Juicy Venison Burgers
These juicy venison burger recipe patties are a crowd favorite at Granite Peak Outfitters. Made with lean whitetail venison from our Idaho backcountry hunts, they’re healthier than beef burgers and packed with wild game flavor.
WILD GAME RECIPES
The trick to venison burgers that do not crumble or dry out
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 8-10 min
Serves: 6
Pure ground venison makes terrible patties on its own. It is too lean, it crumbles on the grill, and it dries out before you can say well done. The solution is simple — you just need to add fat and a binder. This recipe uses a little pork fat, an egg, and breadcrumbs. The result? Burgers that hold together, stay juicy, and actually taste like venison instead of cardboard.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground venison (ideally with 10-15% pork fat mixed in)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs or crushed saltine crackers
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 slices pepper jack or Swiss cheese
- 6 sturdy burger buns
- Pickles, onion, lettuce, your favorite condiments
Directions
- If your ground venison does not have pork fat mixed in, grate 4 tablespoons of cold butter into the meat or dice 4 strips of bacon very finely and mix in.
- Combine ground venison with egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix gently.
- Divide into 6 portions and form into patties about 3/4 inch thick. Make a thumbprint indent in the center.
- Preheat grill to high heat or heat a cast iron skillet until smoking. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes per side. Do not press them down.
- Add cheese in the last 90 seconds and close the lid to melt.
- Rest patties for 2 minutes, then serve on toasted buns.
Pro Tips from Our Guides
- Fat is your friend. Pure lean venison needs added fat to be enjoyable as a burger.
- The egg and breadcrumbs act as binders — without them, lean venison patties crumble apart.
- Cook to 145°F for medium. Going well-done means a dry, disappointing burger.
- For the best grind, have your processor do a coarse grind. Too fine gets mealy.
Simple but effective — this is how our guides make burgers when they want the venison flavor to come through.
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Why This Venison Burger Recipe Stands Out
This venison burger recipe solves the biggest challenge of wild game burgers — keeping them juicy despite the ultra-lean meat. Our Granite Peak Outfitters guides mix in a small amount of butter or bacon fat to ensure every bite is moist and flavorful.
Form patties gently and make a small indent in the center to prevent them from puffing up during cooking. Grill over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side for this venison burger recipe.
Top this venison burger recipe with your favorite fixings — we love caramelized onions, aged cheddar, and a tangy aioli. Serve on toasted brioche buns for the ultimate wild game burger experience.
More Wild Game Recipes & Resources
All Wild Game Recipes · Venison Backstrap · Venison Chili · Venison Stew · How to Hunt Mule Deer · Best Game Processing Knives · Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness · Idaho Fish & Game
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