BBQ Bison Burger

We’ve all had our fair share of cattle beef, but have you ever indulged in bison? Ground bison can be a bit tricky to grill because it’s so lean, but our bison burger recipe from video producer Sean will show you how to wrangle it for delicious results. Are you up to the challenge?

Sean has spent about 2 years with BBQGuys, most recently taking video production in a bold new direction with our Grillabilities℠ series. His first-ever published recipe was a success, too, and now we’re starting to wonder if he has a future in front of the camera as well as behind it. On second thought, let’s not give him any wild ideas.

Instructions

1. Place your bison meat on parchment paper or in a mixing bowl, then season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Because bison meat is very lean (90/10 fat ratio), it’s best to add an egg to the ground meat to act as a binder.
3. Gently form your burger patties, aiming for about ¼ pound each because the meat will slightly shrink as it’s grilled.
4. Add olive oil to a cast iron skillet and swirl it around to coat the entire cooking surface.
5. Place your skillet on the grill grates over medium-high heat until it starts to smoke, then put the bison patties in the skillet.
6. Cook for about 4–5 minutes per side, or until the desired temperature is reached. We recommend medium-rare (145 degrees Fahrenheit) or medium (160 degrees).
7. While the patties rest, toast the buns for about a minute per side either in the hot skillet or directly on the grill grates. Optional: adding a layer of mayo to the inside of the bun.
8. Plate the cooked bison burgers on the toasted buns and serve with our homemade BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and whatever else your hungry stomach desires. Enjoy!