Juicy Grilled Elk Burgers

5 stars from 1 vote

Upgrade your favorite meal with the juicy texture and savory, smoky flavors of this quick and easy grilled elk burgers recipe!

Prep Time15

Cook Time8

Total Time23

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 479kcal

1 lb ground elk (or venison, moose, antelope, etc.)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon bacon grease, melted (use less if your meat has a good amount of fat ground in.)

Thaw ground meat in a paper towel-lined bowl under refrigeration to remove excess moisture. This helps the burger patties stick together.
Preheat grill to 350°F.
To a medium bowl, add ground meat, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and melted bacon grease.
Mix with your hands until the spices are well combined with the meat. Work quickly because the bacon grease will start to set up. When you're done mixing, the bacon grease should be distributed in small dots throughout the meat.
Divide meat into 4 equal portions and gently roll the portions into balls.
Form each ball into a patty by gently squishing it between the palms of your hands. Patties should be about 4-5" in diameter. Using your thumb, place a small dimple in the middle of each patty. If your patties have warmed up, place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to help them stick together.
Place patties on the preheated grill directly over the flame. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until browned on the bottom.
Flip burgers and immediately top with 1 slice of cheese per burger patty. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the burgers are cooked through. Remove to a plate and assemble burgers.

You can assemble your burgers however you'd like but this is how I like to do it!
Spread mayo on hamburger buns. Place burger patties on the bottom halves of the buns. Add ketchup and mustard, if desired.
Add lettuce, onion, and tomato on top. Place the top halves of the buns on top. Place a sandwich pick in each burger to hold them together. Enjoy!

This recipe uses a pellet grill but you can use a gas grill, charcoal grill, or cast iron skillet to cook the burger patties.
Thaw your meat on paper towels to help remove off flavors. This also removes excess liquid which helps to keep your patties from falling apart.
If your meat has fat ground in, you can cut back on the bacon grease. It adds juiciness to burgers that don't already have fat ground in.
Don't overmix the meat or smash the patties too much. Gently mix in the spices and form the patties to keep the burgers from becoming hard when you cook them.
Adding cheese right after flipping the burgers helps ensure the cheese melts before the burgers get overcooked.

To see the web version with photos, tips and FAQs, scan the QR code or visit: