Venison Burger Recipe – Making the Swap

Last Updated on December 27, 2021

Why I’m feasting on wild game with this easy venison burger recipe.

Skip straight to my venison burger recipe

You might wonder why we are including the option of an unashamedly carnivorous venison burger recipe on a flexitarian lifestyle site. But, neither of us is vegetarian or vegan, instead, our concept of flexitarian eating involves as much local and environmentally friendly produce as possible.  Right now, swapping any beef we are still eating for venison is an easy way to enjoy red meat without destroying the environment – and it tastes delicious too!.  Wild venison is normally culled to produce meat for top restaurants around the country but with every outlet closed the wild deer population has grown and now endangers both farmed crops and woodlands, together with the other wildlife that normally lives there.  Sales of venison in the UK are down 80% while the lack of population control could see numbers rise by as much as 30% each year.  Venison makes an excellent substitute for beef as it is leaner, lower in cholesterol and higher in nutrients.  It’s also naturally organic with no antibiotics or chemicals.  And, the meat we’ve used for this venison burger recipe is also local, coming from Sussex to London

If you are using lean meat like venison to replace minced beef or lamb it’s worth remembering that you will probably need to bind the mixture with egg or something similar.  Other than that, the method is just the same as making any other meat-based burger.  I haven’t used breadcrumbs simply because I prefer my burgers without them, but you could add a tablespoon if you like the slightly softer texture you’ll get by using them.  I’ve seasoned my venison with salt, pepper and a little ground cumin.  And, I’ve used a handful of fresh parsley, some finely chopped onion and a couple of cloves of garlic too in this venison burger recipe.  Wild venison has plenty of flavour and doesn’t really need much added.  If you are using farmed venison you might want to add more spices and perhaps a little Worcester sauce.

It’s worth making your venison burgers an hour or so in advance and letting them chill and ‘set’ in the fridge.  You can make them up and freeze them uncooked too if you like, though I wouldn’t keep them in the freezer for too long as, even if you wash your hands very well (as I am sure you do), the process of making the burger mix up will inevitably mean that the finely minced meat comes in contact with bacteria from the air so can easily become contaminated.

It’s for this reason that many restaurants won’t serve a rare or medium-rare burger.  At home, though, it’s entirely up to you how you cook your venison burger.

I’ve used chef’s rings to make neat burgers but you can use a burger press or mould them with your hands if you prefer.

I like to pan-fry venison burgers in olive oil.  The meat is very lean and frying helps prevent the burger from drying out.  If you are trying to keep the calories down, you can cook venison burgers in the oven.  Just spray them with 1-cal olive oil spray and put them on a silicone baking sheet in an oven preheated to 200C or 180C (fan oven), turning them once during cooking.  Finally, you can barbecue venison burgers or cook them on a cast iron griddle.

What you use to garnish your burger is very much about personal taste.  I like the classic additions of bread and butter pickles, iceberg lettuce, avocado, tomato and homemade mayo.  I’ll also happily add a rasher of well-grilled streaky bacon and a slice of cheese.

Here’s how to make your own venison burgers at home.  Please note the calorie calculation does not include any of the garnish ingredients though it does include the burger buns.

I’ve served my venison burgers with homemade oven chips and salad.  I really didn’t need much else!