Venison Burger Recipe – Best Venison Burger Mix

Had a hamburger lately? Chances are it was a beef burger. Consider giving venison a try. It might surprise you. 

With a Venison Burger Recipe like this, you can make one of the juiciest venison burgers around. Using the best venison burger mix, results in moist, lean venison burgers that are full of flavor without additional fat.  For your reading pleasure, we’ve also included a section on grinding venison burgers! How cool is that?

Thanks to the seasoning, this is an extremely flavorful burger. The condiments, herbs and spices also work well with ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground pork. But they’re a given in this venison burger recipe, because it guarantees one of the best-tasting venison burgers on the planet! 

For those that 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.

My husband hunted and ate deer throughout his life. Hunting has always been a passion of his, and he looks forward to deer season. 

He takes the deer meat to our local butcher who knows how to process it. I end up with all kinds of cuts of venison in my freezer, and so I make a point of serving it often and in a variety of ways.

Any recipe that calls for beef, I use venison!

Ken is ALWAYS thrilled when I make venison burgers, and he doesn’t care whether they’re made on the grill, in the oven or in the cast iron frying pan. They turn out great every single time!  

These easy burgers are so tasty. With a little melted cheese, they could very well be one of the best venison cheeseburgers you’ll ever make!

What is a Venison Burger?

A venison burger looks very much like a regular, ground beef hamburger.  Some say it’s got the color and texture of ground lamb. The only difference is that it’s made with ground venison or deer meat; usually from the shoulder, leg and neck areas of the deer.

These wonderful burgers can be pre-made and frozen. Similar to ground beef, except venison meat is generally leaner.

Wild deer normally survive on grass. That means their diets are totally natural and organic. No steroids. No hormones. And no antibiotics. Just pure meat. How refreshing is that?

Not raised on farms, but hunted in the wild just like the days of the hunters and gatherers.

This venison burger recipe is as much or better than many ground beef hamburger recipes. Just thinking about a venison cheeseburger makes my mouth water. It’s that delicious and that yummy.

But don’t take my word for it. Try one and see for yourself. 

Best Venison Burger Recipe

Patrick once had a friend over who thought he was eating a beef burger. When he found out he was eating deer meat, he was shocked at how much it tasted like beef. He went home and told his mom about this venison burger recipe. Intrigued, she called asking for the recipe, and how she could get a hold of deer meat. I had a lot sitting in my freezer and so we ground some up and shared it with her. She called a while later and had nothing but good things to say about deer meat, and that it would become part of their regular meals.  

Ground venison or deer meat is a healthy alternative to ground beef because of how lean it is. Given that it’s so, lean, often some kind of fat is added, so it stays moist and tender.

I’m not sure this is always necessary. Adding fat is not called for in this venison burger recipe, as the ingredients guarantee the juiciest, and most tender venison burgers you’ll ever make.

The texture is firmer and smoother than ground beef. This is especially so when grinding venison burger meat yourself.

Depending on what wild herbs the deer fed on, deeply affects how flavorful the deer meat will be. 

When Ken would hunt deer near apple orchards and farm fields, the venison tasted more like beef. Whereas, hunting deer in swampy areas and dense bushlands, resulted in a leaner, gamy and less flavorful meat.

Gamy refers to the strong taste of an animal, and it’s not commonly consumed by the masses. If you don’t like that gamy taste, simply soak the meat overnight in buttermilk. Works every time. 

Personally, I don’t bother because we don’t mind gamy. Consider trying the burgers both ways, and decide from there.

Where do I buy Venison Meat?

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 that sells some in your area.

Grinding Venison Meat at Home

Again, this meat can be ground by a butcher, or you can process and grind it yourself. If you have the time and equipment, grinding venison burger or deer meat is ideal, as you can’t get much fresher than that!

My grandmother used to grind all of her own meat, and that’s when I first discovered the difference in taste and overall quality. 

She would buy large chunks of meat that looked like large roasts and grind all of it into portions that she would freeze.

Doing it myself, 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.

Put grinding meat on your bucket list, and see just how fresh and tasty these venison burgers turn out. Grind other meats as well, like beef and see the difference.

No matter who grinds the meat, this venison burger recipe is definitely worth a try.

Venison Burger Internal Temp

For medium rare to medium patties, make sure the venison burgers reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the minimum venison burger internal temperature that ensures deer meat is safe for human consumption.

Having a thermometer is so handy and really helps confirm the venison burger reaches the appropriate internal temp.

Remove 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 burgers will finish cooking. The last thing you want is overcooked deer.

Health Benefits of Venison

Overall, venison has more health benefits than any other red meat. Venison is lower in cholesterol, fat, and has many vitamins and minerals including iron and phosphorus. Nutritional and tasty is a great combination.

Tips for Making the Best Venison Burgers

• Use a thermometer to ensure the venison burgers are not overcooked, as venison is so lean, it can easily dry out.
• If possible, try grinding your own deer meat. Generally speaking, fine grind (instead of coarse) venison burgers are juicier and cook better.
• Consider adding a stick of shredded garlic butter, diced bacon, ground, fatty pork butt or even pork belly fat to the ground venison meat. Gives it added flavor and is a nice change. (Recommended ratio is about 15 percent or a little higher of fat)
• Do not overmix the ground meat, or you’ll end up with dense burgers.
• When grilling, flip venison burgers only once to create a nice char on the outside of each burger
• Allow burgers to rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving. You’ll be glad you did as it seals in the juices.
• For even tastier burgers, add smoke chips to the gas grill if you can.

