Juicy Bison Burger With Cucumber–Red Onion Slaw
If you’re looking for a showstopping new burger to steal your heart this summer, this bison burger recipe is for you. A generous seasoning of cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper helps form a flavorful crust as the bison patties are smashed in a cast-iron skillet. After toasting your hamburger buns, you’ll slather them with a lemony mayo imbued with both the zest and juice before piling on a slaw of cucumber ribbons, thinly sliced red onion, and soft herbs.
“Why bison,” you might ask? It’s not only delicious—this burger has some serious nutritional and environmental advantages. Bison meat is packed with protein, iron, and vitamins like B12; and compared to ground beef, it’s typically leaner. Look out for brands like Force of Nature and Great Range Bison, which focus on regenerative, grass-fed meat. You can usually find either frozen or fresh in the ground meat section of most well-stocked grocery stores.
Because of bison’s lower fat content, the cook time is slightly shorter than that of a beef burger. Cooking these smashed bison burgers for two minutes per side typically gets them to peak doneness, just when they’re at their juiciest. When grilling bison burgers of standard thickness, aim for medium-rare to preserve moisture and flavor.
Editor’s note: Change up your toppings with caramelized onions and 15-Minute BBQ Sauce, Dijon mustard and cheddar cheese, or chimichurri stirred into yogurt with avocado.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Mix ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest, and 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice in a small bowl; season with kosher salt. Set lemon mayo aside.
Step 2
Using a vegetable peeler, peel down entire length of 1 large English hothouse cucumber or 4 Persian cucumbers (about 8 oz.) to make long thin strips, working on one side until cucumber becomes difficult to peel in the center, then turning onto flat side and repeating on other side. Transfer ribbons to a medium bowl and add 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, 1 Tbsp. finely chopped mint, 1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley, 2 tsp. white wine vinegar, 1 tsp. sugar, and remaining 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice; toss to combine. Season slaw with salt and freshly ground pepper and toss again. Let sit while you make the patties.
Step 3
Mix 1 Tbsp. granulated garlic, 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika, 2 tsp. ground cumin, and 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper in a small bowl. Divide 1 lb. ground bison into 4 equal pieces and form into ¼"-thick patties. Sprinkle all over with spice mixture and season generously with salt.
Step 4
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, toast 4 hamburger buns, split, cut side down, until golden and crisp around edges, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to plates.
Step 5
Drizzle 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into same pan; swirl to coat bottom. Working in batches if needed, arrange patties in pan and immediately press down on each one with a spatula coated in oil for a few seconds to maintain their thinness. Cook until deeply browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Flip patties and cook until deeply browned on other sides, about 2 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer patties to a plate; let rest 5 minutes.
Step 6
Spread reserved lemon mayo over bottom half of each toasted bun. Top each with a patty and mound some slaw over. Close up burgers.
Recipe notes
Back to topSee Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
All the Recipes From *Bon Appétit*’s Summer Issue
We’ve got sausage with cabbage and giardiniera, tomato aguachile, and matcha-berry frozen yogurt.
