Welcome to Montana Week on House of Nash Eats! All this week I’m sharing recipes inspired by the flavors of the Treasure State as part of my American Eats series where I explore some of the most famous foods from each state, once state at a time. Montana is famous for its great American wildlife. If you find yourself in Big Sky Country, there is a good chance you are there to see bald eagles, rainbow trout, elk, bears, and bison. If you are looking for a home where “the buffalo roam,” Montana is the place. Except what people sometimes refer to as buffalo are actually American bison. A couple years ago we had the chance to live in Montana for part of the summer while Paul was working remotely. It’s one of Paul’s favorite states and he has visited often for their world famous fly-fishing, so it was fun for us to spend a large amount of time there together as a family beyond the vacations to Yellowstone National Park that my family has made almost yearly since I was a kid. It was while we were in Montana that I first tried my first bison burger, which are a popular menu item at many restaurants there, along with elk burgers. We tried both flavorful bison burgers and elk burgers and found them each to be surprisingly delicious! The elk burgers tasted a little more gamey, but the bison burgers had just a wonderful juicy burger taste like you would expect from any traditional beef burger.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Ground bison – I haven’t had any difficulty finding this at our local grocery store in the meat section next to the ground beef. Grass-fed bison burger is easily found at Safeway, Costco, Whole Foods, and most grocery stores. If you don’t see any out, you can always ask the butcher about ordering some.Seasonings – You’ll want to use some kosher salt and black pepper with a little onion powder and garlic powder. You can also use your favorite burger seasoning instead of the spices to compliment and highlight the flavor of the meat. Something as simple as Montreal steak seasoning works great, but you can use any burger blend you like.Buns – Make your own brioche hamburger buns or pick up a package from the store.Toppings – Feel free to use any burger toppings you like. We kept it pretty classic for these bison burgers using thick sliced tomatoes, fresh lettuce leaves, caramelized onions, swiss cheese, and plain ol’ mayo. But a good aioli or even your favorite bbq sauce with some crispy bacon would be incredible here too!
How to Make Bison Burgers
It doesn’t take long at all to cook bison burgers on the grill so I recommend having your favorite toppings and any other meal components like sides ready to go before you start making the burgers.
Tips for Success
Cooking method: We prefer grilled bison burgers, but you can also make them in a hot cast iron skillet with a little oil for about 2 minutes per side, same as the grill. You can also make these in your air fryer at 370 degrees F for 5 minutes on one side, then flipping and cooking them for another 2-3 minutes on the second side.Additional Mix-Ins: Some people like to add even more to their bison patties like 1-2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and two tablespoons of olive oil, heavy cream, mayonnaise, or stoneground or dijon mustard as a way of adding some fat into an otherwise lean patty. Personally I have found this to be unnecessary as long as you are careful not to overcook your burgers.
What to Serve With Bison Burgers
Bison burgers somehow seem like even more of a treat, so we like to serve them with some of our favorite burger side dishes to round out the meal. Crispy air fryer tater tots with fry sauce are always popular around our house, but here are some other sides that go great with burgers.
Homemade French FriesCrispy Baked Sweet Potato FriesBest Baked BeansCottage Cheese Strawberry Jello SaladDeviled Egg Potato SaladClassic Macaroni SaladClassic Potluck Broccoli Salad
Storage and Reheat Instructions
If you have leftover burgers that have already been cooked, you can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat in the air fryer or microwave until hot, then serve. It’s easy to dry out leftover bison burgers when reheating, so our preference is really to cook only what you need and avoid having leftovers, but they are still okay reheated. If you have any uncooked patties, they can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months. You can even grill them direct from their frozen state – it will just take an extra minute or two on the grill.
More Gourmet Burger Recipes
Bacon Jam BurgersCilantro Bomb BurgerGrilled Poblano Pepper Southwest BurgersSoy-Glazed Mushroom Swiss BurgersAll-American Hamburger with Crispy Onion Strings & Burger Sauce
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
Juicy Lucy Burgers
Juicy Grilled Turkey Burgers
Red, White, and Blueberry Bacon Burger with Basil Aioli
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