Making perfect venison burgers isn’t hard. All you need to do is add a bit of fat and a few flavors to make this underrated meat shine on burger night.
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Making perfect venison burgers isn’t hard—it’s an exciting adventure that brings a unique twist to your burger nights! We mix it up between these Perfect Venison Burgers, Uncle Momo’s Smash Burgers and my Venison Sliders (so perfect for game day apps or a cookout). Venison is lean, so adding a bit of fat, like bacon or beef tallow, is key to keeping your burgers juicy and flavorful. Fire up your grill and get ready to savor that smoky, mouthwatering goodness!
When it comes to toppings, let your creativity run wild! Whether it’s a classic combo of lettuce, tomato, and cheese or something more adventurous like caramelized onions and blue cheese, the sky’s the limit. Pair your perfect venison burgers with your favorite sides—think crispy potatoes, a fresh summer salad or my quinoa tabbouleh —and you’ve got a meal that’s ready to impress. So, get ready to embrace the fun of summer grilling with these tasty, juicy venison burgers!
Venison burgers are a popular dish to make with ground deer meat, but they often end up dry, tough and gamey. If you find that this is usually true for you, you’re probably cooking venison burgers like you’re cooking beef burgers. With just a few simple tricks, you can take your wild game burger night to the next level and start using up that ground venison you have in the freezer. (For more venison cooking tips check out my free guide!)
Venison burgers are always a go-to in our house year-round when we’re trying to use up ground venison, and these honestly are so crazy flavorful and juicy, I like them even more than traditional beef or turkey burgers. The best part is the lean, grass-fed, responsibly sourced protein.
INGREDIENTS & KITCHEN TOOLS | VENISON MEAT, SPICES, FROZEN BUTTER
We make venison burgers on repeat in our home and they are not just a summer meal around here.
- Ground venison
- Balsamic vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Freezing cold butter, grated* (the secret ingredient here)
- Hamburger buns (brioche is best and toppings you like – cheese (we like Pepper or Colby Jack), lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, etc.
For your toppings, feel free to mix it up, some like to keep it simple with the basics (slices of cheese, mayo, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and pickles), but you could easily get creative by adding some bacon and a fried egg on top!
Kitchen Tools:
To whip up these burgers, you’ll need a bowl and whatever form of equipment you plan on cooking your burgers in (if using a grill, preheat to medium-high heat and spray grill grates with a grill spray. If cooking on a stovetop, I recommend a cast iron skillet).
STEP BY STEP | MAKING THE BEST VENISON BURGER RECIPE
Step 1: Before beginning, place a stick of butter in the freezer.
Step 2: If you’re cooking your burgers on a grill, go ahead and preheat the grill to medium-high (450-500F). If you’re cooking on a stovetop, get out a large pan (preferably cast-iron) and set it on the appropriate burner. You’re going to want to heat the pan for 3-5 minutes before cooking, so keep that in mind.
Step 3: Mix together the venison, balsamic, Worchestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. I like to use a fork and my hands. It’s good to use a fork to “fluff” and break up the meat, you don’t want it too packed.
Step 4: Right before you form the patties, grate in about 2 tablespoons of freezing cold butter (I use a regular, old cheese grater) into your meat mixture. Mix again quickly just to distribute, but not so much that the butter melts.
Step 5: Form the meat into 4 evenly sized balls and then shape them into patties. Form a divot with your thumb in the top of the burgers to help catch some of the juice.
Step 6: Place the burgers on the grill or in the hot pan, and cook for anywhere from 5-8 minutes per side. I like to just flip the burgers once so they have a nice crust. If you’re using cheese, add your cheese when you flip your burger over.
Step 7: I use an internal read thermometer and pull my burgers at 140-145F (medium) but you can pull them at 150F-160F if you like yours more well done.
Step 8: Let your venison burger patties rest for 5-10 minutes (SERIOUSLY) before assembling and eating. Voila!
NOTE:
When I tell people to add butter to burger meat, I sometimes get flak from the health police. To me, it makes a huge difference, but of course, it isn’t 100% necessary. If you do not want to use the butter, just don’t use it. Your burger won’t be as juicy, and it’s only about 1/2 Tbsp. per serving. I always opt for very high-quality, grass-fed butter, by the way.
Cooking Tip
The trick to cooking venison burgers is to add a bit of fat, in this case, grated frozen butter, to the meat because it’s very lean. Also, make sure you don’t overcook them!
