Love burgers? Give this venison burger recipe a try! It uses the perfect combination of ingredients to make the best venison burger mix, resulting in moist, lean venison burgers that are full of flavor without additional fat.
Thanks to the seasoning, this is an extremely flavorful burger. For those who haven't tried ground venison, it tastes very similar to ground beef, so it tends to work really well in dishes that call for ground beef.
Ground venison or deer meat is a healthy alternative to ground beef because it's a lean cut of meat.
These deer burgers are inspired by the best old fashioned burger and this peanut butter bacon burger!
Why You Will Love This Venison Burger Recipe
- Simple Ingredients. This burger recipe uses common, everyday ingredients that are easy to find at the store if you don't already have them in your pantry.
- Great Tasting Burger. The rich, flavorful, juicy taste of venison provides a gourmet experience right at home, impressing family and friends alike.
- Quick and Easy Dinner. With minimal preparation required and a quick cooking time, these burgers are perfect for a fast meal on busy days during the week.
Ingredients
Here's a look at what you need to make homemade venison burgers. More than likely, these common staples are already sitting in your pantry. Now's the time to use them!
- Ground Venison: Our blank slate for the best-tasting burger!
- Cheddar Cheese: It's my favorite for burgers but really you can use just about any cheese to top your burger.
- Hamburger Buns: Select a sturdy, strong, crusty hamburger bun, even a brioche or whole grain bun, that can easily handle the juicy patty and all the toppings without falling apart.
- Light Brown Sugar: Just a touch to add a balance of flavors. Dark brown sugar will work in a pinch.
- Ketchup: For a bit of sweetness and flavor. Use chili sauce or a mild barbecue sauce instead.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a zing of flavor that really brings everything together.
- Spice Mixture: We will be using garlic powder and onion powder along with salt and pepper to add flavor.
- Toppings for Venison Burgers: The sky is the limit here! Choose from bacon, back bacon, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, onion slices, pickle slices, fried onions and mushrooms, roasted peppers, hot peppers, guacamole, ketchup, onion ketchup, relish, mustard, and mayo.
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact quantities of each ingredient.
Variations
- Adding Some Fat: Venison is lean, so feel free to blend in some fat like some garlic butter or add ground fatty meat such as sausage, pork butt, diced bacon, or beef for a change. Aim for a ratio of 15 - 20 percent fat.
- Spicy: Add a bit of chili pepper flakes, diced jalapeno pepper, jalapeno powder, smoked jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the meat mixture for a bit of heat. You can also serve up our homemade hot pepper sauce on the table as well.
How to Make Venison Burgers
Here's a look at the easy steps that go into making these juicy deer burgers.
- Combine the ground venison, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Mix together until fully combined. It's best to mix by hand so you don't over-mix the meat.
- Shape the meat into six, even-sized patties and make a small indention in the center so they cook evenly.
- Place each burger patty on your preheated grill. Avoid moving them so they get a nice char but you can rotate them once 90° so they don't stick. Flip the burgers and char on the other side. Continue cooking until they reach the desired doneness.
PRO TIP: My recommendation is to cook them no more than medium-well (160°F), as venison meat tends to dry out. I find about three to five minutes per side.
- Add the cheese a couple of minutes before the burgers are ready to be taken off the grill, close the grill, and let the cheese melt.
- Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.
⭐️ Hint: Do not over-mix the ground meat when adding seasoning or shaping patties or you'll end up with dense burgers.
If you love recipes like this venison burger, you may also enjoy our venison heart recipe, or Bacon Wrapped Burger.
Storage
- Refrigerator: You can mix up your venison burger meat and shape it into patties up to one day in advance. To store leftover cooked burgers, make sure they're cool and place them in an airtight container. Store inside your fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freezing raw venison burger patties could not be easier. Place a piece of parchment paper on each patty to separate them. Make sure your venison meat hasn't been previously frozen if you plan to freeze them raw. After cooking store leftover patties wrapped in foil and in an airtight container, or a resealable freezer bag. Mark the date on the outside and store it for up to three months.
- Reheat: Place burgers on a rimmed baking sheet with a sprayed rack and bake for about 5 minutes or until heated through in a 375° F. oven. Make sure to thaw out frozen burgers overnight in the fridge before reheating.
What to Serve with Venison Burgers
- Add a Vegetable Side Dish: Choose from Grilled Asparagus, Smoked Asparagus, slow cooker corn on the cob or Easy Broiled Asparagus.
- Salad: Enjoy this Grandma's Coleslaw or Jalapeno Coleslaw along with your venison burger. Mixed Greens Salad, Amish Broccoli Salad, Bell Pepper Salad, or Easy Strawberry Spinach Salad all work well too!
- Crispy Potatoes: Love burgers and fries? Try these Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries or Air Fryer Steak Fries.
- Sauces: Experiment with Spicy Mayo Sauce, Big Mac Sauce, and Homemade Steak Sauce. Or you can try any of our favorite dips and sauces.
Expert Tips
- Checking for Doneness. Use a thermometer to ensure the venison burgers are not overcooked, as venison is so lean, it can easily dry out. Use a thermometer and remove the burgers from heat when they reach 5°F below the desired temperature as they will continue to cook while resting.
- Grind Deer Meat. If you grind your own aim for fine grind (instead of coarse) for juicier venison burgers.
