Smash Burger Style Bison Burgers

If you’re wondering what to make with ground bison, you can’t go wrong with bison burgers. This recipe turns one pound of ground bison into four double cheeseburgers with thin and crispy smash burger patties.

These burgers are super easy to make, with virtually zero prep work other than portioning out the bison and adding a pinch of salt and pepper. You’ll have smash burgers on the table quicker than you can say In-N-Out.

You will find a recipe card below to print or save. If you’re looking for more things to make with bison, check out my spicy bison chili and breakfast sausage recipes.

You could also easily substitute bison for ground beef in recipes like my one pan bacon cheeseburger pasta, hamburger hash brown casserole, or southwest quesadillas.

Okay, I hope you have fun making smash burgers with ground bison!

Servings: 4 Burgers

Ground Bison Smash Burgers

By Mason Woodruff

Double cheeseburgers made with thin and crispy smash burger style ground bison burger patties.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound Ground Bison
• ▢ Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
• ▢ Small Square of Parchment Paper
• ▢ 8 slices Yellow American Cheese
• ▢ 4 Burger Buns
• ▢ Avocado Oil Spray or Cooking Spray
• ▢ Lettuce, Tomato Slices, and Pickles (optional toppings)

Simple Burger Sauce

• ▢ 3 Tablespoons Mayo
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Relish

Instructions 

• Pat the ground bison dry with a paper towel and portion into 8 2-ounce balls on a sheet pan and generously season the tops with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray the buns with avocado oil and toast on the griddle until golden brown. Set aside. (For even better browning, you can spread a light layer of mayo on the buns.)
• On the same griddle, add the balls of bison one at a time. Place the parchment square on top and use a large spatula to smash into thin patties. The patties will shrink as they cook, so don’t be afraid to really smash them.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes until the burger patties develop a crust and are nearly cooked through. Flip each patty and top with a slice of cheese. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the burgers are cooked through and the cheese has melted. Place one patty on top of another to make double burgers.
• Spread a bit of burger sauce on the bottom bun, followed by the burger patties. Add your desired toppings and serve with fries or chips.

Notes

I used Great Range ground bison, which I typically buy from Whole Foods or Costco. If you're shopping at Costco, Grillo's pickles are an excellent pairing with these burgers.

My preferred bun is a St. Pierre brioche burger bun.

Try to use a quality American cheese freshly sliced from the deli. You can also use other cheeses like cheddar or pepper jack. If you're conserving calories, you can use just one slice on the bottom patty like my chicken smash burgers.

You can get creative with condiments and make something like a sweet and spicy burger sauce or a blue cheese burger sauce, if you'd like.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bison burger, Calories: 500kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 24g

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