Bacon Venison Burgers with Whiskey Caramelized Onions

A venison burger with smoked cheddar, bacon, dijonnaise, and whiskey caramelized onions.

5 from 1 vote

Bacon Venison Burgers with Whiskey Caramelized Onions

This isn't your average venison burgers recipe! These juicy bacon venison burgers are topped with smoky cheese & whiskey glazed onions - YUM!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Chilling time20

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Canadian

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free

Servings: people

Calories: 597kcal

Equipment

Grill or Campfire

Ingredients

Venison Burger

1 lb Ground Venison
2 tablespoon Chilled Bacon Fat
1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
¾ teaspoon Salt

Whisky Onions

¼ cup Butter or Bacon Fat
2 Large Onions peeled and thinly sliced
¼ cup Whiskey of Choice
1 tablespoon Honey
Salt & Pepper

Assembly

3-4 slice Smoked Cheddar
3-4 Buns
Dijonnaise See post for recipe
Bacon
Arugula

Instructions

Venison Burgers

Place ground venison in a large bowl, along with the bacon fat, pepper, garlic, onion 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 chilled venison mixture into 3 or 4 equal balls. Gently flatten each ball into a patty that is roughly the size of your burger buns – maybe a little larger - 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!

Whisky Onions

In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter or bacon fat.
Add the onion slices and a little salt and cook - stirring often - until the onions are golden brown. This usually takes about 20 minutes or so.
Add the whiskey to the pan, continue stirring until all of the liquid as cooked off. Add the honey, stir well, and cook for another minute or two
Season with a little salt and pepper, to taste, set aside.

Venison Burger Assembly

Place venison 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 hamburger buns, toast if desired, and spread each side with Dijonnaise.
Top with a burger patty, bacon, whisky onions, lettuce, and argula. Serve immediately.

Notes

Leftover venison burgers can be cooled to room temperature and kept in an airtight container 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.

Note: You can cook these on the stovetop, if you prefer. I like to use a large nonstick pan to cook the venison patties over medium heat, but a large cast-iron skillet / cast iron pan over medium-high heat is also a good option.

Nutrition