Venison Fiesta Burger Recipe

Hamburgers are widely regarded as one of the most popular foods in America, and some even say it's the most American food of all. It's hard to argue with that one, as studies show that Americans on average eat about three hamburgers a week.

This rule seems to hold true for whitetail hunters as well, with venison burgers often topping the list on most household wild game menus.

Personally, I eat a lot of venison burger and, though I love the classic fixins', sometimes I like to change things up a bit.

Yes, hamburgers are pretty darn American, but it can be fun to give them an international twist on occasion — especially with Cinco de Mayo on the calendar. With that in mind, I'd like to share my recipe for one of the finest venison burgers I've ever had the fortune of sinking my teeth into: the venison fiesta burger.

About five years ago, my wife and I paged through a Food Network Magazine insert on creative hamburgers ideas. One of those ideas stuck out, as it recommended adding Mexican toppings to the traditional burger. We decided to give it a try and, since then, our venison fiesta burger has evolved in many ways.

Finally, our south-of-the-border inspired burger recipe has found it's perfected final form.

With each bite, you'll enjoy the rich and juicy burst of venison, the smooth and textured layers of refried beans, avocado and queso fresco cheese, while the vibrant accents of jalapeno, onion, lettuce and tomato saturate your palate.

So crack open a Corona, turn on some mariachi band music and enjoy a venison fiesta burger.

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Ingredients

1 lb venison burger

1 Egg

¼ Cup bread crumbs

1 Tbsp preserved bacon grease

½ Tsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt

Pepper

4 Hamburger buns/ciabata bread rolls

1 Tbsp melted butter

1 Avocado (cored and cubed)

Queso fresco cheese

1 Can refried beans

1 Sliced lime

Sliced pickled jalapenos

Sliced red onion

Sliced tomato

Iceberg lettuce

Preparation

1. If you have preserved bacon grease, take 1 tablespoon and melt it in the microwave back to liquid form. If you're not familiar with how to preserve bacon grease, it's worth learning about!

2. Mix egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, bacon grease (once it has cooled back to room temperature), and ground venison with hands in large mixing bowl.

3. Form the venison mixture into four burger patties; salt & pepper each side moderately. Set aside.

4. Start heating the grill or frying pan. Remember, the key to cooking venison is hot and fast.

5. Chop/slice avocado, onion, tomato and lettuce.

6. Cook burger patties on the stove with a frying pan, or out on the grill.

7. While burgers are cooking, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in microwave.

8. Butter the inside of your hamburger buns or ciabata bread rolls, and place them face up in the oven. Set the oven to "Broil" and let the buns crisp for a minute or two. Check often, and remove when the bread visibly starts to crisp and brown on the edges.

9. Heat refried beans in microwave or on the stovetop.

10. Remove your burgers from the heat when they are done to your liking.

11. Place your patty on the bun, and begin by first spreading a layer of refried beans on top of the burger.

12. Next, add jalapeno slices, avocado chunks and sprinkle queso fresco cheese on top.

13. Now drizzle with a bit of juice from a lime wedge.

14. Finally, top with iceberg lettuce, tomato and red onion. Enjoy!