Delicious Bison Burgers: A Canadian Classic

Ever since my time in Newfoundland, I’ve developed a strong liking for game meats. It began with dishes like moose stew and caribou bourguignon, and now I’m really into making elk burgers, venison stew, and other similar recipes!

Regardless, I tried my first bison burger during a unsuccessful journey to North Dakota over two decades ago.

Throughout that entire journey—which felt as surreal as something from Kafka’s writings, complete with a broken-down vehicle, a bus service unaware of its own routes, small children in a pub late at night, and a man covered in facial tattoos who worked as a baker but had an affinity for Shakespeare—I ended up ordering a burger at the hotel restaurant of this tiny backwater town where I found myself stuck.

Up until that point, I hadn’t noticed them on restaurant menus, so I decided to give it a go!

It wasn’t… what you’d call a succulent burger. Extremely dry and tasting like cardboard, it made me lose interest in bison for quite some time.

I’ve since developed an appreciation for tasty bison burgers after discovering the proper cooking techniques and necessary ingredients required for a GREAT burger.

This bison burger recipe is among my all-time favorite burger recipes, and I’m thrilled to share it with you!

Bison Burgers, Elevated!

I begin with an uncomplicated grass-fed bison patty. The seasonings used are very simple, consisting of only onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

When it comes to more unconventional varieties of burgers, my preference leans towards enhancing the taste of the patty itself without overwhelming it. The true enjoyment stems from incorporating beloved toppings.

I begin by adding some bacon grease to the burger, ensuring excellent texture and flavor.

Next comes the caramelized onions, enhancing the mild sweetness of the bison patty. This truly elevates the burger experience.

Next, add some bacon and smoked cheddar to complement the smoky flavor of the bacon itself. It all blends wonderfully with the taste of the bison.

Next up, some classic toppings – lettuce, pickles, and mayonnaise. Must stick with the time-honored choices.

It’s just a basic burger, yet one of the finest I’ve ever tasted. Now, let’s see what ingredients you’ll require to prepare your very own masterpiece!

Ingredients

This recipe relies on very basic components. Although a small neighborhood supermarket might not typically stock bison meat, numerous bigger grocery stores usually do.

Sure thing — here are your usual ingredient notes for reference:

Lean Ground Bison

Bison stands out as a premium meat, known for its subtly sweet taste, reduced calorie count, and lower fat content compared to ground beef. Additionally, it serves as an excellent source of Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, and Niacin (B3).

As such, because bison burgers are made from exceptionally lean meat, they often turn out quite dry.

Others address this issue by combining an equal amount of bison and pork to create their patties. For my part, I simply incorporate more fat by adding bacon grease.

This not only results in delicious bison burgers but also imparts more flavor compared to a conventional beef burger.

Certainly, this might negate much of the advantages of choosing leaner meat, but it remains a more healthful choice compared to several others!

Bacon Fat and/or Butter

As noted earlier, I add a small amount of bacon fat to the lean bison meat to keep it from becoming too dry.

I enjoy the flavor enhancement that bacon fat adds to the ground meat, but you can opt for butter if you’d rather.

I similarly incorporate bacon fat into the caramelized onions—alternatively, you can replace it with butter if you like.

Everything Else

Completing this recipe, you’ll require:

Hamburger Buns (Typically we use brioche buns)

Yellow Onions

Smoked Cheddar Cheese Slices

Bacon (Crisped exactly to your preference)

Lettuce

Pickle Slices

Mayonnaise

Ground Black Pepper

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt

There isn’t much else to add; however, it’s worth noting that since we don’t provide specific measurements for the ingredients used as basic toppings, these do not factor into the nutritional information listed below.

How to Prepare Outstanding Bison Burgers

The complete recipe can be found on the downloadable recipe card at the conclusion of this article; below you will find all the detailed instructions accompanied by step-by-step images.

Mix the Bison Burgers

Put ground bison into a big bowl together with the bacon fat, pepper, garlic, onion, and salt.

Smoothly employ your hands to thoroughly combine all ingredients, ensuring an even distribution and proper incorporation into the meat mixture.

Apply gentle pressure – avoid overworking the ingredients or squeezing the meat mix, otherwise your patty will turn out heavy!

Split the bison mixture into 3 or 4 equally sized portions.

Lightly press each ball into a disc about the same size as your burger buns – perhaps slightly bigger – and create a small depression at the center of every patty.

Cover and let them rest for 20 minutes – you want your patties nice and chilled before putting them on the grill!

Caramelized Onions

In a big frying pan set at medium-high heat—or around a moderate campfire—melt either the butter or bacon grease.

Include the onion slices and add a bit of salt; cook—stirring frequently—until the onions turn golden brown. This typically requires around 20 minutes or so.

Once you’re satisfied with how they look, add some salt and pepper according to your preference.

Bison Burger Assembly

Position the bison burger patties on the grill grates and cook them over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, or continue cooking until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F as measured with a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer.

The required cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the bison patties and the heat level at which they’re being cooked.

Note: 160°F is commonly recognized as the lowest safe internal temperature. For medium or medium-rare preference, cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, targeting an internal temperature of 130-145°F instead.

Place a slice of cheese on top of each bison patty and let it melt.

Divide your hamburger rolls, optionally grill them if you wish, and then slather both sides with mayonnaise.

Place the bottom bun atop a burger patty, followed by bacon, caramelized onions, lettuce, and pickles; serve right away.

Leftovers

After cooling down to room temperature, leftover bison burgers can be individually wrapped with plastic film or stored in an airtight container inside the refrigerator for up to three days.

I typically warm up the chilled burgers in the microwave for around 45 seconds prior to putting together my burger.

You can prepare these on the stovetop if you’d rather not. Occasionally, when we’re at home and lack the energy to light a charcoal grill, this becomes our go-to method!

In such situations, I prefer using a big non-stick frying pan to prepare the bison burgers at medium heat. Alternatively, cooking them with a large cast-iron skillet or pan set to medium-high heat works just as well.

Additional Campfire Cooking Ideas for Barbecuing While Camping

Searching for delicious dishes to prepare over a campfire or grill? Here are a few of my favorites!

Fajita Chicken Kebabs

Greek Chicken Souvlaki

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Easy Grilled Shrimp Tacos

Grilled Tuna Tacos

Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs

But hold on, there’s more to explore! Check out our main page for additional details.
Camping Recipes
page featuring all our camping recipes – including snacks, desserts, pre-made mixes, and much more!

Additionally, we enjoyed crafting so many gourmet jerky recipes for our camping adventures that we launched an entire new blog dedicated to them! Take a look.
Dried & Tasty
For an array of delightful recipes perfect for preparing in your food dehydrator!