My favorite way to cook Bison Burgers

Bison Burgers. Ah... one of my favorite parts of summer. 

I love cooking bison burgers. One of the reasons is because, there really isn't anywhere else around here to get a good bison burger other than my kitchen, but another is because it's so easy to cook anyway, and you can make a perfect burger just the way you like it!

So here's my quick post on my favorite way to cook bison burgers to help you get started. Of course, the whole point of cooking for yourself is to make food the way you want it, so be creative and make the burger your own. Just use mine as a launch pad!

As you can see here on the right, I like to start with big, meaty hand formed patties. If you're going for easiest way possible, my site does sell pre-formed bison burger patties that are wildly popular. I, however, prefer a larger, 1/2 lb. patty and so I prefer to form mine myself from the Ground Bison.

I do not add anything to the meat before I form the patties. If you like, you can season the meat before forming, however, I generally just do this after forming the burgers.

My go-to seasoning for bison burgers is a little bit of garlic and  a little bit of pepper. There's no need to overdo it on salts or seasonings with bison, as it has a great, strong flavor anyway.

Fire up the grill! Let's cook the burgers...

So once the burgers are formed, and your grill is hot, it's time to start cooking those big, juicy burgers. I keep my grill at about 300*F while cooking the burgers and cook for about 7 minutes on each side to get a medium / medium rare doneness. 

An important note: I know it can be tempting to push down on the burger with your spatula after you flip to hear that satisfying sear. Don't. Just don't. You're forcing all the juices out. (But again, see my rule above to make it your way... maybe that's your intent... If so, carry on.)

Wait, there's more... don't forget about the buns and the toppings...

After I flip the burgers, I like to make sure my buns get toasted. It adds a little bit of strength to the bottom bun especially when you put this big, juicy burger on top of it. I'll usually butter the buns and add a little butter to the top bun for good measure. 

I also take this time to grill some onions, as that is one of my favorite toppings for bison burgers.

When the burgers have only about 1-2 minutes left of cooking, I top each burger with cheese.

Then, all that's left is to remove the buns, place the burgers and onions on top and add any other toppings I feel like. 

Other toppings you might like:

* ketchup * mustard * tomato * lettuce * jalapeños * mayo * chipotle mayo * pico de gallo * avocado * poblano peppers * pineapple slice * bbq sauce * fresh onion * spinach * arugula * cream cheese * bacon * mushrooms * cucumber *

Hey there's probably even more. But this should get you started. Here's my final burgers!