How to Cook Deer Burgers

Deer, or venison, is a very lean meat that offers a healthy alternative to beef and other higher-fat meats. You can eat deer in the form of chops, steak and ground meat to make burgers. Cook deer burgers much like you would beef or turkey burgers. They are versatile and can be seasoned to suit your taste. The low fat content of deer meat makes it very dry if over-cooked.

Two venison burgers topped with fresh vegetables, chili pepper and cilantro served on an outdoor table. (Image: Kesu01/iStock/Getty Images)

Step 1

Mix your ground venison with the ingredients indicated in your recipe. Ground venison can be mixed with minced onions, eggs, breadcrumbs, ketchup, Dijon mustard or any other ingredients that you would use to make beef hamburgers.

Step 2

Form the venison into burgers by dividing it into tennis ball-size portions and flattening it into a patty with your hands. Make evenly sized patties for even cooking. Pat the edges with your hand to make a round circle.

Step 3

Place the patties on a cookie sheet and freeze for three to four hours until frozen solid. The low-fat content in ground venison makes the patties fall apart easily. Freezing them before cooking helps keep them from falling apart on the grill or in the frying pan.

Step 4

Place frozen burgers directly on the grill or in a frying pan. Cook for three to four minutes over medium-high heat. Flip the burgers and cook for an additional three to four minutes. Avoid placing the burgers directly over the flame if using a charcoal grill. This will char the burgers and cause the outside to cook too quickly.

Step 5

Remove the burgers from the pan and serve on toasted buns with toppings and condiments of your choice.

Tip

If you do not have time to freeze the burgers beforehand, reduce the cooking time to two to three minutes per side.

Use a nonstick pan, or well-seasoned cast iron pan. If your burgers stick, they will crumble and fall apart very easily. Spraying grill spray on your grill prior to cooking your burgers will also make them easier to turn and remove.