RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
Summer Pick: Dinner

Grilled Bison Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Juicy grilled bison burgers wrapped in crisp butter lettuce and piled with slow-cooked caramelized onions, ripe tomato, and a Dijon sauce.

Why you'll love Grilled Bison Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Burgers are the backbone of summer cooking, and bison makes one with a rich, slightly sweet, beefy flavor. The patties grill in under 10 minutes and go into cool butter lettuce leaves with a thick slice of ripe tomato, a tangy Dijon sauce, and a heap of onions cooked slowly in butter until they turn soft, jammy, and deep brown.

Bison carries less fat than most ground beef, so it cooks faster and dries out sooner. Two things keep it juicy. Cold butter, grated into the meat and mixed in gently, melts as the burgers cook and bastes them from inside, and a light hand when shaping keeps the patties tender, since kneading ground meat tightens it. A shallow dimple pressed into the center of each patty keeps it flat as it cooks, so it sits evenly in the lettuce.

The onions take patience, about 35 minutes over gentle heat, and that time is where their sweetness comes from. Slow cooking draws out the onions' own sugars and browns them, and a splash of sherry vinegar at the end keeps them bright. Cook them while the grill heats, or up to 4 days ahead.

Quick overview: This Grilled Bison Burgers with Caramelized Onions takes 15 min of hands-on time and about 1 hr in all and makes 4 servings, each 1 burger with lettuce, tomato, and onions. You'll need a skillet and a grill or grill pan.

Jump to recipe

Bison burger in butter lettuce with tomato and caramelized onions
Prep 15 minCook 45 minTotal 1 hrServes 4Serving 1 burger with lettuce, tomato, and onionsYou'll need Skillet, Grill or grill pan

Ingredients

  • 2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp butter, divided (1 tbsp kept cold for the burgers)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/4 cup water, as needed
  • 2 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 1/2 lb ground bison
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder Label: garlic, and nothing else
  • 1/4 cup avocado-oil mayonnaise Label: avocado oil, eggs, vinegar, and salt, with no sugar or seed oils
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard Label: mustard seed, vinegar, water, and salt
  • 1 tsp avocado oil, for the grates
  • 1 large head butter lettuce, leaves separated
  • 1 large ripe tomato, cut into 4 thick slices

Instructions

  1. Start the onions: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the thyme sprigs and stir to coat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onions wilt and turn translucent.
  2. Caramelize them slowly: Lower the heat to medium-low and keep cooking for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are soft and deep golden brown. Whenever a brown film builds up on the bottom of the skillet, add a tablespoon of the water and scrape it up. That browned layer is concentrated onion flavor, and the water lifts it back onto the onions before it can scorch.
  3. Finish the onions: Stir in the sherry vinegar, pull out the thyme stems, and take the skillet off the heat. The vinegar sharpens the sweetness, so the onions taste rich and bright.
  4. Shape the patties: Put the bison in a bowl and grate the remaining 1 tablespoon of cold butter over it on the large holes of a box grater. Add the pepper and garlic powder and mix gently with your fingertips, just until they are spread through. Divide into 4 portions and shape each into a patty about 3/4 inch thick, then press a shallow dimple into the center with your thumb. Refrigerate the patties while the grill heats so the butter stays in small cold pieces.
  5. Make the sauce: Stir the mayonnaise and Dijon together in a small bowl.
  6. Grill the burgers: Heat a grill to medium-high, about 400°F to 450°F, and oil the grates with the avocado oil on a folded paper towel held in tongs. Season the outsides of the patties with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, until they release easily and show dark grill marks, then turn once and grill 3 to 4 minutes more, until an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 160°F (71°C). Ground meat needs to reach 160°F all the way through, and with less fat to protect it, bison is juiciest pulled right at that mark.
  7. Rest and build: Move the burgers to a clean plate and rest them for 3 minutes. Stack two or three lettuce leaves for each burger, spread with the Dijon sauce, and add a burger, a slice of tomato, and a generous spoonful of the warm onions. Fold the lettuce around it and eat it with your hands.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate cooked burgers and the onions separately in sealed containers. The burgers keep for up to 3 days and the onions for up to 4. Rewarm the burgers in a covered skillet over medium-low heat until hot through, or crumble them cold over a salad.

Shaped raw patties keep for 1 day in the refrigerator, or freeze them between sheets of parchment for up to 3 months and thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. The caramelized onions freeze well in small portions for up to 3 months.

Variations

  • Beef burgers: Use ground beef chuck in place of the bison and leave out the grated butter, since chuck carries enough fat of its own.
  • With cheddar: Lay a slice of sharp cheddar on each burger for the last minute on the grill and close the lid to melt it.
  • Mushrooms and onions: Stir 8 oz of sliced mushrooms into the onions for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
  • Spicy sauce: Stir a pinch of cayenne or a minced jalapeño into the Dijon sauce.

Notes and tips

  • Handle the meat gently: Mix and shape with your fingertips and stop as soon as the patties hold together. Overworked ground meat turns dense and springy.
  • Leave the spatula off the top: Pressing a burger on the grill squeezes its juices into the fire. Turn it once and let it be.
  • Use a thermometer: Bison goes from juicy to dry quickly. An instant-read thermometer tells you the moment the center reaches 160°F (71°C).
  • Keep raw and cooked apart: Put the cooked burgers on a clean plate, never the one that held them raw.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Bison is rich in protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, with a deep, beefy flavor.
  • Onions cooked slowly bring out their own natural sweetness, so the plate tastes rich and complete with nothing sweet added.
  • Butter, mayonnaise, and the bison's own fat are the real fats here, and fat with protein is what makes a burger satisfying for hours.
  • Butter lettuce and a ripe summer tomato add crunch, water, and freshness, and the lettuce keeps every bit of the burger in your hands.
  • As you eat, notice the warm, juicy burger against the cool, crisp lettuce and the jammy onions, and check in later in the evening: a dinner like this should keep you comfortably full for at least 3 to 4 hours, with no pull toward something sweet afterward.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Grilled Bison Burgers with Caramelized Onions? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

What does bison taste like?

Like rich, slightly sweet beef. It is a little milder than lamb and a touch sweeter than most beef, and it takes well to simple seasoning.

Why do the burgers need to reach 160°F?

Grinding spreads whatever was on the surface of the meat all through it, so ground meat, bison included, is cooked to 160°F (71°C) in the center. A whole steak can be served pink because its inside was never exposed.

Can I cook them indoors?

Yes. Use a grill pan or a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for the same times, until the burgers reach 160°F (71°C).

Can I make the onions ahead?

Yes. They keep for 4 days in the refrigerator and rewarm in a skillet in a few minutes. A double batch is good on eggs and salads all week.

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Tags: Summer Pick, Dinner, American