Frugal Foodie Mama: Coffee Rubbed Venison Bacon Burger

This juicy & flavorful Coffee Rubbed Venison Bacon Burger is sure to quickly become your new go-to burger recipe this summer...

This recipe first appeared on the Bridgeport Farmers Market Let's Get Fresh site.

I am on a mission once again this outdoor farmers market season to show you all how you can create a delicious recipe purchasing mostly locally grown & raised produce and meats at your local farmers market. I started this locally inspired recipe series in the summer of 2017, and I am thrilled to be continuing the series this year as well. Each month I will be sharing a recipe here to the blog inspired by and featuring some of my own personal favorite fresh & local finds from my local market.

For the month of July, I am sharing the recipe for this juicy & flavorful Coffee Rubbed Venison Bacon Burger. For those who are not familiar with cooking with venison, it is deer meat.

And deer meat tends to be on the leaner side with very little fat & with a slightly gamey flavor. My remedy for both of these predicaments? Thick cut local bacon, of course! ;)

Not only did I grind up & mix in a couple of pieces of raw bacon into the ground venison, but I also topped each of these burgers with a super flavorful coffee rub, melted cheddar cheese, & two more slices of crispy bacon. The results? Perhaps one of the best damn burgers I have ate so far this summer.

And I am not usually one to toot my own horn too terribly much when I come up with a really good recipe, but even my son was super impressed by this one.

My son who doesn't ever eat deer meat or even really like it. In fact, he had no clue that he had just polished off an entire venison burger until I had told him after wards when he came into the kitchen with his empty plate. ;)

If you can't find ground venison, no worries. A lean ground beef will work just as well. And I do suggest using a leaner ground beef (90% or higher) just because of the ground bacon you will be mixing into the meat. Since this burger is so flavorful from the bacon & the coffee rub, any additional fat for flavor isn't necessary.

A few notes on this burger recipe:

The coffee rub can be made days ahead of time. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container or resealable bag. You will have extra rub leftover after making these burgers, but this rub will stay good for weeks if stored properly.
I steered clear of adding too many condiments on this burger because the coffee rub & bacon already offered so much flavor. A slice of red onion complemented this burger nicely though.
I chose to cook these burgers in a cast iron skillet first on the stove top & then I finished them off in the oven. If you prefer to grill these burgers though, there are instructions below in the recipe card under the Notes section.
Looking for a good beer pairing to go with this burger? Try a nice, hearty stout. :)

Yield: Makes 4 burgers

Author: Carrie Robinson

Coffee Rubbed Venison Bacon Burgers

prep time: 20 min cook time: 25 min total time: 45 min

ingredients:

For the Coffee Rub

1 tbsp whole bean coffee, ground very fine
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

For the venison burgers

1 lb. of ground deer meat (venison) or very lean ground beef
2 slices of bacon, uncooked & ground in a food processor
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1-2 tbsp olive oil
8 slices of bacon, cooked crispy (see my method for baking bacon by CLICKING HERE)
4 good quality hamburger buns
4 slices of cheddar cheese
Red onion slices (optional)

instructions:

How to cook Coffee Rubbed Venison Bacon Burgers

For the coffee rub: Whisk the ground coffee, brown sugar, salt, pepper, & garlic powder together. Set aside.
Cook the 8 slices of bacon until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
For the venison burgers:
Using the grind setting on your food processor, grind up the 2 slices of uncooked bacon. In a medium sized bowl, combine the ground deer with the bacon, salt, & pepper. Form the mixture into 4 even 1/4 lb. patties. Sprinkle about 1 tsp of the coffee rub over the top of each of the burgers. Pat in the rub with your fingers.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stove top. Once heated add in the olive oil. Places the burgers rub side down in the skillet. Cook about 4 minutes on that side, then flip & cook an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side. Transfer the skillet to the heated oven & cook an additional 5-8 minutes. Place the cheddar slices on top of the burgers during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking.
Top each burger with a red onion slice & 2 slices of bacon. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!

NOTES:

You may also choose to grill these burgers on your outdoor grill. Just transfer to the upper rack after cooking on both sides until the burgers are cooked through to your desired doneness.

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