This homemade Bannock Burgers recipe is fantastic, especially while camping. Nothing beats fresh bannock with a flavourful burger patty!
When I moved out on my own, it was a cheap and easy way to have bread on hand, pretty much whenever I wanted it. Handy!
Back then, I saw bannock two ways - pan fried, or baked. It was always served as a side, and that was my whole understanding of it.
A few years ago, I happened across a cousin on Facebook, and it’s been amazing to get to know her and learn about that branch of the family.
See, she lives on the rez that my great great grandmother (her great great grandmother’s sister) got kicked out of. It’s interesting how much we have in common, despite how wildly different our lives have been. <3 her! I love seeing her post rez food - and I’m forever jealous of her access to moose meat! Anyway - bringing this back on topic - getting to know her has really opened my eyes to how much more versatile bannock is!
Bannock burgers seem to be a regular craving, and I loved the idea - so I started making homemade bannock buns last summer.
This was SUPER convenient! Rather than having to time grocery runs during longer trips - and use store bought hamburger buns up before they go bad - we make up mixes before a trip, and have easy access to hamburger buns whenever we want!
I haven’t come up with a gluten free version for myself, yet... But Porter LOVED this.
Says it’s a great variation from a standard burger, that the texture makes it a fun experience... and yeah, there’s the convenience factor I mentioned.
We haven’t done it yet, but I bet that my Jalapeno Cheddar Bannock would also make great burger buns!
Anyway, get a pan of hot vegetable oil going, and I’ll show you how I make bannock burgers!
Ingredients
This bannock burger recipe uses fairly simple ingredients - you won’t have any trouble finding everything you need in pretty much any grocery store.
As always, I have a few ingredient notes for you:
Regular Ground Beef
I like to use regular / medium ground beef, rather than a lean ground beef. I just find it makes a tastier, juicier burger.
If all you have on hand is lean ground beef - and you’re not actively trying to cut the fat down - I recommend adding a tablespoon or two of bacon fat.
Just mix it in with the other ingredients, before forming the burger patties. It’ll bring the juiciness up, AND add a nice flavour!
All Purpose Flour
I always make my bannock with all purpose flour, but bread flour would also work.
You could probably substitute up to ⅓ of it with whole wheat flour if you like.
This recipe will not work, as-is, with a gluten free flour. One of these days, I’ll come up with a proper gluten free bannock recipe.
Montreal Steak Spice
I like to keep the burger seasoning pretty simple for this recipe, and Montreal spice is super handy for that. A nice complex flavour, without needing to cart 10 different spices to the campground!
Both regular or spicy Montreal Steak Spice work great, for the store bought options. If you’re feeling a bit more industrious, try my Homemade Montreal Steak Spice Recipe!
Burger Toppings
Really, you top your burger any way you like!
Personally, I like doing these as loaded cheeseburgers, with Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Red Onion Slices, and Pickle Slices... And a bit of Ketchup, Mustard, and Mayo, of course!
Sometimes I’ll fry up a slice or two of Back Bacon or Peameal Bacon, for good measure!
Everything Else
Rounding out this recipe, you will need:
Vegetable Oil
Garlic Powder
Baking Powder
... I don’t have anything else to say about these last few ingredients. Pretty basic stuff!
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How to Make Bannock Burgers
The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:
Burgers
Place ground beef in a large bowl, along with the Montreal Steak Spice, garlic powder, and salt.
Gently use hands to get a really good mix going, making sure that everything is evenly distributed and well incorporated in the meat mixture. Don’t overhandle it or squeeze!
Divide the beef mixture into 4 equal balls. Gently flatten each ball into a patty - with a slight indent in the center of each patty.
Cover and chill for 20 minutes - you want the patties cold when they go on the grill!
Bannock Buns
In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
Add the water and oil to the mix, just enough to bring it together into a sticky dough.
Knead lightly to smooth it out a little - don’t overwork it, or it will turn out dense. (I like to use gloves, but oiling the hands works well, too!)
Divide the dough into 4 roughly equal pieces, shape into rough rounds.
