We had bacon-bison burgers at a restaurant in Denver a couple months ago and they were amazing! I’ve put bacon in burgers before, but the 1:1 ratio is really the best! And we don’t try to substitute for burger buns in our house, it’s just not worth it to us. We just cut everything up unless we’ve got some lettuce leaves and wrap the burger in some of those. Buns really detract from the flavor of a delicious burger anyway, and are totally unnecessary.
A little tip about making burger patties: put an indentation in the center to keep them even as they cook, rather than puffing up in the middle. This will make it easier to pile on your toppings as well. I explain two methods for making the patties in the recipe below.
Also, you could totally grill these burgers, but I like the option of cooking them indoors, especially now that it’s getting cooler and I don’t really like having to clean the grill. I got grilled-out this summer.
Oh, one more tip: a burger’s not a burger without dill pickles. That’s a fact.
50/50 Bacon Bison Burgers
Ingredients
Burgers
- 1 lb Ground Bison or Beef
- 1 lb Uncured Bacon
- 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- Smoked Sea Salt, to taste
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Recommended Toppings
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Paleo Lime Mayo
- Dill Pickle Spears
- Sauteed Onions
- Sauteed Mushrooms
- Crispy Bacon Strips, yes, more bacon
- Avocado or Guacamole
Instructions
- Turn the oven broiler on to High. Line a broiler pan with foil.
- Finely chop the bacon so it resembles the same texture as ground meat. Alternately, if you have a meat grinder, use that for a more even texture.
- Combine all burger ingredients in a large bowl, using either your hands or a wooden spoon to evenly mix everything.
- Once everything is combined, shape patties. You have a few options here:- Shape into 5" patties using your hands. Use the bottom of a glass to create an indentation in the middle of the patty.- Spoon meat mixture into a mini tart pan that has an indented bottom and press to compact it. Tap a few times and the patty will fall out. This is my preferred method, keeps the patties uniform in size and my hands stay clean.
- Place patties on the foil-lined broiler pan. Place on the top rack, directly under the broiler, for 10 minutes.
- Flip, and broil another 5-10 minutes, depending on your preferred doneness. Another 5-7 minutes will get you medium-done burgers, but use a thermometer to be sure.
- Remove form the oven (don't forget to turn off the broiler) and place burgers on a paper towel-lined dish to soak up the extra grease from the bacon.
- Serve hot with your preferred toppings.
Notes
- Nutrition Facts do not include toppings
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1 pattyAmount Per Serving: Calories: 674Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 1727mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 55g
Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate
11 comments
maybe a silly question, but is the bacon cooked before you add it to the bison meat?
Not a silly question. No, the bacon is raw.
Hi Kendra,
We’re doing Whole30 and I’m having trouble finding uncured, sugar-free bacon. Where do you buy yours?
Thanks,
April
The Whole9 team has approved US Wellness Meats bacon: http://whole30.com/2012/03/whole30-approved-bacon-is-here/
Thanks for the response. I’ll give them a try.
Love this, but it would have been nice to have optional toppings on the shopping list.
Agreed! I didn’t really see them until it was too late 🙁
FYI: Your link on this page for “Uncured Bacon” leads to avocado oil on Amazon 🙂
These were a-freaking-mazing!
My husband’s favorite burger and the one where I convinced him to start paleo haha! Hugs and Kisses
I came across your website and have been trying all the recipes this week. This was one and everyone loved it! I made guacamole and we piled it on the patties and it was sooo good!! Thank you so much for these recipes and so many great 30 day resources!