Deer meat has a low fat content, which is why so many recipes call for added fat to ensure burgers are moist and tender. But when using this recipe, it’s not necessary.

Given that venison is so versatile, don’t limit yourself to burgers alone. There’s venison steaks, meatballs, casseroles, stews and so much more. Expand your menu profile with deer meat, and life in the kitchen gets  a lot more interesting!

Venison Burger Mix

For now, our focus is on the ever-fabulous venison burger. This venison burger mix has the perfect seasoning that will stand up to a regular beef burger any day. It calls for:

• light brown sugar
• ketchup
• Worcestershire sauce
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• kosher salt
• black pepper

As you can see, this venison burger mix recipe has simple ingredients. More than likely, these common staples are already sitting in your pantry. Now’s the time to use them. 

Calories in Venison Burger Mix

A three-ounce serving of deer contains between 135 and 160 calories and is the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of playing cards.

Again, a deer diet is generally natural, organic, and are very lean. That means about a gram of fat per ounce of meat, which is the leanest of the red meats.

No carbs. No fiber. Loads of protein, vitamins and minerals. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Venison Burger Recipe Ingredients

• ground venison
• light brown sugar, packed
• ketchup
• Worcestershire sauce
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• cheddar cheese
• hamburger Buns
• burger Toppings

How to Make Venison Burgers

In a medium bowl, add the ground venison, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

Mix together until fully combined, but, again, try not to overmix, It’s best done by hand.

Portion out six, even-sized patties and make a small indention in the center so they cook evenly. Place them on a sheet tray until you’re ready to grill.

Preheat the grill over medium-high heat.

Crank the grill to high, and scrape the grates with a wire brush.

Oil the grates and allow the grill to heat for 15 minutes.

Put each burger patty on the grill and try not to touch them, so they get a nice char. To prevent sticking, rotate the patties 90 degrees once.

Flip the burgers and char on the other side.

Cook until desired doneness.

Suggest you not cooking more than medium-well (160°F), as venison meat tends to dry out.

Three to five minutes per side.

Once they’re reached 155 degrees, remove burgers. Allow them to rest (for 5 minutes on a cutting board or platter), until they reach a temperature of 160 degrees. 

A couple of minutes before the burgers are ready to be taken off the grill, top a slice of cheese on each one if you wish.

Close the grill and let the cheese melt.

Toast buns the last minute of cooking.

Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.

By the time the toppings are on the buns, five minutes are past and you’re ready to dive in.

Serve with a side of potato chips, fries, coleslaw or salad!

Toppings for Venison Burgers

• back bacon
• cheese of any kind, especially cheddar
• fried egg
• lettuce
• tomato
• onion slices
• pickle slices
• fried onions and mushrooms
• roasted peppers
• hot peppers
• guacamole
• ketchup
• relish
• mustard
• mayo
• for other delicious options, check our our favorite dips and mayo’s 

Oven-Baked Venison Burger Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a rack, by lightly coating it with cooking spray.

Using your hands, gently combine ground venison and ingredients until blended.

Do not overmix or burgers will be too dense.

Distribute spices and seasonings in the mixture as evenly as possible.

Make sure burger patties are about the same size; approximately the same size as the buns.

Put a dent in the middle of each raw burger, using your thumb, so it cooks more evenly and helps keep its shape.

Pull out a large skillet and oil it well. Place over medium high heat until oil shimmers or a drop of water flicked in it, dances.

Add burgers and sear five minutes per side; until a nice golden brown color.

Once burgers have a wonderful crust. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet with rack, and bake for 10 minutes or until they have an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Remember to flip burgers at the five-minute mark.

Exact timing will depend on the size of the burgers. Again, use a thermometer to allow burgers to rest for at least five minutes before serving.

My husband will use a store-bought stick of garlic butter, cut it into tablespoon size and place one piece on each side. The first piece of butter goes on each burger as they go in the oven.

After flipping them, the second piece of butter is added.

As far back as he can remember, Ken’s grandmother would put a half tablespoon of butter on all sides of the deer meat, as she cooked it on her wood oven stove. In her honor, he keeps that tradition going today.

Butter ensures the venison doesn’t get dry or overcooked.

Using bacon grease is another fabulous option, but we don’t always have extra bacon grease around.

I’ll leave that decision up to you. Either one will work well. 

How to Cook Venison Burger in a Cast Iron Pan

Cooking venison burgers in a seasoned cast iron skillet is something I would encourage you to try.

A cast iron pan is perfect for this recipe, because it can be used to sear the burgers on the stove and placed in oven to bake after.

To cook venison burgers in a cast iron pan, place it over medium high heat.

Add a few tablespoons of bacon fat. Once hot, add the burgers, indent side down and in batches, if necessary.

Cook three to four minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the burgers.

Check to make sure the internal temperature of 160 degrees is reached. If using, add cheese and remove from the pan to rest while getting busy building your burgers.

How to Freeze Venison Burgers

Freezing raw venison burger patties could not be easier. Place a piece of parchment paper on each patty to separate them. 

Wrap piles or portions of patties in tin foil and place in an airtight container, or a resealable freezer bag, until needed. Mark the date on the outside.

When ready to cook, remove venison burgers from the freezer, allowing them to defrost overnight in the fridge.

Raw venison hamburger patties will last inside the fridge for one day.

When the opportunity to try deer meat comes knocking, take a break from beef and give these venison burgers a try. They might just pleasantly surprise you!