Best Venison Burgers

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.

1. Combine the ground venison, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
2. Mix together until fully combined. It's best to mix by hand so you don't over-mix the meat.

3. Shape the meat into six, even-sized patties and make a small indention in the center so they cook evenly.
4. 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.

5. 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.
6. 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

Venison Burger Recipe Video

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Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.

This post was originally published April 2021. It has been updated with new images and content.