Summer is here and what better time to grill up some delicious venison bacon burgers!  You might be wondering where the bacon is, this recipe has it inside the burger creating a great flavor!

One complaint I’ve heard about venison burgers is how dry they can be.  Not this recipe!  Big, juicy burgers full of flavor that go great with a beer on a beautiful summer day.

Click below to get the recipe!

I took my inspiration from the recipe found here on All Recipes.  I only made two burgers, so I used far less ingredients than if you’re making burgers for a crowd.  Below are the ingredients to make 6 burgers.

Here’s what you’ll need!

Ingredients:
– 2 lbs ground venison
– 6 slices bacon, minced
– 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional, see below)
– 1 teaspoon minced garlic
– 2 shallots, minced
– 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
– 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
– 1 egg, beaten
– 6 hamburger buns
– Salt and pepper to taste
– Burger seasoning (optional)
– Your favorite burger toppings!

Directions:

If you’re like me and processed your own deer, start by grinding the amount of venison you’ll need.   Otherwise, thaw ground venison you have in your freezer!

Rough chop the slices of bacon.  Did you know that you can buy bacon at the meat counter in most stores?  It’s often a better, thicker cut and cheaper price than what you’ll find in the aisles.  I got half a pound for $3.00 and it was more than I needed for this recipe.  Cook the bacon to your liking.  You know a recipe that starts with bacon can’t be bad!

While your bacon is cooking, finely chop the shallots and garlic.  Once your bacon is cooked, put it on a plate and let cool.

So this next step you can choose to be healthy or not so healthy.  If you want, sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes until they’re soft.  Or, you can make the delicious, unhealthy choice.  That pan you just took the bacon out of likely has some bacon grease still in it.  Throw the shallots and garlic in there for that extra bacon kick.  Now it’s not healthy in the slightest.  But some of my best family recipes involve sautéing vegetables in bacon grease and they always turn out amazing.  So the choice is yours, healthy or bacon.  I chose bacon.

Once the shallots and garlic are soft, add them to the bacon and let everything cool.

Finely chop the parsley and beat the eggs.

Once everything is cool, mix it with the venison, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt, pepper, and burger seasoning.  Don’t be afraid to get messy, mix everything together with your hands.  The mixture might feel a little wet after adding the egg but I think this is what helps keep these burgers juicy when cooking, so don’t worry if you notice that!  Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for twenty minutes.

Once the twenty minutes are up, preheat your grill to medium-high heat.  Form the meat into the number of patties you want and grill away!

Don’t forget to add your favorite cheese, I love Colby Jack but any cheese will do.

Toast the buns and then add your favorite toppings!  As you can see, I love a nice layer of mayo with my burger.  Blame working at a diner in college, can’t eat them any other way!

Pour yourself a beer and enjoy!

And if this recipe doesn’t have enough bacon for you yet, feel free to add a couple slices to the top of the burger!  You can never have too much bacon, right?

Steps:
01.  Sauté minced bacon, remove from pan when crispy
02.  Add finely chopped shallot and garlic to pan with bacon grease, sauté until soft (about 3 minutes)
03.  Let bacon, shallots, and garlic cool before adding to the ground venison, Worcestershire sauce, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and burger seasoning
04.  Mix the ingredients together, cover, and let sit in the fridge for 20 minutes
05.  Heat your grill to medium high heat, form the meat into patties, and grill to your desired doneness
06.  Toast bun, add cheese and favorite toppings, enjoy!

Let me know if you try the recipe!  I’d love to hear how it turns out.  What are your favorite burger toppings?  Share in the comments below!