Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
These venison burgers with bacon are tender, juicy and packed full of flavour with only a handful of ingredients.
It is so easy to make your own burgers at home and they only take a few minutes on the grill before you can take a bite of pure pleasure.
Perfect for winter comfort food or summer eating, you'll be making these again and again.
And the best bit? They are only 119 calories each so no need for guilt either!
Bon appètit!
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Why you will love this
- Vension is a rich and flavourful meat that is only 10% fat, especially compared to beef mince, so it's a healthy choice for the whole family
- There are no fillers such as breadcrumbs in this recipe, just simple ingredients.
- Each burger is only 119 calories before the bun and toppings, which makes these a great choice for healthier eating.
- Perfect for making in advance and freezing.
- Cooked in minutes for a speedy dinner.
What are the ingredients?
I've used one pack of venison mince for this recipe, which makes four good sized burgers.
Although venison is low in fat, this also means that a burger of just venison can be dry. To counteract that, and to add another layer of flavour, I've used bacon - and everyone know that everything is better with bacon!
A lean burger should have a percentage of 80% lean meat and 20% fat. I've used finely diced back bacon, which has a line of natural fat. Adding it the burger raw means that, as it cooks the fat will melt into the burger, keeping it moist and adding flavour at the same time.
For extra flavour and texture I've used a banana shallot. They are sweeter than onion and have a milder taste, so they don't overpower the other flavours.
The only other thing to add is freshly ground black pepper. The addition of the bacon means that you don't really need to add salt.
How to make the burgers
The venison burgers are easy to make with just a few simple steps.
Heat the oil in a small pan and fry over a medium heat for a few minutes until softened. This will ensure that the excess moisture from the shallots evapourate. A burger that is too wet will want to fall apart when cooking.
Chop the bacon as finely as possible.
Next, put the mince, cooked shallots, bacon and pepper in a bowl and lightly mix together.
Divide the mixture into four and form into patties. Place on greaseproof paper on a plate and leave in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
When you are ready to cook, heat the grill to medium . Season with a little sea salt and black pepper on one side and place under the grill.
After 3-4 minutes the top will start to brown and caramelise. Flip them over and season the other side before grilling for a further 3 minutes.
It's best to let them rest for a minute of so, for the juices to settle before serving.
Juicy, tender, and with delicious caramelisation on the outside, these burgers are a delicious treat with only 119 calories each!
Recipe FAQs
Whilst many people do, and restaurants often serve them this way like a steak, it's best to always cook any meat burgers until the juices run clear and no pink part of the meat remains.
This is because, when meat is minced, any bacteria on the outside of the meat will be dragged through to all parts of the meat in the mincing process.
Cooking it rare could mean that harmful bacteria on the inside of the burger is still present.
I think this bit is totally up to each individual and the fun bit is putting out a selection of toppings and let everyone help themselves.
If you want some cheese on top, add it to the burgers for the last minute so that i melts over the burger.
I like to offer fried onions, crisp bacon, grilled halloumi, slices of beef tomatoes, lettuce and sauces.
I think that these are filling on their own so I would normally serve a salad and perhaps Asian coleslaw or apple coleslaw. Of course, chips or French fries also go down well, but if you want to keep a little healthier try baked sweet potato fries !
Top tips
- It's best to season the outside of the burgers just before cooking as adding salt earlier can cause a reaction to break down the protein in the meat and draws out moisture. This dries out the burger so it won't be as juicy and tender.
- I find that bought venison mince can be quite wet. I like to let it sit in a sieve for half an hour, so that the burgers are firm and don't want to fall apart. If you still find they are wet add a tablespoon of flour to the mix.
- Make the patties without over handling the mixture to keep the texture light.
- It helps to make the patties slightly larger than the width of the burger bun as they will shrink as they cook.
- Put a thumbprint in the middle of each one before cooking as this helps them to keep a flat shape.
- I often find it difficult to chop bacon finely as it all ends up sticking together and as it gets smaller it's harder to cut. Put it in the freezer for 20 minutes and it will make this part much easier.
Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais.
More burger recipes to try
If you like to use a barbecue or grill for cooking then you do need to try Lamb with Pomegranate Molasses too.
📋 Recipe
Vension Burgers with Bacon
Ingredients
- 500 g vension mince
- 100 g bacon
- 1 shallot or half an onion
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp oil
- seasoning to cook the burgers
Instructions
- Chop the shallot and bacon finely.
- Heat the oil in a small pan and fry over a medium heat for a few minutes until softened
- Next, put the mince, cooked shallots, bacon, and pepper in a bowl and lightly mix together.
- Divide the mixture into four and form into patties. Place on greaseproof paper on a plate and leave in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
- When you are ready to cook, heat the grill to medium . Season with a little sea salt and black pepper on one side and place under the grill.
- After 3-4 minutes the top will start to brown and caramelise. Flip them over and season the other side before grilling for a further 3 minutes.
- Let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Top tips
- It's best to season the outside of the burgers just before cooking as adding salt earlier can cause a reaction to break down the protein in the meat and draws out moisture. This dries out the burger so it won't be as juicy and tender.
- I find that bought venison mince can be quite wet. I like to let it sit in a sieve for half an hour, so that the burgers are firm and don't want to fall apart.
- Make the patties without over handling the mixture to keep the texture light.
- It helps to make the patties slightly larger than the width of the burger bun as they will shrink as they cook.
- Put a thumbprint in the middle of each one before cooking as this helps them to keep a flat shape.
- I often find it difficult to chop bacon finely as it all ends up sticking together and as it gets smaller it's harder to cut. Put it in the freezer for 20 minutes and it will make this part much easier.
Thanks Stephen. That sounds gorgeous!I would cut them as small as the onion and cook them first, as they do hold a lot of water. I'd love to know how they turn out. Amanda
Thanks for this recipe, I I've venison and will definitely be making these. Could I also add chestnut mushrooms to it and would it be wise to cook them first like you suggest with the Charlotte?
love this - my boyfriend goes hunting every year and i never know how to make ground venison more palatable! perfect!
These look like delicious juicy burgers. I don't use venison very often but might seek some out to give these a try.
These burgers look SO GOOD! And thank you for all the tips, they are super handy!
This burger looks incredibly delicious - flavorful ingredients. Love that you sautéed the shallot, nice! Saving and making this next week!
I really love venison, it was unfortunate we didn't get any this year but I surely will be trying this recipe as soon as we get lucky again! My husband will love this burger!