The best, most delicious Deer Burger recipe that is so easy to make! These ground venison hamburger patties are juicy, flavorful, and grilled to perfection!
2poundsground venison meat(thawed and well drained by pressing into a strainer; I prefer to use 80/20 deer meat to pork fat ratio. If your meat does not have fat added to it, add ¼ cup of raw chopped bacon or grated frozen butter to your deer meat.)
Add ground venison, cracker crumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder into a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix together until just combined. Don't over mix!
Form meat mixture into 6-8 even balls (6 if cooking on the grill or 8 if cooking on the stovetop). Gently pat down and shape into burger patties. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes (this helps patties stick together while cooking).
Preheat the grill to medium-high (450-500°F). If cooking on the stovetop, preheat your cast-iron skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes before cooking.
When ready to cook, liberally salt both sides of the patties (about ¼ teaspoon per patty). Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, make an indention in the middle of the top of each patty (this will prevent patties from puffing up while cooking).
To Cook on the Grill: Place patties on the preheated grill, thumb indention side down, and cook over medium-high heat (450-500°F) for 3-5 minutes. Flip the patties over and cook an additional 3-5 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
To Cook in a Cast-iron Skillet: Add 2 Tablespoons of butter to the preheated pan. Once melted, add 2-3 burger patties, thumb indention side down, and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Flip over and cook an additional 3-5 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Continuing cooking the rest of the patties, 2-3 at a time and adding 1 Tablespoon of butter in between batches, as needed.
Place sliced cheese on top of patties immediately after cooking while they are still hot.
Serve with French fries, potato chips, and/or onion rings. Enjoy!
Notes
For Best Results:
If grilling, divide this recipe into 6 (⅓ pound) patties. Anything thinner will likely fall apart on the grill.
If cooking on the stovetop, divide this recipe into 8 (¼ pound) patties. Anything thicker will likely not cook as evenly.
Storage:
In the Refrigerator - Uncooked patties can be wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to one day before cooking.
In the Freezer - You can also freeze uncooked burger patties by placing squares of wax paper in between each patty, stacking them on top of each other, and placing them in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.