Who said you cannot eat a burger when on a grain-free diet? This nutrient-dense bison burger recipe offers 3 ways to enjoy this patty. The recipe is packed with flavor and easy and quick to make. Since these patties can be used in a wide variety of ways, this recipe is perfect for meal prepping. They are gluten and dairy-free, Paleo and AIP compliant. Enjoy them with a side of my cheesy truffle fries for the ultimate experience.

Page Content

• Key Ingredients
• Why This Burger Recipe is so Nutrient Dense
• Benefits of Bison
• Where to Buy Bison
• How to Make These Burgers
• 3 Ways to Enjoy These Nutrient-dense Bison Burgers
• Topping Ideas
• Substitutions and Variations
• AIP Burger Sauces
• More Comfort Food Recipes

Nutrient-dense Bison Burger (3 Ways)

Did you think a burger was a thing of the past just because you cannot have the bun anymore? Let me tell you a little secret, most of the flavor comes from everything but the bun. Yes, it is not the same, but pretty close to the real deal. This recipe is not only delicious and a great substitution for when you are craving a burger, or are BBQing with your loved ones, but it is also very nutrient-dense (more on that below).

Whip up double the portion of this bison burger recipe and have patties for a few days available to make a quick meal. You can use the 3 ways explained in this recipe to enjoy this burger. But the options are endless. These bison burger patties also taste delicious cold, so they are the perfect snack option, protein for a quick breakfast, or to bring with you on a day trip or when you travel.

Key Ingredients

• Ground Bison
• Celery
• Green Onion
• Mushrooms
• Parsley
• Salt
• Garlic Powder

Do you have food sensitivities and don’t know what to eat? Get my FREE substitution chart to learn how to make easy swaps, because life is too short to not enjoy food. Suitable for gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, Paleo, and AIP.

Why This Burger Recipe is so Nutrient Dense

First of all, bison is a very nutrient-dense meat option. More on that below. This Bison Burger is also filled with green onions, celery, mushrooms, and parsley to add some extra nutrients and flavor to the mix. So not only are you getting nutrient-dense meat, but you are also getting more veggies into your diet. Regular burgers use buns, which are not a nutrient-dense, healthy option. This recipe offers three ways including other healthy foods such as sweet potatoes and salad.

Benefits of Bison

Bison is an excellent source of protein. The taste is similar to beef but it is leaner than beef. It packs a wide variety of B vitamins, specifically B12, B6, and B3. 100 gram (3.5 oz) of cooked ground bison meat also has about 13% of the daily value for Vitamin B1, one of the B vitamins that is quite hard to get on a Paleo or AIP diet. Bison meat is also high in minerals such as Iron, Selenium, and Zinc. (Source)

Another great reason to get more bison into your diet is that most of them are exclusively grass-fed and pasture-raised.

HOT TIP: Bison is high in protein, B vitamins, and certain minerals. It is also mostly grass-fed and pasture-raised. It is therefore an excellent protein source to add to your diet. Simply swap out some of your favorite beef dishes with bison every once in a while.

Where to Buy Bison

You can bison meat in most health food stores in the section of pre-packaged meat. It is often found next to ground lamb and even ground elk.

How to Make These Burgers

• In a medium bowl combine the minced celery, scallion, mushrooms and parsley with the ground bison and the spices. Mix well with your hands.
• Gently form 6 flat patties. They will shrink in size so depending on what kind of diameter you prefer, make them slightly bigger.
• Heat a large pan/skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the cooking oil. Place the patties in the skillet and make sure there is enough space between them. You may have to use two pans or cook them in batches if your patties are large. Cook the patties for about 4 minutes on each side for medium/rare. Depending on how you like them cooked, increase the cooking time.
• You can also grill them on a BBQ grill. Grill for a couple of minutes on each side until they reach the desired temperature.
• See the options below for how to serve these patties. You can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days. The patties taste great cold as well as a snack or for breakfast.