TIPS AND TRICKS | PERFECTLY JUICY VENISON BURGERS & FINDING THE PERFECT MEAT-TO-FAT RATIO
Adding fat
In this recipe, you’ll see below that I’m using cold, grated butter and mixing a bit into the patties. Not too much, you don’t want the burger to be greasy, but just about 1/2 tablespoon of grated butter per patty to give it some juice.
Our deer meat is also cut with 10% pork fat, so be sure to add some sort of fat to your grind (or have your butcher do it) when processing the meat.
Cooking to perfection
One of the #1 ways to ruin deer meat is to overcook it. I like my steaks rare to medium rare and my burgers just over medium, so about 140F internally.
Once your burgers reach about 140-145F, pull them off the heat source you’re using and let them rest for a few minutes before serving them. This is SO important.
How do you make deer burgers taste good?
If you don’t love the flavor of venison, or even if you do and you want to enhance it, you’re going to want to add a bit of seasoning and acid to your burgers to let the meat shine.
I add a bit of balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to combat the richness but bring out the meaty flavor.
Then, it’s just simple salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. It’s really that easy!
HOW TO SERVE
These venison burgers are served perfectly as is. We always use a delicious brioche bun, with your favorite toppings – YUM. These pair perfectly with my Southwest Pasta Salad, Tabbouleh Salad, or some Homemade French Fries.
STORING & REHEATING
If you happen to have any of these leftover (very rare around here), store them in an airtight container and simply reheat in the microwave or stovetop, just for a few minutes until heated through.
OTHER VENISON RECIPES
There are so many delicious ways to use up that extra ground venison you have in your freezer. My Award-Winning Venison Chili is always a fan favorite. I also cannot recommend my Best Every Venison Meatballs – they are perfect for meal prep & store perfectly in the freezer. Venison Sloppy Joe’s & Venison Burrito Bowls are the perfect quick and easy weeknight meals that the whole family will love. If you need some other burger recipes, here are some of our favorites: Uncle Momo’s Smash Burgers, Elk Burgers, Venison Sliders, and for a low-carb option try these Venison Burger Bowls.
Love this recipe? Make sure to order a copy of my cookbook, Venison Every Day, for more amazing deer meat ideas.
Venison Burger
Making perfect venison burgers isn’t hard. All you need to do is add a bit of fat and a few flavors to make this underrated meat shine on burger night.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 burgers
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grill/Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground venison
- 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 2 Tbsp. freezing cold butter, grated*
- Burger buns (brioche is best and toppings you like – cheese (we like Pepper or Colby Jack), lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, etc.
Instructions
- Before beginning, place a stick of butter in the freezer.
- If you’re cooking your burgers on a grill, go ahead and preheat the grill to medium-high (450-500F). If you’re cooking on a stovetop, get out a large pan (preferably cast-iron) and set it on the appropriate burner. You’re going to want to heat the pan for 3-5 minutes before cooking, so keep that in mind.
- Mix together the venison, balsamic, Worchestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. I like to use a fork and my hands. It’s good to use a fork to “fluff” and break up the meat, you don’t want it too packed.
- Right before you form the patties, grate in about 2 tablespoons of freezing cold butter (I use a regular, old cheese grater). Mix again quickly just to distribute, but not so much that the butter melts.
- Form the meat into 4 evenly sized balls and then shape them into patties. Form a divot in the top of the burgers to help catch some of the juice.
- Place the burgers on the grill or in the hot pan, and cook for anywhere from 5-8 minutes per side. I like to just flip the burgers once so they have a nice crust. If you’re using cheese, add your cheese when you flip your burger over.
- I use an internal read thermometer and pull my burgers at 140-145F (medium) but you can pull them at 150F-160F if you like yours more well done.
- Let your burgers rest for 5-10 minutes (SERIOUSLY) before assembling and eating. Voila!
Notes
- When I tell people to add butter to burger meat I sometimes get flack from the health police. To me, it makes a huge difference, but of course, it isn’t 100% necessary. If you’re wanting to not use the butter, just don’t use it. But, your butter won’t be as juicy and it’s only about 1/2 Tbsp. per serving. I always opt for very high quality, grass-fed butter, by the way.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger (patty only)
- Calories: 269
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 678 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 126 mg
This post was originally published in June 2020. It was updated in May 2025.
Thanks for the recipe. It looks so delicious.
Thanks for checking it out!
I made a double batch of whitetail burgers to add to other burgers at a club gathering This afternoon, My venison burgers were absolutely delicious. The common comment was “I’ve tried venison before but it was (tough, gamey, just ok, fill in the blank) but this was REALLY good! Thank you for the secret ingredients and tips. A keeper for the recipe book.