Place the bannock rounds in the hot oil. Let them sit for a few seconds, then flip each piece and flatten out slightly with a spatula - you want them slightly smaller than your burger patties.
Cover the pan and cook until the underside is golden brown. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is also golden brown.
Once cooked through, remove from pan and blot with a dry paper towel to wick excess oil from them.
Bannock Burger Assembly
Place chilled burgers on the grill grates, grill over medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 160 F on a meat thermometer / instant-read thermometer.
Note: 160 F is the temperature generally accepted as being the safest minimum internal temperature. If you prefer medium or medium-rare doneness, it’s usually more like 2-3 minutes on each side, and aiming for 130 -145 F.
Top each with a cheese slice, allow to melt.
Top with a burger patty, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and/or pickle slices, or other condiments of your choice. Serve immediately.
Leftovers
Leftover burgers can be cooled to room temperature and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I’ll usually reheat the cold patties in the microwave for about 45 seconds, before assembling my burger.
More Grilling Recipes for Camping
Looking for some great meals to cook on a campfire or grill? Here's a few of my favourites!
Bacon Venison Burgers with Whiskey Onions
Bison Burgers with Bacon and Caramelized Onions
Campfire Pizza
Elk Burgers with Bacon & Sauteed Mushrooms
Fajita Chicken Kebabs
French Onion Soup Burgers
Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Lemon-Dill Fresh Salmon Burgers
Easy Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Grilled Tuna Tacos
Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs
Thanksgiving Turkey Burgers
Be sure to check out our other Camping Recipes, including Camping Desserts, Camping Snacks, Make-Ahead Camping Mix Recipes, and a ton of delicious Camping Main Dish Recipes.
Also, we had SO much fun designing gourmet jerky recipes for our camping trips, we started a whole new blog for them! Check out Dried & Tasty for all kinds of fun recipes to make in your food dehydrator!
Homemade Bannock Burgers
Equipment
- 1 Large Cast-Iron Skillet
Ingredients
Burger:
- 1 ½ lbs Medium / Regular Ground Beef
- 1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Spice
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Bannock Buns:
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Water
- ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
- Extra lard or Vegetable Oil for frying
Optional Toppings:
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Ketchup Mustard, and/or Mayo
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Red Onion Slices
- Pickle Slices
Instructions
Burger:
- Place ground beef in a large bowl, along with the Montreal Steak Spice, garlic powder, and salt.
- Gently use hands to get a really good mix going, making sure that everything is evenly distributed and well incorporated in the meat mixture. Don’t overhandle it or squeeze!
- Divide the beef mixture into 4 equal balls. Gently flatten each ball into a patty with a slight indent in the center of each patty.
- Cover and chill for 20 minutes - you want the patties cold when they go on the grill!
Bannock:
- In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
- Add the water and oil to the mix, just enough to bring it together into a sticky dough. Knead lightly to smooth it out a little - don’t overwork it, or it will turn out dense. (I like to use gloves, but oiling the hands works well, too!)
- Melt a couple tablespoons of lard in a large cast iron pan (or drizzle some vegetable oil), over a medium fire.
- Divide the dough into 4 roughly equal pieces, place in the heated pan. Let it sit for a few seconds, then flip each piece and flatten out slightly with a spatula - you want them slightly smaller than your burger patties.
- Cover the pan and cook until the underside is golden brown. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is also golden brown.
- Once cooked through, set aside and cover with a clean kitchen towel while you cook your burgers:
Bannock Burger Assembly
- Place chilled burgers on the grill grates, grill over medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 160 F on a meat thermometer / instant-read thermometer.
- Note: 160 F is the temperature generally accepted as being the safest minimum internal temperature. If you prefer medium or medium-rare doneness, it’s usually more like 2-3 minutes on each side, and aiming for 130 -145 F.
- Top each with a slice of cheddar, allow to melt.
- Split your bannock buns, toast if desired, and spread each side with mayo.
- Top with a burger patty, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and/or pickle slices, as desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Marie & Michael Porter
A super easy way to have burger buns whenever you need them! Hope you love this recipe as much as we do!