Mushroom Swiss Venison Burgers

This Venison Burgers Recipe features venison burger patties cooked to perfection and topped with perfectly caramelized mushrooms and onions and melty Swiss cheese. So good it's difficult to put down, this is one burger recipe you'll want to make over and over again!
Looking for more burger recipes? Try spicy teriyaki elk burgers, patty melts, and juicy grilled elk burgers, too!

venison mushroom swiss burger with beer.

Recipe Highlights

Bold Flavor: The sweet and savory mushrooms and onions, salty, savory cheese, and rich burger venison meat mixture create an indulgent taste that doesn't need any fancy sauces or toppings.

Tender Meat: Cooked on the grill, the meat patties stay tender and juicy.
Comforting & Hearty: Served in fluffy Brioche buns with just a touch of mayo or ketchup, this recipe is pure comfort in every bite. For more deer burger recipes, try venison burger sliders, too.

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Recipe Highlights
Ingredients
How to Make Mushroom Swiss Venison Burgers
What to Serve with Venison Burgers
Recipe FAQs
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Ingredients

Ground Venison: Any ground meat can be used in place of venison - elk, moose, antelope, beef, turkey, etc.
Onions: Any type of onion you use will caramelize. Use whatever you prefer!
Mushrooms: I love cremini mushrooms for caramelizing, but you can use white mushrooms. Or, get creative, and try some other gourmet mushrooms!
Swiss Cheese: Swiss cheese is the obvious choice for a mushroom Swiss burger. However, if you're not a fan, you can totally use any melty cheese you prefer.
Brioche Buns: Brioche buns have a lot more flavor than typical hamburger buns. They're great for beer-battered halibut sandwiches, ground venison sloppy joes, and more!

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Mushroom Swiss Venison Burgers

These burgers take a little more care and love to prepare with the caramelized onions and mushrooms, but they are so worth the effort! Read below for how to make them.

Prepare the Burger Patties

Step 1: Mix the ground venison, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Use your hands to incorporate the meat! Then, mix in the cheese. Don't mix too hard, or you'll compact the meat.

Step 2: Divide the meat into 4 equal portions, and gently shape them into patties about 4.5-5" in diameter. Chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to grill.

Caramelize the Onions and Mushrooms

Step 3: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add butter (or pork fat), and swirl to coat the pan.

Step 4: Add the julienned onions, and cook, stirring frequently for 20-30 minutes or until they are light golden but not fully caramelized. Then, transfer them to a bowl, and set aside.

Step 5: Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the sliced mushrooms tops. (Keep the stems for something else like ramen broth.)

sliced mushrooms cooking in cast iron pan.

Step 6: Cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and reabsorb it, stirring frequently. The timing varies on the freshness of your mushrooms but should take about 7-10 minutes.

stirring mushrooms and onions in cast iron pan.

Step 7: Add the onions back to the pan, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

mushrooms and onions caramelizing in cast iron pan.

Step 8: Cook on medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes or until mushrooms and onions are a deep golden brown color but not burned. Stir frequently to keep from burning.

Grill the Burgers

Step 9: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (350°F), and cook burgers for 4-5 minutes, directly over the flames.

Step 10: Flip the burgers, and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.

topping venison burgers with swiss cheese.

Step 11: Place cooked burger patties on a foil-lined grill pan or small sheet pan. Then, top with mushroom and onion mixture followed by Swiss cheese.

venison burgers with melted swiss cheese.

Step 12: Put the pan on the grill, and cook until the cheese is melted. Add it to your favorite bun with lettuce, tomato, and condiments of your choice, and enjoy!

Pro Tips

Keep your venison burger mix cold when forming patties. If it has warmed up while mixing, place it back in the fridge for 30 minutes before making your patties. This helps keep the patties intact and prevents them from falling apart.
Slicing onions root to tip (julienned) keeps the vegetable fibers more intact which helps keep the pieces whole when caramelizing them and prevents them from turning to mush.
I recommend making extra onions and mushrooms to add to elk roast sandwiches, too!
Put the pan on the grill, and cook until the cheese is melted. Add it to your favorite bun with lettuce, tomato, and condiments of your choice, and enjoy!

What to Serve with Venison Burgers

Serve your mushroom Swiss venison burgers with sides like:

Recipe FAQs

How do you get deer burgers to stick together?

Thaw ground venison in a paper towel-lined bowl to soak up excess liquid. Removing the excess liquid gives the meat a more sticky texture that makes it easier to form a patty.

Do I need to add fat to ground venison?

Venison does not need added fat ground in to be delicious and juicy. But, if you prefer the flavor of venison with fat ground in, that is more than fine!

What can I mix with a venison burger?

One of the best "bang for your buck" (pun intended) seasonings you can use with ground venison is Worcestershire sauce. It doesn't take much and it adds so much flavor to your burgers!