Linda – you’ve made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed the burgers! 🙂
I made a double batch tonight but added finely diced onion and minced garlic to the burgers. My husband who has only had his father’s venison burgers was initially a little apprehensive ended up DEVOURING 2 of them and my girls ages 4 & 6 could not get enough of them either. That being said I did have a little difficulty with the burgers crumbling apart while grilling, wondering if this has been an issue for you at all? I may add an egg next time to bind them a little better but all-in-all these were delicious!
Using fresh onion, I. E. Adding water to the burger probably made them crumble. Hence she uses dried. You can grate, salt, rest the onions for 30 mins then squeeze off the liquid to minimise this effect if you want to use fresh.
I long ago changed to onion and garlic powder, however finely you chop the onions the aways break or fall apart on the larger harder lumps. Powder solves this whilst keeping the taste!
This looks really good. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
of course!
Can’t wait to try this recipe this weekend. Been craving for burgers since last week. Thanks for this!
Hope you enjoyed them!
So what’s the temperature to cook the elk burgers.
If you want a medium burger, 140-145F, 150-155 for med-well
Thank you for the information.
Amazing! This recipe was everything and more. Made our venison burgers in a cast iron skillet and wow were they flavorful! Definitely will make again with this recipe.
What’s your recommendation on how to grate the butter?
My son got his first buck and we’ve never made venison burger before. Thank you!
I’d freeze it for a bit and just do it on a standard box grater like you would a block of cheese!
Just made them didnt use anything but the plain deer burger no ketchup pickles etc. Was fantastic will be using this recipe from now on. Deer meat in NY is a bit pricey but this sure is a nice treat to have.
I’m so glad you enjoyed!!
If you’re in a laid back state of mind, hence, lazy simply add your ground venny to a can of Hormel Bold Manwich. It’s got so much flavor to add to the meat.
I agree 100%! I have been doing this for years except I add chopped onion and bell pepper when I am browning the meat!
Love this idea so much! Thanks for sharing, Jamey!
I’ve cooked with venison for years but have never tried making a burger with it because it’s so lean. These were SO tasty, and my kids did not detect the gamey flavor (they usually do). I’ll definitely make these again! Our venison was not mixed with another fat during processing; the only fat was from the butter.
If you got your Meet processed at a processor, do you still add the butter?
Yes! We frequently do and still add the butter.
This was absolutely the most delicious burger! My neighbor said he’d pay big money for a burger like it. It had such incredible flavor. So good!
I did add diced jalapeños as its my husband’s favorite way to eat a burger. My husband grilled beef burgers along side the venison burgers. There was no comparison, this recipe blew the beef burger out of the water…or I should say grill.;)
This venison burger was insanely delicious! I did add fresh diced jalapeños to them. Our neighbor said he would pay good money for that burger. We did grill beef burgers alongside the venison burgers and the Venison burgers out shined the beef burgers by far. So good! Thank you so much! Yum yum yum
Can the patties be made in advance and stored in the fridge?
YES! We make them, freeze them raw, and then cook either from frozen or thawed out. Great idea.
Bestest I’ve had in years, will do again along with other recipes in Venison everyday
Thanks
Rich
Thanks so much, Rich! Glad you’re enjoying!
I made these burgers last night for my husband, and 2 grandchildren. My granddaughter who is picky about her venison loved them. My husband said this will be the only recipe we will be using from now on. They had so much flavor and were so juicy. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank YOU for trying them and for taking the time to leave this kind review!
So good!!
So glad you like them!
If you are cooking on stove, use carbon steel or cast iron pan. Instead of butter try using duck fat, adds nice flavor and has high enough fat content. Enjoy.
Yum!
Best venison burger recipe I’ve tried so far!! Thanks so much for posting 🙂 I paired these patties with blue brie, sweet pickles, mesclun greens and a garlic balsamic aioli on brioche bun – perfection!
Great venison burger recipe! Loved by everyone. Thank you!
Thank you for trying, Mark! These reviews mean the world to us.
This recipe is fantastic! Adding the butter made a huge difference in the texture. I cooked mine in a cast iron skillet on the stove. NEVER again! My house smoked up SO badly. Next time they’re going on the grill, outside! LoL This will be my go-to recipe for venison burgers.
MAKE THESE!! Didn’t change a thing! Delicious!