- How to Prevent Gaminess. This refers to the strong taste of animal meat and if you're concerned about it being too strong, simply soak the meat overnight in buttermilk.
- Do Not Over Mix. This will cause dense burgers.
- Flipping the Burgers. Flip the venison burgers only once to create a nice char on the outside of each burger
- Let Them Rest. Allow the burgers to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. You'll be glad you did as it seals in the juices.
FAQ
Unfortunately, most major grocery chains don't stock venison or deer meat at all. If this venison burger recipe intrigues you, try contacting a butcher who sells some in your area.
For medium rare to medium patties, make sure the venison burgers reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the burgers from the grill or oven once they reach 155 degrees. Then allow them to rest for a minimum of five minutes. While resting, the internal temperature of the burgers will continue to rise through carry-over cooking.
Use large chunks of meat that look like large roasts and grind all of it into portions that you can use right away or freeze. I rely on my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with a meat grinder attachment but Amazon sells these meat grinders that are specifically for grinding meat. There are so many grinders out there. When making a purchase, be mindful of the motor power and machine size. When I bought my first one, I didn't realize the importance of motor power and ended up burning it out pretty quickly.
Venison Burger Recipe Video
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Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Best Venison Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground venison
- 1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 slices cheese
- 6 hamburger buns of your choice
Burger Toppings of Choice
- back bacon or bacon or fried egg
- lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, fried onions and mushrooms, roasted peppers, hot peppers, guacamole, ketchup, relish, mustard, mayo
- Bacon Aioli check our our favorite dips and mayo recipes for other options!
Instructions
Mixing the Venison Meat
- Place the ground venison, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.
- Mix together, by hand, until fully combined, but do not to overmix.
- Portion out 6 even-sized patties, making a small indention in the center, and place them on a sheet tray until you're ready to cook.
Grilling Instructions
- Preheat grill over medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.
- As you put the burgers on the grill, try not to touch them so they get a nice char. Flip the burgers and char on the other side. Cook until desired doneness; suggest not cooking these over medium-well (155°F) as venison meat tends to dry out; 3-5 minutes per side.
- A couple of minutes before the burgers are ready, add a slice of cheese on top. Close the grill and let the cheese melt. Serve burgers on hamburger buns with your favorite burger toppings.
- Allow cooked burgers to rest on a cutting board or platter for at least 5 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite burger toppings and enjoy every bite.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a rack and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- Pull out a large skillet and oil it well. Heat the oil over medium high heat until it shimmers or a drop of water flicked in it, dances.
- Add burgers and sear five minutes per side and it turns a nice golden brown color.
- Once burgers have a wonderful crust, place them on a rimmed baking sheet with a rack and bake for 10 minutes or until burgers have an internal temperature of 155 degrees F. Flip burgers at the five-minute mark.
- Exact timing will depend on the size of the burgers. Use a thermometer and remember to allow burgers to rest for at least five minutes before serving, so they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees before serving.
- My husband will use store-bought stick of garlic butter, cut into tablespoon size and place one piece on each side. Place the first piece of butter on the burgers as they go in the oven. The second piece of butter is added after flipping them over. Ken has been doing this as far back as he can remember. His grandmother would put a half tablespoon of butter on all sides of the deer meat. Because he adored her, in her honor, he does the same to this day..
- Butter will ensure the venison doesn't get overcooked or dry out. Bacon grease is another fabulous option, but we don't always have extra bacon grease around.
Cook in a Cast Iron Pan
- Using a cast iron grill pan is perfect for this recipe, because you can sear the burgers on the stove, and in the same pan, bake the burgers in the oven.
- Heat pan over medium high heat. Add a few tablespoons of bacon fat or butter.
- Once hot, add burgers, indent side down and in batches, if necessary.
- Cook three to four minutes per side, The time will vary slightly depending on the thickness of the burgers.
- Check to make sure the internal temperature of 160 degrees is reached. Add cheese if using, and remove from the pan to rest, while you get busy building your burgers.
- Serve with your favorite burger sides and enjoy!
Notes
- Checking for Doneness. Use a thermometer to ensure the venison burgers are not overcooked, as venison is so lean, it can easily dry out. Use a thermometer and remove the burgers from heat when they reach 5°F below the desired temperature as they will continue to cook while resting.
- Grind Deer Meat. If you're grind your own aim for fine grind (instead of coarse) for a juicier venison burgers.
- How to Prevent Gaminess. This refers to the strong taste of animal meat and if you're concerned about it being too strong, simply soak the meat overnight in buttermilk.
- Do Not Over Mix. This will cause dense burgers.
- Flipping the Burgers. Flip the venison burgers only once to create a nice char on the outside of each burger
- Let Them Rest. Allow the burgers to rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving. You'll be glad you did as it seals in the juices.
Nutrition
This post was originally published April 2021. It has been updated with new images and content.
Tom says
I made venison burgers a couple of times from another blogger's recipe, but they were just okay. But this recipe, wow! did add one tsp of olive oil, but the flavors are soo good. Thanks for the recipe!
Karin and Ken says
Thank you for your kind words I try my best. I’m going to add olive oil next time we make them! I’m always grateful for suggestions. Take care and all the best. Karin
KB says
This recipe was delish! Another winner! We all ate every bite. Thank you for sharing ❤️
Karin and Ken says
You’re most welcome. I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for letting me know. All the best. Karin