Perfect Bison Burgers. Ground Bison meat is flavored with onion, rosemary, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. And with a special homemade secret sauce you’ve got a delicious version for a lower cholesterol burger.
Is it Bison or Buffalo?
I’ve always said that if I had to kill my own food, I’d be a vegetarian.
I’ve also always claimed that if I were a vegetarian I’d miss hamburgers so much that I’d kill a cow to get one, if I had to.
For Bison burgers??? I’ll leave the killing of a bison to the experts. I don’t even think a konk on the head with my cast iron skillet would cause them to blink an eye. Have you ever seen one of those things in real life?
They snort and they’re big as all get out. They’re the bulldogs of the bovine world.
Did you know that there are about 500,000 bison in the United States and many thousands of them are right here in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming?
But is it Bison or Buffalo? American Bison are native to North America, South America and Europe. There are two buffalo species that live in Asia and Africa.
And did you know, that if you see a package of meat labeled “buffalo” that it’s probably imported Water Buffalo meat and not Bison. Which can be misleading to consumers. Make sure you are purchasing Bison from reputable ranchers.
Bison are my neighbors
Yes, I live in the Wild West and we have a small herd just a few miles south of Highlands Ranch and here’s a picture of my neighbors.
I’d like to introduce you to (from left to right) that’s Bill, Joe and little Joey Jr….
How to Cook Bison Meat
Did you know that bison is lower in fat and cholesterol than beef, pork and chicken and even half the fat of turkey?
Ground bison is so lean you may need to turn your skillet down or spray it with non-stick spray.
How to Cook Bison:
- Lower heat
- Cook slower
- Think Pink
- Don’t overcook
If you’ve never eaten bison, the taste is very similar to beef, and with a slightly creamier texture. Delicious.
Recipe for Perfect Bison Burgers
This recipe is a combination of great flavors that would work well for turkey burgers or hamburgers and the sauce would work in many situations.
These burgers would be best grilled, but my Weber is still in hibernation, so I pan fried them in my cast iron skillet.
I hope you give these Bison Burgers a try. And if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe. And if you have a favorite bison recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
Looking for more Bison resources? Here’s a link to Bison Central: National Bison Association
Beer and Wine Pairing for Bison Burgers
Beer Pairing: Lightly malted Colorado Golden Ale. Wine Pairing: Malbec from Argentina would have the red and black fruits and the body to go well with this Perfect Bison burger.
More Bison Recipes
- Pan Seared Bison New York Strip Steaks
- Bison Chipotle Cheddar Cheeseburgers
- Chipotle Bison Chili with Lime Crema
- Bison Stew Recipe with Porter Ale
Perfect Bison Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Cup onion diced, plus 1 onion sliced into rings for garnish
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dried
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound ground buffalo meat
- 4 hamburger buns toasted
- 4 slices tomato
- 4 leaves lettuce
- For the Sauce:
- 1/4 Cup BBQ sauce your favorite brand
- 1/4 Cup ketchup
- 1/4 Cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- For the burgers: Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until softened; set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine egg, rosemary, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt and pepper, Mix in cooled onion and buffalo meat Shape mixture into four 1/2 inch thick patties. Chill up to 6 hours.
- When ready to cook burgers, cook patties for about 5 minutes per side in a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet (or grill).
- To build your burger: Spread sauce on toasted buns and serve remaining sauce on the side for dipping. Place patties on bun and garnish with lettuce and tomato and caramelized onions.
Nutrition
Perfect Buffalo Burgers …It’s What’s For Dinner
We love buffalo burgers. For a while we were getting packs of 1/3 pound patties from Buffalo Gal – pricey but delicious.
One of the nice things about buffalo is that you really can’t use antibiotics or feed supplements on them, so they are one of the most organic meats out there.
I didn’t know that about antibiotics or supplements. Great name for a buffalo meat supplier! Thanks for stopping by Dave.
YES I am from New Mexico
I usually stick with pigs, cows and chickens. I have heard that buffalo is good, but I just can’t do it. Your burgers look great. I am having burgers next week – I might try this recipe with just plain ol’ cow instead of buffalo. Great Post!
I love bison burgers!! great post!
I would love to eat buffalo or bison more often, I rarely see it here. Thanks for the cooking tips!
You’re welcome Natashya. Thanks for stopping by.
So so true Lea Ann! I don’t think I could kill my own food. Fish or seafood maybe but not meat. Thanks for the tips on cooking buffalo. We don’t really see it here but I’m going to look out for it! 🙂
I’ve never had buffalo but I definitely want to try it! I love all of the seasonings you put into these and caramelized onions make everything taste better.
Thanks for stopping by Joanne
Your post made me smile. I like buffalo. It’s not a meat that is readily available but, I have enjoyed it in a restaurant. Pretty good. Yours looks wonderful!
I’m starting to realize it’s obscurity with all of the comments. I guess I’m lucky that it’s always available here in Denver. Safeway has it, Whole foods…. Thanks for stopping by Velva
I tried it about a year ago. The leanness of the meat caused me concern so I mixed it with some beef. I wasn’t crazy about it. I ALMOST bought a buffalo tenderloin but at the time it was more than double the cost of a beef one (I think it was ~$140.)
My favorite part of the buffalo is their wings. Taste just like chicken.
Love the wings too Chris. It’s amazing they’re so small for such a large critter. 😉 As always thanks for stopping by.
I was fortunate to be able to try a variety of red meat on my recent visit to Crested Butte, CO. I found buffalo and elk delicious! This looks like an awesome hamburger!
I had elk medallions at an Estes Park restaurant that were WONderful. I’ve also had friends try to prepare it and did-not-like-it-at-all
I think there’s a trick to Elk. Thanks so much for stopping by
I’ve found that many buffalo ranches are in use of more humane free range methods…not all to be sure, but there seems to be a greater awareness.
I agree Dan. Thanks for stopping by
A friend of my husband has a family farm somewhere in Kansas (no, I have no idea where) that has a herd of buffalo. He has always said that if we want, he could have one butchered for us. Except I think I would need a much, much bigger freezer. And a much, much bigger wallet. It sure is tempting though!
Love that adorable condiment dish!
Yup, you’d have to buy an additional freezer. Thanks Karen.
This looks wonderful! I haven’t had buffalo since our last visit to Catalina Island (film studios took a few over to make westerns, and they’ve naturalized… the Conservancy now maintains the herd). I’ll have to make some just to taste the memories. Thanks for a great post!
That’s interesting that thanks to Hollywood you have Buffalo culinary memories! Cool! Thanks for stopping by my blog.
My husband loves buffalo, I’ve never tried it.
I love buffalo burgers. I rarely by ground beef anymore. But, if you only like well done burgers, don’t bother using buffalo they turn into a brick and tastless. But, medium rare, they are terrific.
If you ever go to Ted’s Montana Grill, they have a bison (that’s the term they use) burger on a salad that is really yummy. They also have different cuts of bison that are really tasty.
I agree with Vickie the conking…lol
I love Ted’s Burgers. I’ve not had the salad. I didn’t know that about a well done Buffalo burger. That’s good to know. OK you’ve convinced me, I’ll buy more Buffalo.