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A buffalo burger is a delicious alternative to beef burgers or turkey burgers! Made with juicy, lean ground bison and topped with an incredible burger sauce, this buffalo burger recipe is about to be a new favorite in your meal rotation!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Buffalo burgers are incredibly tender and juicy. Don’t let the name scare you – there’s not actually buffalo in them. They use bison meat instead. “Bison” and “buffalo” are used interchangeably a lot of the time, but they’re actually different animals.
- Ground bison is a leaner meat than ground beef, making it a great alternative if you’re watching your fat intake but feeling burnt out on turkey burgers. Because it’s so lean, it cooks quickly, so this is also a great dinner option if you’re crunched for time!
- If you’re used to eating beef burgers, you might notice a slight (wonderful) difference with these. It’s really similar to ground beef, but a little sweeter, and it’s not at all gamey. Perfect for the not-quite-as-adventurous eaters in your family.
Key Ingredients
Ground Bison – One of the really nice things about ground bison is that you can use it for so many things besides a buffalo burger! Seriously. You can use it in pretty much any recipe that calls for ground beef.
Toppings – Since buffalo burgers taste so similar to beef burgers, you can get away with all your favorite burger toppings! Lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese, mayo, whatever you love!
What Temperature is Best for These Burgers?
How do you like your beef burgers cooked? You’ll want the same temp for your bison burgers!
It’s recommended to cook ground bison to an internal temperature of 160° Fahrenheit for food safety reasons. Like ground beef and steak, though, you can cook it a little less if you like it that way! I don’t recommend cooking it beyond that – it’ll dry out and become tough.
If you have time, I recommend letting the burgers rest out of the pan for 5 minutes or so before serving them. They’ll continue to cook a little during that time, but it’ll really lock in the juices. If you’re going to let them rest, take them out of then pan when they reach 155° Fahrenheit, so they don’t overcook.
Chef’s Tips
- Resist the urge to press the buffalo burger down with a spatula while you’re cooking them. That’ll squeeze all the juice right out!
- Since bison is a lean meat, you’ll want to cook it slowly, over a medium/medium-high heat, rather than a high heat. It won’t take long to cook, but it’ll be easy to overcook. If you’re worried about the buffalo burger being dry, add a little Worcestershire sauce to the meat mixture.
- Don’t overhandle the meat when you form the patties! Packing them together too much will toughen them. If you’re worried they’ll fall apart as they cook, refrigerate them first, then cook them cold. They’ll stay together better cooked from cold than cooked from room temperature. Don’t move them around in the pan, either!
- Before cooking the buffalo burger patties, press your thumb into the center of the top of the patties. It’s a little thing, but that light impression will keep the meat from puffing up while it cooks.
Other Delicious Burger Recipes You’ll Love
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