Wild Boar Burger
If you have wild game meat, there is a 99% chance you will be making burgers.
There are few burgers better than wild boar burgers.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good venison burger, but something about wild boar meat makes an incredibly good burger.
The meat feels softer and creamier than venison. Try this recipe out, and let me know what you think.
Ingredients
A good burger needs only a handful of ingredients. Using too many ingredients will limit your possibilities.
This recipe uses four types of seasoning for the patty
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- pepper
- liquid smoke

These ingredients are more than enough to give you an incredibly well-seasoned patty.
If you want more, add them to your burger sauce or toppings.
I like adding liquid smoke to wild boar burgers to elevate the rusticness, but you can leave it out.
Toppings are entirely your choice, and I have a whole article on burger toppings.
This recipe also uses pork fat as it is very different than wild hog fat, which most people find unpalatable.
The patty would be too dry and wouldn’t hold well without fat.
There is also smoked salt on the ingredient list. The salt goes on the formed patty before cooking, not in the burger mixture.
If you don’t have smoked salt, most other salts, such as kosher or table salt, will work.
Cooking

Cooking a wild boar burger has fewer options than venison burgers.
I like my venison burgers medium or even medium rare, but this is only advisable for wild boar if your meat is checked.
However, don’t be dismayed; the texture and taste of this burger are just as good, even cooked to well done.
Obviously, the best cooking method will be over a charcoal grill; between the smoke and fat-dripping flames, you’re in for a unique experience.
If you don’t have a charcoal grill, use your gas or pellet grill, they don’t create as much flavor as charcoal but still get the job done.
I’ve pan-fried these burgers on a cast iron pan multiple times, and they come out great.
Admittedly I’ve never oven-baked them, but I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work.
You won’t have the typical characteristics of a good burger, but it would work for hamburger helpers or similar dishes.
The most important thing with cooking wild boar burgers is monitoring the internal temperature, aim for 140-150F.
Remember that you will need to rest the burger for a good five minutes.

Wild Boar Burgers
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds wild boar meat
- 10 oz pork belly
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper ground
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- smoked salt for seasoning
Instructions
- Cut the wild boar meat and pork belly into small chunks for the grinder.
- Grind the meat using a medium-hole plate
- Mix in the onion powder, garlic powder, and liquid smoke. (see note 1)
- Form the meat into 3 ounce balls and set them in the fridge.
- Get your cast iron pan or grill hot, about 500-600F
- Prep your toppings while waiting for the pan to get hot
- Remove the burgers from the fridge and gently form them into a patty
- Salt the patty and place on pan or grill, and cook for about 5 minutes
- Flip the patty, and cook for another 4 minutes
- Place sliced cheese and cook for one more minute
- Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes
- Build the burger and serve
Notes
- Don't over-mix the meat; it needs to stay loose to form the right texture for a burger.