Venison Burger recipe is a simple deer patty made of ground meat, cheese, fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion inside a homemade bun. This is the classic way to make a wild game burger at home! We love this simple combination to season any type of meat and it works perfectly for lean venison!

venison burger in a bun

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New to venison recipes? Ground venison can be used in place of many ground beef recipes! Since venison meat is very lean, it’s perfect for a backstrap venison jerky recipe, roast, and Chili! Ground venison can be used in this Meatloaf Recipe, Spaghetti Meat Sauce, or Stroganoff recipe, but our favorite are these venison burgers!

What is Venison?

Venison is ground meat from deer. It’s a good protein and very lean, meaning there isn’t a lot of fat or suet. This venison recipe for burgers is made entirely of all finely ground venison without any fillers or binders! Plain seasoning and a finely minced fresh onion are added for flavor and you have a high-quality burger patty with simple ingredients.

How To Hold Together Venison Meat:

The key to cooking burgers without falling apart is to flip the patty at the right time. Start with a preheated grill or pan and once the patty is on the heat, don’t move it. You’ll know the patty is ready to flip when it’s not sticking to the grill grates and the edges look cooked. Freezing the patties makes them easier to handle when serving, for large picnic gatherings. Greasing the grill grates can also keep the meat from sticking.

Ingredients for Venison Burgers:

Simple ingredients can indeed make burger patties taste less gamey! Our secret is to season the meat well with black pepper and salt and add a fresh onion. The peppery profile isn’t overwhelming but definitely hides the gamey taste and brings out the flavor. Grilling the meat over coals or wood creates a smoked flavor that can also enhance the meat’s taste.

Ground Venison- grinding deer meat is easy when using a good electric meat grinder. We usually save the backstrap for tenderloin steaks or stew meat so save that cut for other recipes.
Seasonings- salt and pepper are all you really need to flavor a burger recipe! We have used this combination in pork and beef burgers with the same fantastic results! Any ground meat will work with this simple seasoning!
Onion- tenderizes the meat and can help neutralize the meaty taste. Finely mince or chop in a food processor.

How To Make Venison Burgers:

This is one of our favorite sandwich recipes! The prep is so easy and quick and can have the burgers on the grill in under 20 minutes! The best way to cook venison burgers is on a grill or cast-iron pan. Cook your burgers over high heat, any lower and the meat can tend to dry out.

In a medium bowl, combine the ground meat with salt, pepper, and minced onion. Don’t over-mix.
Cut the ground meat mixture into 8 equal pieces by indenting the portions. This helps make equal burger patties.
Form each piece into a patty, about 4.5-inches wide.
Place onto freezer paper (this is heavy-duty paper)
Preheat your grill or over high heat (400-450°F.)
Cook each patty for about 5-6 minutes on each side. It’s ready when the internal temperature for venison reads 160°F.
Top with cheese and melt. Remove from the heat and use in your favorite yeast rolls or buns!

Note: we like to arrange our burgers with mayonnaise, ketchup, green leaf lettuce, burger patty, tomato, and onion.

Can You Freeze Venison Patties?

Homemade burger patties freeze very well! Since venison meat is very red and lean, use freezer paper instead of parchment paper when freezing or stacking. The excess liquid can seep into the paper and tear it easily. I like to flash freeze the patties over freezer paper first, then once solid, I’ll cut the stack in half and transfer them into jumbo freezer bags. Keep frozen for up to 3 months. Frozen patties are ideal for a fast dinner, picnic, or party food!

Do I need Fat Content in Venison?

We have been making these homemade venison burgers without added pork fat with fantastic results! To make them juicy and flavorful we drizzle some cooking oil and steak seasoning over each patty when grilling. If you are making venison sausage, then you would want to add suet or pork fat, but it’s optional for burgers.

Juicy Burger Tips:

Grease your venison patties when cooking and sprinkle them with steak seasoning for juicy burgers.
Venison burgers don’t take much cooking time, be sure to cook burgers over high heat. Cooking burgers over low heat can dry out the meat.
These burgers can be grilled outdoors or cooked over the stovetop in a greased pan.
Spoon browned butter sauce over every cooked patty before assembling sandwiches for super juicy burgers.
Season ground venison well with black pepper and salt to balance out the gamey taste.
Freeze your venison meat patties to eat burgers all summer long!

Have you tried this Venison Burger recipe? I would love to hear from you, be sure to leave a review down below!

What To Serve With Venison Burgers:

We think this is the best venison burger recipe as is, but if you want some sides or condiments, we have some serving ideas including a fantastic low-carb keto burger idea!

Serve with this canned BBQ Sauce or homemade ketchup recipe!
Eat this burger with some french fries or potato chips.
For a low-carb option spoon a mixture of 1.5 cups of shredded cheese, 1/2 cup of canned mushrooms, 8 slices of bacon (chopped), and 1/2 cup of mayo. Spoon this mixture over cooked patties on the grill for a bun-less burger.
Wrap the venison patty between two lettuce leaves for another low-carb option.

How To Cook Venison Burgers:

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