If you’re looking to step up you’re burger game, then this bison bacon jam burger is right up your alley with an easy slow cooker bacon jam recipe.
The Fourth of July is just around the corner, which means the grills will be lighting up! Burgers seem to be the meal of choice during the summer holidays. It’s usually the case for Lauren and myself as well, but instead of making just a standard old burger, why don’t you step it up a notch with a bison bacon jam burger. Yes that’s what I said. If you’ve followed this blog, you may recall one of the first recipes I shared was bacon jam. It’s crazy that was more than a year ago. If you’ve never had bacon jam you’re really missing out. It honestly couldn’t be easier as it’s a slow cooker recipe. What really makes this unique though is instead of using regular ground beef, try bison.
If you’ve never had a bison burger, it’s actually lower in calories and higher in protein. Yes it’s a little more expensive, but hey it’s a holiday so celebrate. Oh and if you’re looking for a great side, baked sweet potato fries are the way to go! I hope you give this bison bacon jam burger a try! Hope you enjoy!
What Ingredients are in this Bison Bacon Jam Burger Recipe?
- Ground bison
- Canola oil or bacon fat
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Pretzel buns
- Bacon jam
- Toppings – tomato, lettuce, onion, etc…
How to Make a Bacon Jam Burger
- Divide the meat into 4 equal portions, or 3 equal portions if you want larger burgers. Loosely form into 3/4″ thick burgers and press your thumb in the center to make a depression. Season each side with salt and pepper.
- If using cast iron, heat over medium-high heat and add oil or bacon fat. Cook burgers for about 3 minutes or until charred. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes for medium temperature. Cook 1 minute shorter for medium rare or 1 minute longer for medium well. With 1 minute left, add the cheese.
- If using a grill, get the grill to at least 400°F. Oil the grate so the burgers don’t stick. Repeat the steps above to cook the burgers.
- Once burgers are done, serve on toasted pretzel buns, with bacon jam and any toppings you desire.
Benefits of Bison Meat
If you’ve never had a bison burger you are missing out. Not only does it have great flavor, it has a lot of benefits compared to ground beef. First and foremost, bison is federally protected from receiving growth hormones and are always grass fed. Bison is high in B vitamins and selenium which helps the nervous system but also reduces body inflammation and stress. If you’re focused on fat, bison actually has more protein, but less fat than beef but because of being grass fed, it still has a richer flavor.
Other Grill Recipes
Bison Bacon Jam Burger
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground bison (or 80/20 ground beef)
- 1 1/2 tbsp canola oil or bacon fat
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup bacon jam
- 4 pretzel buns
- toppings - lettuce, tomato, onion, etc...
Instructions
- Divide meat into 4 equal portions or 3 if you want slightly bigger burgers. Form each portion loosely into 3/4 inch thick patties and press your thumb in the center to make a depression. (Burgers rise when cooked so this keeps it from becoming too thick) Season each side liberally with salt and pepper.
- Heat large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola oil or bacon fat and wait until it begins to shimmer. Cook the burgers until slightly charred on the first side. It should take about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes if you want medium temperature. You'll do 1 minute shorter for medium rare or 1 minute longer for medium well.
- Add the cheese with about 1 minute left and cover to help it melt. Serve on toasted pretzel roll and top with bacon jam as well as any toppings you'd like.
Now that’s a burger!