You’ll be skipping the drive-through to make this venison burger recipe. Make it with or without fat; either way, naturally sourced juicy venison burgers are high in protein, filling, and restaurant-worthy!
I’m only kidding, partially, about being restaurant-worthy.
Not that these venison pork burgers are not delicious, but the satisfaction of making your own food is enough reason to believe that homecooked meals are the best meals.
So, let’s prepare our venison hamburgers, season them to perfection, and serve them tonight with our favorite sides!
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Key ingredients
Ground venison: What is a venison burger without ground venison?
Ground pork sausage: Adding pork sausage or pork fat is a great way to help hold the ingredients together. Of course, you can leave the sausage out if you’d rather.
Unflavored gelatin: I like to add a touch of gelatin or even an egg to this recipe. You would be surprised how juicy the burger turns out!
Cheddar cheese: Topping any burger with cheddar cheese is simply a requirement. But if cheese is not your thing, feel free to leave it off.
Mustard: I like to add mustard to my deer burgers strictly for the flavor it brings out. A lot of people find the mustard also helps reduce the gamey taste.
Salt & Pepper: Trust me, just add the salt and pepper.
Venison Burger Recipe
Please note I’ve included sausage mixed in with this recipe, but it’s not required. Simply omit the sausage and substitute equally for ground venison.
How to make venison burgers
Step 1: Add both venison and sausage to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin, then combine the ingredients.
Step 2: Do your best not to overwork the meat. Then add mustard, salt and pepper. Give the ingredients another quick mix.
Step 3: Divide the meat into patties. Slightly indent the middle of each patty to keep it from swelling up while cooking.
Step 4: Carefully add your venison burger patties to a hot cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the patty until a nice brown crust forms on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip, and cook an additional 4 or 5 minutes.
Step 5: For the last two or so minutes of cooking, I like to add the cheddar cheese so it has time to melt.
Top Tip: Use your thumb or a spoon to squish down the middle of the patty before cooking. This will help keep the burgers from shrinking while being cooked. This is especially helpful if you are using pork fat.
Do I have to add fat to the ground meat?
Venison burger recipes generally include adding in some sort of fat, pork fat, beef fat, etc.
The reason is that ground venison burger essentially does not have any fat, and what little fat it may have is generally cut away anyway during processing.
Leaving the Deer fat on meat is fine in, say, a roast or stew, where it has time to cook down and really cook into the meat; otherwise, it does not taste the best and contributes to the gamey flavor.
Related: check out my venison sloppy joe recipe next.
Have you ever stuffed a burger patty with cheese? Try this cheese-stuffed juicy lucy burger!
Best venison burger
Making venison burgers in many different ways in the past has led me to the best venison burger recipe, which includes 75% ground venison and 25% ground pork sausage.
That’s not to imply venison cannot be cooked on its own because it’s actually quite flavorful with just a little salt and pepper.
But, to make a venison burger that holds together well, especially important on a grill, but also one that stays juicy when cooked all the way through to well done, it’s going to need some sort of fat.
You can use pork fat instead of sausage, but adjust the ratios to 85-90% venison and 10-15% pork fat.
Additionally, pork fat may be somewhat difficult to find. Try checking with your local butcher; otherwise, use pork sausage.
Storing leftovers
Allow your venison burgers to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheat in the skillet on the stovetop or the oven until warmed through.
A little on venison
Venison burger, and all venison, for that matter, is a red, lean meat, rich in protein, and contains many vitamins and minerals. It is a healthy, low-fat alternative to beef burgers.
Frequently asked questions
Venison burgers cook about the same as beef burgers or elk burgers. Generally, it takes about 7-10 minutes, depending on preferred doneness.
Ground venison should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F
Season venison burgers with salt, pepper, garlic powder, a dash of red pepper, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
Or, kick things up a notch with a splash of your favorite hot sauce.
Homestyle fries, roasted Brussel sprouts and cheesy bacon, and squash complement this tasty burger recipe quite well. If the extra cooking is not on the agenda, throw together a simple side salad with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cheese.
Adding Worcestershire sauce is probably the most popular method for eliminating the gamey taste. For this recipe, I used a touch of mustard, which, combined with the bread crumbs and pork fat, resulted in the perfect flavor!
Wrapping up
Making any ground venison recipe is quite simple, from the classic like ground meatloaf to the ever-popular ground venison stroganoff.
Be sure to leave a comment below, letting me know what you think! And if you are looking for more great recipes, check out some of my most popular ones below!
- Venison backstrap
- How to cook a moose burger
- Garlic butter ribeye
- Sausage stuffed bell peppers
- Tender deer steak
- Oven baked brisket
Best Venison Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb of ground venison
- ½ lb of ground pork sausage
- 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin
- 1 tablespoon of mustard
- ½ teaspoon of sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper
- Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Add both venison and sausage to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin, then combine the ingredients.
- Add mustard, salt and pepper. Give the ingredients another quick mix.
- Divide the meat into patties. Slightly indent the middle of each patty to keep it from swelling up while cooking.
- Carefully add your venison burger patties to a hot cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the patty until a nice brown crust forms on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip, and cook an additional 4 or 5 minutes.
- For the last two or so minutes of cooking, I like to add the cheddar cheese so it has time to melt.
