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.
Ah, venison burgers. 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. The secret to the perfect burger is the frozen butter. You’ll also need ground venison meat, balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, salt & black pepper, and perfectly toasted hamburger buns. 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! Top 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
Before you begin making your burgers, place a stick of butter into the freezer (trust me on this one)! Depending on how you plan on cooking your venison burger, you’ll want to prepare your area. If you are cooking on a grill, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. If you prefer to cook them stovetop, you’ll want to preheat your cast iron pan 3-5 minutes before cooking. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Right before you form the patties, grate about 2 tbsp of the frozen butter into your meat mixture. Form the meat evenly into 4 evenly shaped balls and then form them into your venison burger patties. Place the burgers on a grill or hot pan and cook for about 5-8 minutes per side (just so they have a nice crust on the outside) and then add your cheese (cheddar cheese is our favorite). Make sure you let your burgers rest for 5-10 minutes before assembling.
TIPS AND TRICKS | PERFECTLY JUICY VENISON BURGERS & FINDING THE PERFECT MEAT-TO-FAT RATIO
How do you make venison burgers that aren’t dry?
The trick to cooking venison burgers is to add a bit of fat to the meat because it’s very lean, and make sure you don’t overcook them.
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, but they also pair perfectly with my Southwest Pasta Salad, Tabbouleh Salad, or some Homemade French Fries.
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.
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.
Love this recipe? Make sure to order a copy of my cookbook, Venison Every Day, for more amazing deer meat ideas.
PrintVenison 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 1x
- 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 June 2022.
concreting floor says
Thanks for the recipe. It looks so delicious.
Miss AK says
Thanks for checking it out!
Linda says
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.
Miss AK says
Linda – you’ve made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed the burgers! 🙂
Kristin says
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!
Joel says
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.
Graham says
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!
Alex says
This looks really good. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Miss AK says
of course!
Max says
Can’t wait to try this recipe this weekend. Been craving for burgers since last week. Thanks for this!
Miss AK says
Hope you enjoyed them!
James barbosa says
So what’s the temperature to cook the elk burgers.
Miss AK says
If you want a medium burger, 140-145F, 150-155 for med-well
JAMES BARBOSA says
Thank you for the information.
Elyse says
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.
Sandra says
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!
Miss AK says
I’d freeze it for a bit and just do it on a standard box grater like you would a block of cheese!
scott says
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.
Miss AK says
I’m so glad you enjoyed!!
Kevin says
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.
Jamey says
I agree 100%! I have been doing this for years except I add chopped onion and bell pepper when I am browning the meat!
Miss AK says
Love this idea so much! Thanks for sharing, Jamey!
Kathleen says
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.
Donna says
If you got your Meet processed at a processor, do you still add the butter?
Miss AK says
Yes! We frequently do and still add the butter.
Susan Hall says
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.;)
Susan Hall says
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
Mark says
Can the patties be made in advance and stored in the fridge?
Miss AK says
YES! We make them, freeze them raw, and then cook either from frozen or thawed out. Great idea.
Rich says
Bestest I’ve had in years, will do again along with other recipes in Venison everyday
Thanks
Rich
Miss AK says
Thanks so much, Rich! Glad you’re enjoying!
Irene White says
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!
Miss AK says
Thank YOU for trying them and for taking the time to leave this kind review!
Amber E says
So good!!
Miss AK says
So glad you like them!
John Ecclestone says
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.
Miss AK says
Yum!
Stephanie says
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!
Mark says
Great venison burger recipe! Loved by everyone. Thank you!
Miss AK says
Thank you for trying, Mark! These reviews mean the world to us.
Lara says
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.
Karen says
MAKE THESE!! Didn’t change a thing! Delicious!
Joe says
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.
Veronica Madsen says
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!
Jacqueline Whitsitt says
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!
Miss AK says
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!!!
K.B. says
These are awesome!! They never disappoint me and are really easy to put together and cook!
Thank-you:)
Nic says
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.
Miss AK says
Perfect! I am so excited that you and the family are loving this recipe 🙂
Don Edgerton says
Can the cooked burgers be frozen for consumption later?
Miss AK says
Hi Don – Yes! You can freeze these burgers before cooking. Enjoy!
David Thelen says
This turned out amazing. The balance of flavors and using butter make these a real treat! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Miss AK says
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!
Lara M says
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!!
Miss AK says
Ah yay! I am so glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you, Lara!
William Paterson says
My son (I call him the “Burger King” LOL) made these last night.
Absolutely out of this world.
Miss AK says
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!
Julianna says
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!
Miss AK says
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!
Jasmin says
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!
Miss AK says
YAY! I am so glad these are a hit for your whole family, Jasmin! Thanks so much for giving these a try!
Darren says
The burger bun is far less healthy than the butter.
Monique Thivierge says
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.
Miss AK says
Perfect! I am so glad you’re loving these this recipe, Monique!
Kevin says
Wow…best venison burgers I’ve made. They were a crowd favorite, especially with the kids. Thanks for sharing!
Miss AK says
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!
Kathy says
I followed the recipe exactly and the burgers were delicious!! I would choose these over regular ground beef burgers. Thank you for sharing!
Miss AK says
YAY! So glad these turned out amazing for you, Kathy!
Alison says
Best venison burgers we’ve ever made, thank you! I didn’t have balsamic or Worcestershire, so I used pickle juice – ha!
Thank you!
Miss AK says
YUM! Glad these turned out amazing for you, Alison. Thanks for your review!!
Ian says
Thanks..made these in the UK..a double batch ..they were great.. and all my family loved them.
Lara M says
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!
Donald Woeltje says
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.