Tired of regular beef hamburgers? Why not try something new? Elk is tasty wild game meat that is tender and flavorful. Elk meat is leaner than regular beef, thus making it lighter and healthier than beef. Many people believe that elk meat can be gamey with a strong, pungent odor, which is quite a misconception. Buy the elk meat from a reputable source, and you will notice it has a delicious and mild taste.
In this blog, let’s look at some delicious elk burger recipes. These recipes are quick and easy to make at home.
Easy Elk Burger Recipe
These Elk burgers are flavorsome, tender, and lean. They require a cooking time of seven minutes and a preparation time of three minutes. Each burger has a total of 390 calories. This recipe serves two.
Ingredients
- Ground Elk meat – one lb.
- Two tablespoons of Olive oil or vegetable oil
- lettuce leaves
- tomato slices
- Mustard
- Ketchup
Steps
- Take your ground elk meat and shape two patties. You can make half-inch-thick patties. If you buy frozen elk burger patties, allow them to defrost in the fridge overnight before using them.
- Season them with salt and black pepper once you have formed flat elk patties. You can also add additional seasoning of your choice. This can be steak seasoning, paprika powder, garlic powder, onion powder, or cayenne pepper.
- Grill the elk patties to cook them. You can use a skillet, frying pan, a cast-iron skillet, or an outdoor grill.
- Before placing patties on the grill, coat each patty with olive or vegetable oil so that the patties don’t stick.
- Flip them over once the patties start getting a caramelized, light brown crust. Cook the patties to how you want them.
- Do check the internal temperature of the patty with a meat thermometer instead of relying on color. The grilling period of the patties will depend on the thickness of the patties.
- To assemble the patties, toast your buns on the grill until the sliced underside is lightly browned. The buns should be thoroughly warmed.
- Place lettuce leaves on the base bun and your elk burger patty on top of it. You can also add brie cheese to the patty if you love cheese. Simply add the cheese one minute before removing the patty from the grill and let the cheese melt.
- Other topping options are caramelized onions and fried bacon. Top your burger and enjoy.
Classic Elk Burgers
The elk burgers require a total cooking time of 28 minutes. They make four servings. Each burger contains a total of 482 calories.
Ingredients
- Ground elk meat – one pound
- Ghee or grass-fed butter – four tablespoons
- Garlic powder – half teaspoon
- Onion powder – half teaspoon
- Kosher Salt – half teaspoon
- Oregano – one-fourth teaspoon
- turmeric – one-fourth teaspoon
- Black pepper – one-fourth teaspoon
- Sharp cheddar – four slices
Serving Options
- Lettuce leaves
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Ketchup
- Burger buns
Steps
- Place the elk meat in a large bowl to make the burger patties. Add the seasonings and the ghee or butter to the ground meat.
- Mix until combined.
- Form four patties out of this mixture. Place these patties on a plate and place them in the refrigerator for ten to fifteen minutes.
- In the meantime, heat the outdoor grill on medium-high. Once the grill is nice and hot, place the elk meat patties on the grill. Cook on each side for three to four minutes. Before taking the patties off the grill, check with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of the patties should reach 135-140 degrees F.
- You can also cook the patties on a regular or cast-iron skillet on the stovetop. Simply place some grated butter or teaspoon of ghee over each patty and then place it on the skillet.
- If you include cheese, place the cheese slice on the elk patty and cover for a minute. The cheese slice will melt on the burger patty due to steam.
- Serve the burgers with your choice of toppings. You can use fresh vegetable toppings such as sliced onions, tomatoes, and lettuce leaves. You can use any buns, such as brioche buns, sesame seed buns, plain buns, or even potato buns.
Useful Pointers
- Elk meat is lean and very flavorful. It has a milky, tender taste and makes delicious melt-in-your-mouth burgers. Elk meat is also a great choice for making meatballs, meatloaf, and stroganoff.
- Elk meat patties can fall apart sometimes. To avoid this, make sure your cast iron skillet is pre-oiled. Also, make your patties as tightly as possible. Start by making a ball gently with your hands. Place the balls on the skillet when it is very hot. Flatten out the patties with your spatula while on the skillet. This will help the elk meat patties to hold together.
- Elk meat is usually tricky to find. You may be able to find it in specialty grocery shops, or you can try finding it online.
- It’s impossible to overcook elk burger patties due to the low-fat content. Once the patties reach an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees F, take them off the grill. Once you take them off, they will keep cooking a bit more.
- As elk meat is lean, it has low-fat levels. If you want the burger patty to be fattier, you can place some grated butter over the patty before cooking it. Put less than a tablespoon of butter over each patty. The fat will distribute through the patty when the meat cooks, making it flavorful and succulent. You can also use ghee instead of butter for a dairy-free option.
- When getting elk meat, make sure the meat is processed the right way. Game meat like elk or venison can taste gamey if they are not handled properly on the field.
Our Final Thoughts
Try elk burgers if you want to try something different from the regular beef or chicken burgers. Elk meat is lean with low-fat content. It’s a great choice if you prefer eating something healthy. These burgers are tasty and filling and can easily be prepared at home. Try out these elk burger recipes on a lazy weekend when you feel like indulging in burgers.
