These Barbeque Burgers are so easy to make and taste amazingly delicious! And no babysitting the grill – these hamburgers are cooked in the crock pot!
Slow cooking them right in the barbeque sauce gives you the most flavorful, juicy burgers imaginable. Top them off with some caramelized onions and an extra drizzle of barbeque sauce and your family will not soon forget this tasty meal.
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A big hello from me to you! I'm Anyonita and I blog over on Anyonita Nibbles where I'm concerned with producing nourishing, flavorful food! But before we get to the recipe, let me tell you a bit more about me: I'm an American expat living in Manchester, England with my husband (yes, he's British) and our son, Callum.
👩🏻🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
This time of year, my slow cooker gets neglected. I don't know why, exactly but I always associate it with cold weather and seem to think it's only capable of pumping out heartwarming stews and chilis.
Then I heard about someone making burgers in the slow cooker and wanted to give it a try. Let me tell you, I was stunned by how juicy and flavorful these crock pot barbeque burgers were!
I topped them with a bit more of the barbecue sauce they cooked in and some caramelized onions and we licked our fingers and happily ate with barbecue sauce in the corners of our mouths.
Like this Crockpot Cheeseburger Casserole, barbeque burgers are an easy way to get classic tender burgers without all of the fuss of firing up the grill. But if you do want to fire up the grill, make these tasty Mushroom Swiss Burgers or a batch of Simple Turkey Burger Sliders in the oven!
Serve this classic American potato salad alongside your burgers. It's the perfect side dish!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- ground beef - 1 pound should do it, but if you have a bigger crockpot or a bigger crowd to feed you may want more.
- oregano, onion powder, lemon pepper, and salt - this spice blend yields a juicy and flavorful burger.
- barbecue sauce - use whatever your favorite is!
- onion - a white onion works best for this recipe.
- butter - helps brown and caramelize the onion for a delicious burger topping.
🔪 Instructions
- Add the ground beef with the oregano, onion powder, lemon pepper, and salt into a large bowl.
- Combine well.
- Form the mixture into 4 equal size patties.
- Place the burgers in your slow cooker in an even layer.
- Cover with barbecue sauce and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
- Meanwhile, cut the onion into rings.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion slices.
- Toss in the butter and cook until caramelized.
👪 FAQs
Yes, as long as you cook it long enough to kill any potentially harmful bacteria, cooking raw meat in the slow cooker is perfectly safe!
Anywhere from 2-6 hours, depending on the temperature setting. On high it can take as few as 2 hours, and on low (which is how I prefer to cook my barbeque burgers) you're looking at anywhere from 3-6. If you're not sure, just be sure to check for an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F.
Absolutely, and you probably have most of the necessary ingredients in your kitchen already! This recipe from Add a Pinch makes a simple and classic homemade BBQ sauce that goes great with these barbeque burgers.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Try not to layer your barbeque burgers if possible. If you find that your crockpot isn't big enough, try adding layers of the barbecue sauce and maybe even some of your onions to prevent the burgers sticking.
- At the 3 hour mark, start checking in on your burgers to see their level of done-ness.
- For more than 4 burgers, you may need to add cooking time.
- If you want even easier cleanup, use a slow cooker liner instead of of the non-stick spray!
This is the easiest way to make hamburgers in the crock pot! Slow cooker burgers are a great option for a hearty weeknight meal that you can prepare hours ahead of time and just enjoy when dinnertime rolls around!
📖 Substitutions and Variations
- For a slightly lighter take on this recipe, use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
- If you're not a fan of barbecue sauce or want a substitution, you can try ketchup, teriyaki sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or some combination to create your own sauce!
- Add a slice of pepper jack or cheddar cheese, some lettuce, bacon, or slices of tomato.
🥫 Storage and Reheating
To store leftover barbeque burgers, allow them to cool and transfer to an airtight container in the fridge, where they should last for 5 days to a week. They can also be stored in the freezer for up to 4 months.
For reheating, wrap your barbeque burgers in some foil and pop in the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.
