Making a bear meat burger taste delicious can seem tricky because the meat must be well done, but this recipe is both juicy and flavorful.
Let me introduce you to my new favorite burger recipe…the bear meat burger.
We love burger night over here. It feels laid back and easy, and you can customize your burger to suit your tastebuds. I always pile my burgers with plenty of tomato, lettuce, pickles and jalapeños. I like both spicy aioli and ketchup on there…but no mustard or mayo for this girl.
This year, we’ve got pounds and pounds of ground bear meat and bear roasts in the freezer, and you guys know me well enough now to know that I’m not letting one bit of it go to waste.
I’ve been making chili and this roast on repeat, but now that the weather is warming up, I need something that’s not so wintery!
Before we get into this recipe you might be wondering…
CAN YOU EAT BEAR MEAT?
There’s a lot of controversy in the hunting community about cooking with bear. A lot of people think you can’t eat it.Black bear, especially, is really tasty, you just have to make sure you cook it so that it’s well done.That’s because bear does consume other animals, so it is possible for them to carry parasites. But,if you cook your bear meat to well done (165F) it will be completely safe to eat.It’s just like when you work with pork or chicken.
Because you have to cook bear so that it’s well done, it doesn’t make a great steak, like deer, elk and bison do. So, that’s whyit’s best to get roasts and ground meat from a bear, but you won’t be sorry.
How do you make a bear meat burger if it has to be well done?
That leads us to another predicament when it comes to bear burgers. If you’re like me, you might prefer a burger that’s still a little pink in the middle, about medium or medium-well so that it’s not dry.
Cooking a bear meat burger takes a few tricks to make sure that it stays juicy and flavorful. But, if you follow my recipe exactly, you’re going to have a phenomenal burger on your hands. The good thing about bear is that it does have plenty of fat, so that’s working in your favor.
Add acid
You’ll see that this recipe calls for lime juice. The acidic component really enhances the flavor and the extra liquid is super welcome.
Add flavor
We’re also adding cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard (along with a proper amount of salt and pepper). These flavors work with the lime juice to create something really special.
Once your patty is shaped, use your thumb to create a divot
Once your shape your patties, use your thumb to create a divot in the middle of the burger on the side that will be facing up first. This just helps to catch some of the juices and let them absorb back into the bear meat burger.
Don’t mess with or press your burger
When your burger is on the grill or in the pan, only touch it when you need to flip it, and try to only flip it once. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRc*msTANCES PRESS DOWN ON YOUR BURGER TO FLATTEN IT.
When I see people do that to any burger, it hurts my heart. They’re literally squeezing out precious juices!
Remove it from the heat as soon as it reaches 165F
I recommend getting a digital thermometer and removing the burger as soon as it reaches 165F. There’s no need to cook it any longer than that!
Add cheese
It’s weird but I sometimes prefer a plain old hamburger to a cheeseburger. But, with this recipe, it’s best to add cheese. We like pepper jack, it goes great with the cumin and lime!
Follow these few steps and you’ll be well on your way to having a juicy and suculent bear meat burger, my friend!
Love wild game burgers? Check out my famous Elk Burger recipe!
Bear Burger
Making a bear meat burger delicious can seem tricky because the meat must be well done, but this recipe is both juicy and flavorful.
- Author: Miss AK
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 burgers 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Print Recipe
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground bear meat
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground mustard powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 4 slices Pepper Jack cheese (optional or you can use whatever cheese, but we like Pepper Jack)
- 4 burger buns
- Burger toppings of choice
Instructions
- Turn your grill on and heat to medium-high, about 450F-500F.
- In a bowl, combine the bear meat, lime juice, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together well with your hands or a fork so the flavors are distributed.
- Then, divide the meat into 4 sections. Form each section into a patty and use your thump to make a divot in the center of each one. This helps them stay juicy.
- Place the patties on the grill and grill for about 8-10 minutes per side. When you flip the burgers over, add the cheese if you’re using it. Before removing the patties from the grill, make the sure internal temperature is 165F. Bear meat needs to be cooked to well done to be safe to consume.
- Assemble the cooked burgers as you like and serve!
Notes
- Please note that bear meat needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165F to be safe to consume.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger (patty only)
- Calories: 304
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 663 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg
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