Deer Burger Recipe
by Sommer Collier — on Jun 8, 2026 I’m not a hunter myself, but I so appreciate it when my hunter friends share their ground deer meat with me! One of my favorite ways to use this lean yet flavorful meat is to make my fabulous deer burger recipe. With just a few ingredients, including egg and panko breadcrumbs as a binder, it’s remarkably easy to turn a package of ground venison into thick, juicy burgers! Follow my simple instructions, and you’re practically guaranteed to make perfectly moist, tender, and delicious deer hamburgers that are never dry or crumbly!
I have several close friends that are hunters. That means on occasion, I have a freezer full of venison meat. Although some people turn up their nose to deer meat, I always welcome it. Wild game generally tends to have higher protein per ounce than farm-raised animals, and much less fat. Think about it… in most cases, you’re eating an athlete rather than a couch potato. This, of course, applies to ground deer meat when compared to ground beef. More protein, and way way less fat! If you find ground venison a little too gamy, my burger recipe today might change your mind. I’m adding just the right combination of spices and seasoning to give it a fabulous flavor and a juicy, tender texture that’s similar to my “regular” homemade hamburgers recipe. Because ground venison is so lean, I’m also adding a little bit of breadcrumb to hold in the moisture, and a little bit of bacon grease to round out the flavor.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Different, Yet Familiar – This is a hearty burger that’s thick but not too thick, juicy without being greasy, and simple but super flavorful. While venison burgers aren’t quite as melt-in-your-mouth as traditional burgers, I promise you’ll love the similar texture and deep, unique, ever-so-slightly gamy taste in this deer burger recipe.
Healthy(ish) – Ground deer meat has less fat and fewer calories than beef, which can make burgers, while healthier, not quite as appealing to the tastebuds. So I’ve added a bit of pork fat (bacon grease) to my easy venison burger recipe to up the fat a bit without overdoing it. The result is hamburgers that are still lighter but packed with way more indulgent flavor than typical recipes with ground deer meat.
Make it Your Way – Speaking of flavors… Here I’m using only a few simple spices, like garlic powder and (optional) spicy crushed red pepper. But you can lean even more into the classic burger taste by using my tried-and-truly delicious burger seasoning blend. Then load them up with any of your favorite hamburger toppings, like crispy bacon (a perfect way to get that bacon grease), lettuce, tomato, pickles, and sauces!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Ground venison – If I’m working with frozen deer meat, I’ll thaw it in the fridge overnight and thoroughly drain off any liquid before using. You can source it yourself in hunting season, get your meat from hunter friends as I did, or look up a local butcher who can source ground deer for you.
- Panko breadcrumbs – I love how light and crispy panko is, but feel free to use plain breadcrumbs if you prefer. Just a little helps hold in the taste and juiciness.
- Egg – I use one large egg as the main binder to make juicy venison burgers that stay together and don’t crumble.
- Bacon fat – I usually save some of the fat when I cook bacon in the oven or skillet. You can swap it for softened butter, if you like. No, it won’t taste the same as bacon (really, nothing else does), but it’ll work well as a similar ingredient to add moisture to the venison burgers.
- Worcestershire – I use a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce (2 tablespoons) to balance the natural flavor of deer with a savory, smoky note.
- Seasonings – I’m using a combination of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes for a nice bit of spicy heat. Leave out the pepper if you aren’t a fan of spiciness.
- Cheese – Optional for some, but it’s always on burgers in this house. Use your choice of cheddar cheese, American cheese, Colby jack, or spicy pepper jack cheese slices.
- Hamburger buns – Buttery soft brioche buns are my favorite for burgers! But use whatever you prefer, like sturdy white bread or potato buns.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep – I first add all of the burger ingredients to a large mixing bowl: Venison, breadcrumbs, egg, bacon grease (or butter), Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings.
Mix – I then use my clean hands to gently mix everything together evenly. Overmixing venison will make it tough, so take care not to smoosh the meat around. This isn’t a recipe where the burger meat should be totally smooth… Here, I leave it intentionally more textured to keep the lean venison from getting too dry and dense.
Make the Patties – Once I have an even blend, I use my hands to gently press the meat flat in the bowl. Then use a butter knife to mark out 4-6 even triangles, like how you would slice a pizza. Sometimes I’ll make my burger into 6-8 patties, depending on how many people I’m serving and how large or small I want each patty. But with lean venison, I make the patties a bit larger, because they will shrink down even more than beef because of the lower fat content. Then I grab a section, and use my hands to carefully form the meat mixture into patties that are 1 1/2 – 2 inches thick and slightly larger than a burger bun.
I place each one on a plate, and if needed, lightly wet my hands between forming the patties to keep the tacky mixture from sticking to me. Then I cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 15 minutes to help the meat firm up together, or keep the patties in the fridge for a few hours until I’m ready to cook. Cooking the patties from cold will help the meat to cook completely but stay juicy and moist on the inside, without overcooking or burning the outside of the burgers.