💡 What To Serve With This Dish
These barbeque burgers are super versatile and pair well with a whole host of side dishes. Serve them with Cornbread Casserole or this Bacon Wrapped Asparagus for an elegant weeknight meal, or with these classic Air Fryer Potato Wedges for something quick and satisfying!
🍔 More Burger Recipes You'll Love
- Thai Turkey Burgers - Made with turkey, these burgers are bursting with Thai-inspired flavors!
- Easy Hamburger Casserole - This filling weeknight recipe is ready in under an hour.
- Wonton Cheeseburger Cups - Great as an appetizer or part of a finger food dinner spread.
- "Hamburger" Cupcakes - These adorable treats from Divas Can Cook are made to look just like little burgers!
If you love barbecue burgers, you need to check out this Western Bacon Cheeseburger recipe, with a juicy beef patty, crispy bacon, melted cheese, onion rings, and a tangy bbq sauce.
Slow Cooker Burgers
Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star ⭐ rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
📋 Recipe Card
Crock Pot Barbeque Burgers
Equipment
- 1 Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 cups barbecue sauce, plus extra for serving (your favorite)
- 1 onion, medium to large
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cheese slices, hamburger buns, lettuce leaves (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, oregano, onion powder, lemon pepper, and salt. Divide the mixture and form into 4 patties.1 pound ground beef, ½ tablespoon oregano, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, 1 tablespoon salt
- Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place the burgers in the bottom of the crock, in a single layer.
- Cover the burgers with the barbecue sauce, and cook on low for 3-4 hours, until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.2 cups barbecue sauce, plus extra for serving
- When the burgers are almost done, slice the onion into rings.1 onion, medium to large
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat, then add the onions.1 tablespoon butter
- Toss the onions to coat with the butter, then allow them to cook, stirring frequently, until they become browned and caramelized.
- Build your burgers with buns, cheese, and lettuce as desired. Drizzle a little extra barbecue sauce over the burger, then pile on some of the caramelized onions.4 cheese slices, hamburger buns, lettuce leaves
Notes
- If you need to layer your burgers to fit them, it may help to cover each layer with some sauce and even some onion strips to keep them from sticking to each other. Also, try not to lay the patties directly on top of each other. If you can stagger them, that will help also.
- Start checking your burgers at the 3 hour mark until you know how fast they will cook in your particular slow cooker.
- If you are cooking more than 4 burgers at a time, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- Use a slow cooker liner instead of using non-stick cooking spray to avoid sticking and make clean-up a snap!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
This recipe was originally published August 2013 and was updated March 2022.
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Happy cooking!
Lalaine Manalo says
These burgers are a delicious, mouth-watering flavor that is sure to be a hit with anyone who loves a good burger. Yum!
Kristin King says
These are definitely a huge hit in my house. Thanks for stopping by!
Amy Liu Dong says
I have never thought that I can cook burgers in the crockpot, and it turns out deliciously!
Jamie says
Wow! This burger dish looks so yummy! Plus that BBQ sauce will boost the taste and flavor of this burger and makes this so enticing and very appealing! I also love the caramelized onions, it will give an amazing vibe to this!
Kristin King says
Thanks, Jamie!
rebecca says
I didn't realize you can cook burgers in a crockpot. what a great idea! yum
Claudia Lamascolo says
these were excellent and perfect for here in Florida it keeps us from heating up the house great recipe thanks!
Suja md says
Perfect! I love this recipe! I haven’t made one in ages. Thanks for the idea!
Keri Bevan says
These came out perfectly! Love a great crock pot recipe. Many thanks!
kait says
Could you do multiple layers of burgers?
Kristin King says
Hi Kait! I have not tried multiple layers of burgers, although when I did it there was some overlap because of the shape of the burgers and the size of my slow cooker, and everything worked out. I guess I would be wondering if they would stick together if they were layered. If you are feeling adventurous, you could try it and see! I would be curious to hear how it turns out. Thanks for stopping by!
Jersey Girl Cooks says
Wow, these look delish. I could go for one now even at 8 in the morning. Heading over to check out Anyonita's blog.