Bison Burgers are a healthy delicious alternative to beef because they are lower in fat and calories, and full of minerals and micronutrients. A lighter, leaner burger that tastes amazing! Grill or pan-sear. Serve with Sweet Potato Fries.
Many of you have been requesting recipes using bison, because of its high mineral content and lower fat content. Here is a simple recipe for a Bison Burger that is full of flavor and easy to make.
Serve this the traditional way, with a tasty sourdough bun, and all your favorite fixings – tomatoes, lettuce pickles, grilled onions (or pickled onions) or turn it into a Burger Bowl for a low-carb alternative. Either way, you’ll love it.
Bison Burger Ingredients
- Ground Bison – or ground Elk
- Onion or shallot
- Garlic cloves
- Stone-ground or Dijon mustard
- Fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme– or sub dried Italian herbs)
- Olive oil- optional, but adds moisture.
- Serve with your favorite fixings- grilled onions, buns, mayo, mustard, bbq sauce, tomato, lettuce, fermented pickles, pickled onions, melted cheese, etc.
Today we are using pasture-raised, grass-fed bison from Butcher Box, a company that specializes in sourcing high-quality, grass-fed meats, organic free-range chicken, and sustainably sourced, wild-caught fish. All products are humanely raised and free of added hormones and antibiotics.
How to make Bison Burger:
Step one: Mix ground bison with garlic, shallot, fresh thyme, mustard, salt and pepper.
Step two: Add a tablespoon of olive oil. This is optional but seems to produce a less dry burger.
Step 3: Form into patties that are slightly indented in the centers, for more even cooking.
Step 4: Grill over medium-high heat ( covered) until good grill marks appear, rotating to create hash marks.
Step 5: Move to a cooler part of the grill (or lower the heat) to cook through to the desired temperature.
Tip: Because Bison has lower fat content than beef, they often get dry. The secret is not to overcook!
Step 6: Make the optional Bison Burger Sauce (Smoky Tangy Mayo) by mixing mayo with smoked paprika and mustard.
Smoky, tangy and full of yummy flavor!
Step 8: Build your perfect burger!
Tip: Grilling the bun gives a nice toasty texture and flavor!
Grilled onions are also a delicious option!
To me, the perfect burger always includes a “pickled element” to help cut the mouthfeel of the fat. Here we are using our homemade fermented pickles, but in a pinch, pickled red onions or quick pickled shallots are a great option too!
Together with all the elements, the bison burger tastes, tangy, herby, smoky, earthy and full of umami flavor! And as a side note, my husband totally devoured these. Serve Bison Burgers with our favorite Sweet Potato Fries!
I hope you enjoy the Bison Burgers and please let us know what you think in the comments below!
xoxo
More burger recipes you may like:
- Grilled Lamb Burger with Harissa Aioli
- Chimichurri Poblano Turkey Burger!
- Thai Turkey Burger w/ Asian Slaw
- Healthy Burger Bowls
- Spicy Miso Portobello Mushroom Burger (Vegan)
- Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers
- How to Caramelize Onions
Bison Burger
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: buffalo, bison, burger
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: american
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
How to make the most delicious Bison Burger- a healthy alternative to beef because they are lower in fat and calories, and full of minerals and micronutrients. A lighter, leaner burger, that tastes amazing!
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Bison
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion or shallot
- 1–2 fat clove garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons stone-ground or dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme- or sub dried Italian herbs)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , optional, but adds moisture.
Optional Smoky Aioli:
- 3 tablespoons Mayo
- 2 teaspoons stone-ground or dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Burger Ingredients (optional): Serve with your favorite fixings- grilled onions, buns, mayo, mustard, bbq sauce, tomato, lettuce, fermented pickles, pickled onions, melted cheese, etc.
Serve as a Burger in a Bowl- see this Healthy Burger Bowls post for ideas.
Instructions
- Preheat grill to Medium-High heat. Alternatively, you can pan sear, see notes.
- Place the ground bison in a bowl and pull it apart with a fork.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, add the onion, garlic, mustard, thyme and olive oil, and mix until thoroughly combined.
- With damp hands, form into 3 or 4 patties, 3/4 inch thick, that are slightly thinner in the middle. (At this point you could wrap in parchment and refrigerate for later.)
- Grease the grill grate well. Place the patties on the hot grill, along with onions ( if grilling). Cover and give them a good sear, 3-4 minutes on each side, rotating halfway though, to give them crosshatch grill marks. Use a thin metal spatula to flip over.
- Cook to desired temperate. Burgers are cooked to medium-rare when they reach an internal temp of 140F-145F, cooked to medium at 150F, and cooked to well done at 155F-160F. Let rest 10 minutes, covered in foil.
- To make the Smoky Aioli, simply stir the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Assemble your burgers as desired, grilling the buns if you like.
Notes
If you don’t have a grill, the bison burgers can also be cooked in a greased skillet or grill pan on the stovetop.
Because Bison burgers are lower in fat, try not to overcook or they can become dry.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 patty
- Calories: 339
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 782.5 mg
- Fat: 15.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.7 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 33.8 g
- Cholesterol: 83.3 mg
These were very good. I used garlic powder instead of cloves. I also added an egg and 1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs because several other bison recipes called for it. They were really moist. Had to pan fry them because my air fryer just died on me:-(.
Hi Jackie, Glad you tweaked them to your liking. I bet frying made them yummy!
It is VERY Difficult to find a recipe you want i.e. Pickled red onions. I know I have seen the recipe but cannot now find it and there is no place to simply type it in that I can find. HELP
Thanks
Hi Jakki- Look for the search icon at the very top – it looks like a magnifying glass. 🔎.
I made this recipe tonight and it came out delicious. I used the Italian seasoning and included the olive oil. It was jucy and flavorable. The smoked aoili was a nice complemt to the burger. Thank you! .
Perfect Marla- glad you enjoyed it!
Mmm…mmm…mmm
That looks DElicious! Looking forward to making this!
This was sooo good. Love the sauce! My kids ate this up as well. I love that you are a trained chef and you share that gifting with others for free. Thank you so much 🙂
Thanks so much Erica!
Very useful information on the bison burger recipe. Thanks for such amazing words.
Sylvia, all your recipes are inspiring and delicious. Both a visual and gastronomic delight! Thank you for your hard work and creative cooking, you are appreciated.
Thanks Tracy!
I made these on the grill last night and they were very juicy and flavourful. And easy!
Oh good! Thanks Amanda!
We had these today for a birthday dinner and they were SO GOOD. I made three large patties and pan-fried them to well done. They stayed really juicy in the middle and crisped nicely on the outside. We had them on toasted buns with the aioli, lettuce, tomato, and the recommended pickled onions (which were also delicious!)
Awesome Rebecca- glad you enjoyed them!
Turned out perfectly. The addition of mustard and olive oil kept it stay moist. Will make again!
Great to hear Jerry!
Definitely looks like another winner. I love bison burgers on the grill and I cannot wait to try that aioli! I’ll probably have to serve it with your French Potato Salad that I am absolutely obsessed with. Thank you, Sylvia!
Sounds good Angie!