Bison Burgers
Juicy double-stacked bison burgers with crispy smashed edges, melted American cheese, and a sweet-tangy homemade copycat Chic-Fil-A sauce. No dry patties, no gamey flavor, ever.
Calories: 466kcal
Ingredients
- 1.25 lb. ground bison (90/10) I get my packs at Costco
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (cold, cubed small)
- 1 Tbsp. olive or avocado oil, for cooking
For the Sauce
- 1/4 cup avocado mayonnaise 56g
- 1/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt 56g
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp. bbq sauce (smoky)
- 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 pinch smoked paprika
For the Burgers
- 4 Brioche buns, toasted
- 4 slices American or Gouda cheese, for melting
- shredded iceberg lettuce
- dill pickle chips
- thinly sliced white onion
- caramelized onions, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground bison with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and kosher salt. Mix gently with your hands, until just combined. Fold in the cold 2 tbsp unsalted butter (cold, cubed small) cubes so they're distributed but not fully incorporated.
- Divide into 8 equal balls. Press into discs but don't compact them too much. Rest in the fridge for 15 minutes uncovered. Cold patties = better sear.
- While the meat rests, combine the mayo, greek yogurt, honey, mustard, dijon mustard, bbq sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder and smoked paprika for your burger sauce.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or heavy stainless pan over high heat for 2–3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp oil (avocado or olive). You want it smoking.
- Place patties in the pan, cover with parchment paper and press down firmly with a spatula or burger press so they’re nice and flat. Don't touch them for 3 minutes. Bison cooks faster than beef and has less fat to protect it, resist the urge to flip early. You'll see the edges turn gray about halfway up. You WILL need to work in batches.
- Flip once. Immediately lay the cheese on top. Cook 2–2.5 more minutes for medium (145°F internal). Bison at medium-well gets dry fast, pull it before you think it's ready.
- Rest patties for 2 minutes off the heat and stack one patty without cheese ontop of one with cheese. You will have 4 with and 4 without for a total of 4 burger stacks.
- Spread 1 Tbsp. of sauce on each bun side, top with burger stack and desired toppings like shredded lettuce, pickle chips and thinly sliced white onion. Enjoy!
Notes
- The cold butter cubes folded into the meat melt during cooking and baste from the inside — this is the move for lean proteins. Don't skip it.
- Temp matters more with bison: Target 145°F internal. At 160°F it's already overcooked. Use a thermometer if you have one,
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
- Nutrition is for 2 patties, cheese and 2 Tbsp. sauce. It DOES NOT include the bun so that you can scan and use the bun you use! I like using Brioche Buns since the macros tend to be better and the taste is wonderful.
- To lower fat a smidge you can use 1 Tbsp. of butter and 1 Tbsp. of sauce. and/or skip the cheese. Use lean ground beef in place of 90/10 bison and/or reduced fat cheese.
Nutrition
Serving: 1burger | Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 19mg | Sugar: 5g
