Best Venison Burgers Recipe
These venison burgers are so good you'll never have to search for another venison burger recipe again! They are simple to make and cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, topped with caramelized onions, bacon, and cheese!
Servings 6 patties
Equipment
Ingredients
Burger Patties
- 1.5 lb. Ground Venison
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 3/4 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Pepper
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 4 Tbsp. Butter for cooking
Caramelized Onions
- 1 Red Onion Sliced (not too thick not too thin)
- 2 Tbsp. Butter or 2 Tbsp. of bacon grease
- 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
Toppings
- Sliced Cheese Pepperjack, Swiss, Sharp Cheddar, American, etc. I like a combination of two.
- Bacon cooked and chopped
- Avocado
- Tomato
- Lettuce
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon Mustard
- Ketchup
- Hamburger Buns
Instructions
- Slice and prepare all of your favorite burger toppings and set them aside.
- Chop 12 pieces of bacon into small pieces and cook in a frying pan until desired doneness. Remove the bacon from the frying pan and set aside. We have discovered that we prefer topping our burgers with small chunks of bacon because then the entire slice doesn’t come out with one bite (which tends to happen more often than not lol).
- Now for the carmelized onions (my favorite topping). Drain off the extra bacon grease from your frying pan but keep 2-3 tablespoons in the pan for caramelizing the onions. Or if you don’t want bacon on your burger add 2 tablespoons of butter instead. Then add the sliced onions and brown sugar. Toss to combine and let the onions caramelize over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Next up, the burger patties. Add the ground venison to medium mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and mix well with your hands.
- Form the patties. Divide the meat into six equal portions making 1/4 pound patties. Make a round ball and then smush the pattie flat with your hand. Keep the patties as round as possible and make them slightly bigger than the size of your hamburger bun. Set on a cookie sheet or cutting board and use a spoon to press a dent in the center of each patty which prevents them from puffing up as they cook.
- Next, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Then melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add in 2-4 patties, dent side up. I typically cook the patties in two batches of three, but you can add however many fit in your skillet.
- Cook for two minutes over medium heat. After 2 minutes flip the patties and cook for an additional two minutes. While the patties are cooking on the final side, top each burger with a large spoonful of caramelized onions and then add 1-2 slices of cheese on top of the onions. By the time the patties are done cooking the cheese should be melted to perfection!
- After the burgers are done transfer them to a toasted or warmed bun and top with all of your favorite toppings and sauces!
- Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to your skillet, cook the remaining patties and enjoy!
Notes
We package our meat in 1.5 pound packages because it’s just our family of 3 and this is the perfect amount for (6) 1/4 pound patties which gives us some leftovers.
You can use 1 or 2 pound packages of venison which are often more common. Just be sure to use less salt if you’re using less meat to be sure it’s not too salty.
If your patties are thicker you may want to cook for an additional minute on each side but don't overcook your meat.
Tip: Don’t season your meat ahead of time. Salt can change the structure of the proteins and so if you salt the meat too early it will toughen the meat.