Venison burgers are in high demand during summer BBQs, but have you ever considered smoking them? Smoking your venison helps to bring out the natural flavors and make them taste even better than simply cooking them in any other method. Here is how to smoke the ultimate venison burger!
Ingredients
First, you are going to want to get all of the right ingredients before you get started. Luckily there is not a lot that you are going to need. First, you obviously need your ground venison. Next, get yourself an onion, some salt, pepper, and an egg. Once you get all of these ingredients together, you are ready to get started!
Prep Work
With your onion, you are going to want to chop it up to a fine size. Next, take your egg and beat it in a large bowl until it is smooth. Next add your meat, chopped onion, and a tablespoon of salt. Mix them all together really well. Now you will want to put the bowl in the fridge for an hour or two to let the meat set up. After this, you will take the meat and use your hands to form your evenly sized hamburger patties. Sprinkle some pepper on them and they are now ready to put on your smoker!
Smoking
Preheat your smoker to 90°C (200°F) and place your venison patties inside. Keep an eye on the burgers while they are cooking, and flip them occasionally if you would like. At this temperature, the burgers should take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to get medium-rare. While the burgers are smoking, it is not a bad idea to smoke your toppings as well. Things like cheese, bacon, mushrooms, peppers, onions, garlic, and chili can be smoked at the same time to give them some flavor as well. If you are adding slices of cheese, add them to your burgers around 15 minutes before they are done. Use Bradley Bisquettes for an extra flavor and a deliciously clean and taste enhancing smoke for you food.
For an extra step, you can also sear your burgers during these last 15 minutes by turning up the heat and opening the smoker, allowing the high heat to quickly sear each side and locking in the flavor. Once the venison burgers are finished, carefully take them off of the smoker and serve while warm. Take care that they are not overcooked, as this can dry them out and result in a subpar venison burger.
Final Thoughts
Smoked venison burgers are the perfect way to take advantage of your smoker, and take your burgers to the next level. With a little extra cook time, you will get a much better-tasting result and impress your friends and family with your cooking skills.
For more great ideas on how smoke different types of meat from the experts, check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more great tips & tricks.
