BBQ Bison Burgers

OK, yeah, so MG and I made complete pigs out of ourselves with these burgers tonight.

ARE YOU LOOKING AT THEM? If so, you can hardly blame us.

MG threw me a culinary air kiss (fingers to puckered lips which then shoot off into my direction – is there a better name for that?) and declared this “one of your most satisfying meals yet!” He doesn’t just give these kinds of compliments out, people, so take a very good look at this burger. I don’t often pat myself on the back, but…

It didn’t hurt that I used ground bison instead of beef or lamb (if you follow me here, you know beef is almost non-existent in my diet, and lamb has recently surpassed turkey as favorite burger meat of choice).

Bison is new to my kitchen. A few of its merits: less fat, less calories, and more protein than a comparable serving of beef. Also, similar to lamb, it just breaks apart in you mouth like magic. In fact, you need to take extra care in the pan as well or it might just fall apart on you during a flip. No matter though… push it back together, or don’t. Scoop it out it pieces, melt a little cheese over it and eat it over the sink.

The meat also really absorbs whatever flavors you pack into the pre-cooked patties.

And while you might feel the need to slather it in BBQ sauce as you would a beef burger, DON’T.

In fact, to be honest, I would have enjoyed it just as much with no BBQ sauce and maybe a fresh slice of avocado in its place. Bacon is most certainly a welcome addition as well.

Dare I go the route next time of cheese, avocado, bacon AND BBQ sauce?

If you were here, you would see the angel and the devil that have magically just appeared on my shoulders and have begun fighting for control of my soul.

Bison, people… BISON!

BBQ Bison Burgers

• 1 pound ground bison meat (will make three “man” patties, or four “Aunt Helen” patties)
• Kaiser rolls (number depends on whether you’re a “man” or an “Aunt Helen.”  Refer to the above.
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red paper flakes
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1/2 small to medium white onion, roughly chopped (separate about a quarter of it for later)
• 1/2 small to medium red onion, roughly chopped (separate about a quarter of it for later)
• 1 egg
• 1 jalapeno pepper, including seeds (your call, but I almost always include them)
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil
• cheese of your choice (I had Havarti – it is a fabulous melting cheese, so I recommend it, but whatever you like… I won’t judge)
• BBQ sauce

Combine the bison, chopped onions (except what you have separated), bell peppers, jalapeno, red paper flakes, salt, pepper, bread crumbs and egg into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Separate into 3-4 patties.

Heat a skillet with a thin coat of olive oil.  Once heated, introduce the patties.  After three to four minutes, flip.  Repeat two more times. Bison meat can break apart easily, so poke open a patty on the end and make sure it’s to your liking.  Flip one final time, and top with your cheese.  You’re free to pull out of the skillet before the cheese has melted completely.  It will continue to cook on top the patties while you prepare the separated onions and the Kaiser rolls.


Leave the skillet on the open flame, and toss in the rest of your chopped onions into the leftover oil.  Keep circulating the onions with a spatula for about a minute, and when they begin to brown, place your kaiser rolls, face down into the skillet.  Press lightly with your spatula into the cooking onions for another minute and then promptly remove the rolls.

Add your burgers to the bun, add the onions from your skillet.  Top the patties with BBQ sauce and serve immediately.

Tags: BBQ, bison, burgers, cheese, jalapenos, onion, peppers