This recipe made for a great delicious venison burger. Thanks for the idea. I have used grated butter before. I like to grate the frozen butter and then pop it back in the freezer while I get other stuff prepped. Makes it easier to handle. Also made a second batch with grated onions that I leave sitting in a strainer to remove some of the moisture. It was delicious. Thanks again.
This is an excellent burger recipe! The only ingredient I didn’t have was Worcestershire sauce, it was still good. I will be making this again 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Quick question, if I intend to bake these – what temp and how long would you say? Also how many burgers are you getting for a pound? Making these for my hubbies lunches for the week. I love the idea of some quality butter added for the fat!
Hi Jacqueline! For baking burgers I like baking them at 375 for about 18 minutes but time varies based on thickness and your oven. You should get 4 burgers per pound!
Hope this helps! Enjoy!!!
These are awesome!! They never disappoint me and are really easy to put together and cook!
Thank-you:)
I made this for my family get together. The adults, even the ones who don’t like deer, loved it. The kids enjoyed the taste and couldn’t tell the difference. Will be my goto recipe.
Perfect! I am so excited that you and the family are loving this recipe 🙂
Can the cooked burgers be frozen for consumption later?
Hi Don – Yes! You can freeze these burgers before cooking. Enjoy!
This turned out amazing. The balance of flavors and using butter make these a real treat! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Yes! This is the best, I am so glad you are loving these burgers. Thanks so much for your review, I appreciate it so much!
Last time I cooked these in a cast-iron on my stove. They were absolutely fantastic, but smoked up my house. This time I cooked them on the grill. Still absolutely fantastic!!
Ah yay! I am so glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you, Lara!
My son (I call him the “Burger King” LOL) made these last night.
Absolutely out of this world.
WOO! This makes me so happy to hear, I am so glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out great for you all!
Been using this recipe for quite awhile now and definitely husband improved, I first opted out the butter and then I used the butter the next time and my husband can definitely tell the improvement! Definitely adding the butter for now on! Thank you again for a wonderful recipe!
WOO! This is so exciting, Julianna. I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and it turned out amazing for you. Who would’ve thought that butter would be such a game changer! Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate it!
Amazing! My children devoured these. I followed the recipe and used a cast iron skilled turned up high. Used brioche buns. I’m in awe!
YAY! I am so glad these are a hit for your whole family, Jasmin! Thanks so much for giving these a try!
The burger bun is far less healthy than the butter.
I did add, some hamburger, I put them on the grill, and amazing there was no shrinkage. One of the best burgers I have ever had.
Perfect! I am so glad you’re loving these this recipe, Monique!
Wow…best venison burgers I’ve made. They were a crowd favorite, especially with the kids. Thanks for sharing!
Amazing! this makes me so happy to hear, glad these are a hit for the whole family, Kevin. Thanks for your review, I really appreciate it!
I followed the recipe exactly and the burgers were delicious!! I would choose these over regular ground beef burgers. Thank you for sharing!
YAY! So glad these turned out amazing for you, Kathy!
Best venison burgers we’ve ever made, thank you! I didn’t have balsamic or Worcestershire, so I used pickle juice – ha!
Thank you!
YUM! Glad these turned out amazing for you, Alison. Thanks for your review!!
Thanks..made these in the UK..a double batch ..they were great.. and all my family loved them.
I haven’t made this recipe in over a year. I will say adding the butter makes a HUGE difference…for the better. Usually I cook them on the outdoor grill. This time I’m using an electric grill. Still perfect!! Absolutely love this recipe!
This is nonsense. They must be hunting their own deer and then butchering and (as she says) processing it. Well I buy prepackaged ground venison and its like it hasn’t even been ground. It is almost like they packaged a pound of steak into a package snd called ot ground venison. I cant get it to break up like a package of 85/15 ground beef. The only way I would be able to add shredded butter to it is to run the “ground” venison through a sausage grinder. And I dont own one. How about telling us how we are supposed to process it and get 15% beef fat mixed into it.
If you want to keep eating that venison you bought, then just buy a meat grinder. I wouldn’t use food prosser though.
Wow delicious !!! Super easy for a beginner in the kitchen.
YUM! One of our family favorites, I am so excited to hear these turned out great for you, Lindsey. Thank you so much for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
I wasn’t sure I liked venison but this was a great recipe – made exactly as written.
WOO! This makes me SO happy to hear, Kathy. I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and you loved it. Thanks for coming back to share your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
Do I need to use balsamic vinegar? I have all the other ingredients
Is a balsamic vinaigrette an ok substitute?
