Juicy Elk Burgers with Bacon & Sauteed Mushrooms

A loaded elk burger with bacon, smoked cheddar, sauteed mushrooms, and dijonnaise.

5 from 1 vote

Juicy Elk Burgers with Bacon & Sauteed Mushrooms

This juicy elk burgers recipe is the stuff dreams are made of. With bacon & sauteed mushrooms, they're delicious, hearty, and SO satisfying!

Prep Time5

Cook Time8

Chilling Time1

Total Time1 13

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Canadian

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free

Servings: People

Calories: 487kcal

Equipment

Grill or Campfire

Ingredients

Elk Burger

1 lb Ground Elk
3 tablespoon Chilled Bacon Fat Divided
1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
¾ teaspoon Salt

Sauteed Mushrooms

8 oz Crimini Mushroom Slices
Salt and Pepper

Assembly

3-4 Slices Smoked Cheddar
3-4 Buns
Dijonnaise See post for recipe
Bacon
Lettuce
Red Onions

Instructions

Elk Burgers

Place ground Elk in a large bowl, along with 2 tablespoon of the bacon fat and the 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 elk 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!

Sauteed Mushrooms

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in a nonstick pan. Add mushrooms and cook over medium heat - stirring frequently - until soft and browned.
Season with a little salt and pepper, to taste.
As the mushrooms are cooking, prepare your Burgers:

Elk Burger Assembly

Place elk 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, sauteed mushrooms, lettuce, and red onions, Serve immediately.

Notes

Leftover elk 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 elk patties over medium heat, but a large cast-iron skillet / cast iron pan over medium-high heat is also a good option.

Nutrition