoker has a water pan, use it.
- I like to use mesquite for these and especially to get a good smoked flavor in a relatively short period of time. Use your own favorite smoking wood if desired.
- Place the burgers on the grate and allow them to smoke cook for about 1.5 hours or until the burger reaches 160°F.
- About 25-30 minutes before they are finished, brush with Jeff's original barbecue sauce if desired.
Step 7: Finished
- When the burgers are finished cooking, remove them from the smoker grate and serve immediately.
- They can be eaten as an entree or placed between buns with condiments, tomato, onions, lettuce, etc for one of the best hamburgers you’ve ever eaten.
Dang these were good!!! I screwed up and used original rub with the hamburger instead of Texas, but didn’t seem to matter. Stuffed with Brisket as I was temporally out of pulled pork. Fantastic!! Took 1:55 to temp on my Woodwind (top shelf) at 235 degrees with smoke set to 10. Doing these again real soon.
I made the stuffed pocket burgers tonight for my wife and they were awesome. We peppers, onion, and mushrooms. For the sauce I had some honey bbq sauce was good on them used whiskey barrel chips for the smoke I have a small charcoal smoker made by char broil
Hi,
I was wondering why I didn’t get that beautiful reddish brown outer crust on my back bacon when I used the smoker at work. I brined the pork loin using the same recipe I always use. At home I have a Bradley smoker, at work they have “chief something” smoker. Mine uses pucks. Theirs uses random wood chunks. Mine has a water pan. Theirs doesn’t. The loin I smoked at work came out tasting similar, but it was just “cooked pork colour” on the outside, and pink like ham on the inside. ???
I could only assume the water makes the difference??
Thanks for listening :>}
Susanne
you are a life saver with your rub and sauce , all your recipes are great thanks bob.