The BEST EVER Venison Cheeseburger

The BEST EVER Venison Cheeseburger

I've eaten a lot of these Venison Cheeseburgers over the years, and there's a very good reason: they are ridiculously juicy and delicious! Homemade cheeseburgers are a summertime staple in our house. We live in Fargo, North Dakota where the winters are long, making grilling season far too short.

I enjoy spending quality time with my wife and our daughter on our backyard patio, and these 100% venison burgers seasoned with salt and pepper are super easy to make so I don't have to spend all day hovering over the hot grill.

HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT BURGER

But the key is – do NOT cook venison like beef! Venison is healthy but lean, so it can dry out very quickly. The vast majority of venison burger recipes you'll find are cut with beef fat or pork fat or even bacon. This is common with commercial meat processors and DIY processors, and I have no problem with anyone doing that. But here in our house, we love 100% venison burgers…with butter!

If you process your own deer, elk, antelope, or moose you may not have access to beef fat or pork fat. Or maybe you are like my wife who can't stand the texture of little chunks of beef or pork fat in her burger. Butter is readily available, affordable, and adds moisture and fat to your venison – making for a tender and juicy burger. Just mix in a few tablespoons of butter with a pound of ground venison and you're in business.

Serve the venison burgers covered in American cheese on top of your choice of buns like Potato or Brioche. Then add your favorite toppings like tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles. But don't forget the most epic sauce that puts these beloved venison cheeseburgers over the top.

If you are looking for some other great ways to use that ground venison in your freezer, check out my Venison Spaghetti, Venison Patty Melt and the Sloppy Doe Sandwich.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfish

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5 from 16 votes

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Ingredients

For the Sauce

1/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Heinz ketchup
1 Tablespoon dill pickle relish
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

For the Burgers

1 pound cold ground venison
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
vegetable oil to brush grill
4 hamburger buns
4 slices American cheese
4 pieces green-leaf lettuce
1 Beefsteak tomato, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Dill pickle chips

Instructions

For the Sauce

In a small bowl, stir all of the sauce ingredients until smooth, then set aside.

For the Burgers

Preheat a grill to medium high.
In a large bowl, combine ground venison, salt, pepper, and 3 Tablespoons of the melted butter. Using clean hands, stir until well combined.
Divide the ground venison into four 4-ounce portions. Gather each into a ball, then gently flatten into a 4-inch-wide patty about 3/4-inch thick. Press your thumb into the center of each patty to make a 1/4-inch-deep indentation (this prevents the patties from bulging as they cook).
Lightly brush the grill grates with vegetable oil, then grill the patties indentation-side up until marked on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip the burgers only once and cook until marked and slightly firm, about 2 more minutes until instant-read meat thermometer reaches 135 degrees F. Check the temp often so you don't overcook and dry them out!
While the burgers are cooking on the grill, open the hamburger buns and brush both sides liberally with the remaining 3 Tablespoons of melted butter.
Remove the venison burgers to a plate, top with a slice of American cheese, and let burgers rest for 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute.
Meanwhile, place the buns onto the hot grill, buttered-sides down, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer buns to a plate and spoon 1 tablespoon of sauce on each bottom bun, along with a piece of lettuce and two slices of tomato. Spoon another tablespoon of sauce on each top bun.
Transfer a venison cheeseburger to each bottom bun, then add the top bun with red onion and pickles. Serve immediately.