Cook – Next, I wash my hands and set a large cast iron pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, I gently place up to 4-5 burger patties in the skillet, depending on the size of the ground venison patties. Resist the urge to flatten them at all with a spatula… All this does is squish out the juices, which is obviously a very big no-no when making a deer hamburger recipe. Leave the burgers alone for a solid 5 minutes, then use the spatula to carefully lift up the patties to see if they are seared. When they’re ready, flip them over and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Again, no squishing!
Add Cheese – If I’m including cheese in the deer burger recipe (yes, please!), I’ll flip the burgers over one last time before placing a slice on the topside. Let that melt for only a minute or so before using the spatula to transfer the burgers to a holding plate.
Repeat – There’s no need to scrub the pan between batches. I simply wipe the skillet clean with a damp paper towel before making any remaining deer meat burgers.
Expert Tips
If you’re planning to turn these burgers into a bacon cheese venison burger recipe, just set aside the bacon grease from your cooked bacon. If you don’t have access to bacon grease, you can use a little bit of softened butter, but you lose the smoky essence from the bacon to make unbelievably flavorful burgers.
One thing I’ve noticed about ground venison is that the fat content and juices can be quite different based on the way that it was processed. If you find your ground meat to be very watery in the package, as I mention in the ingredients notes, you want to drain off any excess juices before making the patties.
Serving Suggestions
I mean, they’re burgers… You know what to do here! I suggest putting out a buffet of different toppings to let everyone dress their deer meat burgers however they like. You can’t go wrong with the classic best burger toppings –
- Veggies – Add a piece or two of fresh iceberg or romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onions, and tangy pickles. If you’re like me and love an extra punch of spiciness, you’ve got to try my spicy bread and butter pickles!
- Sauces – There’s the usual ketchup, mustard, and mayo options. You might also consider kicking things up with my burger sauce (basically the perfect combo of previously mentioned condiments), BBQ sauce, or copycat Big Mac sauce.
- Etc. – Not enough? Let’s load on more! Add crispy onions and spicy pickled jalapeños to make cowboy burgers with venison.
Surely you’re thinking of pairing burgers with fries. Good thinking! Try any one of my crispy and pillowy soft french fry recipes to serve with my deer hamburger recipe –
- Homemade Deep Fried French Fries
- Cajun Fries
- Shoestring Fries (AKA julienne fries)
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Storing and Reheating
Leftover venison burgers will keep well for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I suggest eating them sooner rather than later, however, as the patties will become dry the longer they sit in the fridge.
They do freeze well, too! I wrap each cooled burger in plastic wrap before placing them together in a plastic ziploc freezer bag. You can also stack them with a square of wax paper or parchment between each patty to keep them from sticking. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight.
The best way to reheat homemade hamburgers is in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop. If microwaving, wrap each deer burger individually in a piece of slightly damp paper towel before placing on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave each patty for 15-20 seconds at 50% heat until heated throughout. Or briefly sear them in a skillet over medium heat to rewarm. Either way, be careful, as venison patties can dry out easily and become crumbly when reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Deer meat burgers can get crumbly if not enough fat is added and/or it is not mixed in evenly. You must also take care not to handle the patties too much after forming, and be sure to refrigerate them for at least 15 minutes before cooking to help keep the ground meat together.
I use my hands to combine the ground deer with the other ingredients, and stop as soon as everything is mixed. And don’t overcook them! I aim for an internal temperature of about 140-145 degrees F, which is about a medium cook. Well-done burgers that reach 160 degrees are likely to be dry and tough.
It’s easy to make this deer burger recipe on the grill, just like you would prepare beef burgers. I preheat the grill to medium heat or 350 degrees F. After chilling the patties for at least 15 minutes, I carefully place them one at a time right onto the grill grates. Keep the flame low so the burgers don’t burn or cook too quickly. I cook them for about 4-5 minutes, flip, and cook for another few minutes. Place the cheese on top in the last minute or so of cooking, then move the venison burgers to a holding plate.
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More Burger Recipes
Deer Burger Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Deer Patties
- 2 pounds ground venison drained
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon bacon fat
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Burgers
- 6 hamburger buns
- Optional toppings: bacon, cheese slices, lettuce, tomato, pickles, condiments
Instructions
- Set out a large mixing bowl. Combine the ground venison, panko, egg, Worcestershire, bacon fat, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Mixed by hand to evenly distribute the seasoning all throughout the meat. I like to gently crumble the meat as I do this so I don't press it down too much. I don't want the meat to be tough!
- Then to portion out the patties, I gently press the top of the meat into an even layer, then use a spatula (or butter knife) to divide the meat into 6 equal portions (or 4 portions for giant patties).
- Shape each portion into a patty slightly wider than the size of the hamburger buns. They will shrink a little as they cook. Cover and chill the patties until ready to cook.
- Preheat a large cast-iron skillet (or the grill) to medium heat, about 350°F. *If grilling, it’s a good idea to chill the patties for at least 15 minutes so they hold together a little bit better. This is not necessary if searing on the stovetop.
- Once the cooking surface is hot, cook the patties for 5 minutes per side. If adding cheese, place the cheese on the burgers once they are flipped so it has time to melt as the burgers cook.
- Immediately placed them on hamburger buns and pile with all your favorite hamburger toppings.
