Best Seasoning for Venison Burgers
Although most people enjoy the taste of venison, adding seasoning to your venison burger will take it to the next level.
There are two ways to add seasoning to your venison burger. One method is adding the seasoning when making the patty, and the second is adding the seasoning just before cooking the patty.
Best Pre Seasonings
As I mentioned above, one method of seasoning venison burgers is when making the patty.
This is the ideal time to season your venison burger for the most flavor. However, when seasoning at this time, you must remember all your burger patties will taste the same.
For this reason, people like to use very little seasoning at this time and prefer to season it later.
There are still some seasonings I would recommend using during this time. If you follow my venison burger recipe, you will see I use very little seasoning, but I still use a few.
These are the seasonings I recommend.
Garlic Powder
Garlic powder is dehydrated garlic, which means it’s a concentrated version of garlic cloves. Keeping this in mind, you may want to refrain from going too heavy on the portion.
However, adding just a small amount can do much for a venison burger. While we all love the taste of venison, I find that having a little something extra when you bite into the burger makes a huge difference rather than relying solely on the toppings to create the whole dish.
Onion Powder
Similar to garlic powder, onion powder is dried onion and is much stronger than fresh onion. Again, use only a small amount so you can only get a hint of it in the burger.
However, given that onion is not as potent as garlic, you can play around a little more with this. After all, onion goes really well with venison.
You mustn’t use salt during this stage of burger seasoning. Salt will dry the moisture from the meat, leaving you with a very dry venison burger.
Best External Seasonings
External seasonings are the ones you apply to the patty just before cooking.
- Salt: This is a classic ingredient for almost every savory recipe. Salt helps balance your venison burger’s flavors while adding its signature taste. I recommend using smoked salt to enhance the flavor and aroma if you are cooking your burger on a pan or in the oven.
- Black Pepper: We all know that salt and pepper play well together, I find this even more so when it comes to venison burgers. Black pepper gives the burgers more depth and a hint of spice. The trick is to use only a little black pepper.
- Paprika: I love paprika, and I love sweet paprika even more. I find paprika goes well with so many dishes. I like to use paprika to add a little sweetness to the burger. Venison already has a natural sweetness, and you elevate this flavor by using paprika. Like salt, if you are cooking inside, you can use smoked paprika to still get some of the grilled flavors.
- Cayenne: This is another great ingredient for adding a little bit of spice to your burger. Ideally, you should use it with all of the ingredients mentioned above to create a good balance. However, don’t overdo it with seasoning, as we are not looking to create a very spicy profile that would overpower the burger; just a hint of spice is all we are looking for.
- Sugar: I don’t always add sugar to my venison burgers; in fact, I rarely do it. However, adding sugar to your venison burger can make for an interesting taste. The key here is a little goes a long way. You must remember that sugar caramelizes and can burn over high heat. I find the sweetness of the paprika enough not to add sugar.
Seasoning Blends
The best way to season venison burgers is to use a blend. I generally use all of the seasonings mentioned above.
I mix these together and store them in an airtight container for later use.
Final Thoughts
Venison burgers are fine on their own, but with the right seasoning, you can make them great.
I find by adding a little bit of seasoning during making the patty and adding the finishing touches just before cooking, you get the best result.
Whatever way you apply your seasoning, by using the ingredients mentioned in this article, you are sure to have a tasty burger.
Just remember that you should only apply salt directly before cooking.
Venison Burger Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon paprika smoked Note 1
- 1 teaspoon salt smoked Note 1
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder optional see note 2
- 1 teaspoon garlic power optional see note 2
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
- Directly before cooking the venison burgers, gently rub in the seasoning. Apply as much or as little as you like per patty, a good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of seasoning per 1 pound of meat.
Notes
- Using smoked paprika and salt is great to get the smokiness of the grill if you are cooking your burgers in the oven or on the pan.
- Adding garlic and onion powder is optional. If you are using our burger recipe, skip this step, as we already have this seasoning applied when making the patty.