You will want to stick with a vinegar, not vinaigrette (which has oil and other spices). You really want the acidity, so you could use red wine vinegar or ACV if needed.
I made these, and they were awesome! Our ground venison wasn’t cut with anything else; and using your recipe…especially the grated butter…the taste was great. I would have a hard time convincing others that these were made from venison and not ground beef! Thanks for another great venison recipe. You are my go to for any and all venison recipes and cooking techniques!
WOO! Thank you so much, Paula. I am so glad these turned out great for you and they were a hit. Thank you so much for sharing your review, I appreciate it!
We process our venison with bacon and some pork belly. Would you still add the butter or would that be too much fat?
I would still add the butter! Enjoy!
Excellent recipe! Anyone giving you flack about the butter has been brainwashed by food corporation propaganda so they can sell us all low fat products. I would encourage them to check out the work of Dr. Elizabeth Bright and others to understand how we all need more butter in our lives, and the damage that these poorly advised low fat diet has caused to our endocrine systems, and therefore bodies as a whole.
Thank you so much, Niki! I really appreciaet it and I am glad you are enjoying this recipe!
Correction: But, your butter won’t be as juicy and it’s only about 1/2 Tbsp. per serving. I always opt for very high quality, grass-fed butter, by the way.
Should it say: but, your BURGER won’t be as juicy ????
Thank you!! Fixing this now!
Can I fine chop bacon as my fat as well as some butter?
Sure, I bet that’ll be delicious! Let me know how it turns out!
Perfect! I had just ground the last of the venison from last year that looked a wee bit freezer burned so I doubled the Worcestershire sauce. I had never thought of using grated butter instead of pork fat, which I never put in to the ground venison for moisture. There is nothing wrong with organic grass fed butter. These were delicious. I chilled them and then we did them on the grill three minutes per side, let them rest, absolutely perfect. Since you suggested, brioche buns, I made homemade sourdough brioche buns that complemented the burgers perfectly. This will be our go to recipe for venison burgers from now on!
WOO! This is absolutley perfect, Patti. I am so glad these were a hit and the homemade buns sound perfect!
These are amazing!! I made them exactly as the recipe is written (and the best part is I didn’t have to buy any fancy ingredients, or any ingredients at all as I had everything) and they turned out juicy and delicious. I used 100% ground venison from New Zealand, bought at my local grocery store. The butter addition is genius! Hubs loved it and said to put it in my top 5. Thank you!!
WOO! This makes me so happy to hear, Marcia. I am so glad this recipe turned out great for you! Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
My boyfriend hunts and has a freezer full of venison i will eat but not a fan so last night i made this recipe for burgers omg i loved it. Easy tastes amazing hides the game taste. I will definitely be making these burgers again. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I did not grill i fried with extra butter
WOO! This seriously makes me so happy to hear, Tawna. I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and loved it. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
Allie,
This has become our favorite burger recipe! I use it every time I make venison burgers. 😋 Made these for a family gathering and everyone loved them!
My husband is a hunter, and your recipes have been a huge help to me in knowing how to best use the venison in our freezer.
Thanks for sharing your recipes!
P.S.—I also have your cookbook and enjoy those recipes too.
Hannah!!!!! You have no idea how much these words mean to me. Thank YOU!!!
I grew up eating venison but most of the time it waa dry and crumbly. Not this one! This recipe is the best burger one l have ever tried.
I have your cookbook but also am always looking recipes up when l am not sure what to use our venison up with. I don’t know if it’s the acid you add or just the spices but these are perfect.
I grew up eating venison but most of the time it was dry and crumbly. Not this one! This recipe is the best burger one l have ever tried.
I have your cookbook but also am always looking recipes up when l am not sure what to use our venison up with. I don’t know if it’s the acid you add or just the spices but these are perfect.
This is amazing, Bryanna! I am so glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you!
I made these with our very lean ground venison. The grated butter was a great addition to add moisture and fat to these burger. These were great tasting burgers, and it’s the only way I will make venison burgers now. Thanks for a great recipe and all your tips for cooking venison!!
WOO! This makes me so happy to hear, Paula! Thank you so much for sharing your review and star rating!
Such a yummy recipe and helpful tips included! Thank you!
The best venison burgers!!
Yay! I am so glad you are loving these, Kathy!
Should call this site misaddy’s kitchen. Could barely use it on a phone. We’ll see how recipie goes, but the user experience was so bad. So very bad. The anecdotes, chasing down details and directions though all the clutter. I get the living part, but the user experience here was horrible.
Fabulous as always