3 Ways to Enjoy These Nutrient-dense Bison Burgers

1. Sweet Potato Bun: This option is the closest to having that feeling of biting into burger with a bun. No, not the same, but seriously delicious. I love to choose white/Hannah sweet potatoes because the consistency is more firm. Japanese sweet potatoes are a great alternative too. While the patties are cooking slice up a few thick (1/2 inch) white sweet potato slices. Use the thickest part of the sweet potato to make them as big as possible. Fry them for a few minutes on each side in a lightly oiled pan until fork tender, and season with salt . Serve the patty on the sweet potato bun and add your favorite toppings. Place another sweet potato bun on top and enjoy.
2. Lettuce Wrap: Grab a large piece of lettuce. Butter lettuce is my preffered kind because the size and consistency. Simply place a patty and your desired topping inside of lettuce and enjoy. By the way, this is what you can always ask for in a restaurant instead of getting a bun.
3. Plain with fries and a side salad: Prepare the fries first so they are done in time. The simple version would be to cut the sweet potatoes into fries, coat with olive oil salt, and garlic powder. Grill in the oven for 40 minutes on 400F, flip after 20 minutes. You can also use my new favorite cheesy truffle fry recipe to go with it. While the patties are cooking prepare a simple salad. Simply chop some lettuce and cucumber and avocado and drizzel with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt. Serve patties with fries and a side salad. This is another option you can ask for in restaurant (beware that most fries in restaurant are fried with other gluten containing foods. Unless particularly specififed that a gluten free fryes is used, the fries will not be gluten free.)

HOT TIP: Ask for a lettuce wrap instead of a bun when you go to a restaurant. Pick compliant toppings and you got yourself a burger in a restaurant.

Topping Ideas

• Lettuce
• Onion
• Avocado
• Sauce of your Choice (see below for options)
• Pickles (check the ingredfients list to find a compliant brand for AIP (white vinegar/distilled vinegar and spices are not compliant), you can also make your own pickles.
• Tomato (if you tolerate nightshade vegetables – not AIP!)

Substitutions and Variations

• Bison: If you don’t like or cannot access bison you can use beef instead, or any other ground meat really.
• Green Onions/Scallions: You can use any other type onion, like red or yellow onion.
• Parsley: You could use cilantro
• Celery: You could omit it and use more of the other veggies if you’d like
• Spices: You can use any spice of choice.
• Toppings: This is the part where you can get really creative, the sky is the limit. I am just offering some delicious examples, but feel free to use whatever you love.

AIP Burger Sauces

• Aioli Avocado Dip
• Ketchup
• Cherry BBQ Sauce
• BBQ Sauce

More Comfort Food Recipes

• Cheesy Truffle Fries with Aioli Avocado Dip
• AIP “Potato” Salad
• Spaghetti Carbonara with a Twist
• Molasses-Glazed Ribs
• Swedish Meatballs

Nutrient-dense Bison Burger (3 ways)

This nutrient-dense bison burger recipe offers 3 ways to enjoy this patty. The recipe is packed with flavor and easy and quick to make. Since these patties can be used in a wide variety of ways, this recipe is perfect for meal prepping. They are gluten and dairy-free, Paleo and AIP compliant. Enjoy them with a side of my cheesy truffle fries for the ultimate experience.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Servings 6 patties

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb ground bison
• 1/2 stalk celery (small), minced (approx. 1.5 Tbsp, minced)
• 1 green onion/scallion, minced (approx. 1.5 Tbsp, minced)
• 3 mushrooms (small), minced (crimini or button, approx. 3 Tbsp minced)
• 1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• coconut oil (for frying – or other cooking oil of choice – omit if you are grilling them)

Sweet potato bun with toppings:

• 1 large white sweet potato (to make sweet potato buns)
• red onion
• avocado (or other toppings of choice)
• lettuce
• sauce of choice (my favorite is aioli avocado dip)

Lettuce wrap:

• 1 head butter lettuce
• red onion
• avocado (or other toppings of choice)
• sauce of choice (my favorite is aioli avocado dip)

Burger Patties with Fries and Salad:

• 1 large white sweet potato
• extra virgin olive oil
• garlic powder
• salt
• lettuce
• cucumber
• avocado
• balsamic vinegar

Instructions

 

• In a medium bowl combine the minced celery, scallion, mushrooms and parsley with the ground bison and the spices. Mix well with your hands.
• Gently form 6 flat patties. They will shrink in size so depending on what kind of diameter you prefer, make them slightly bigger.
• Heat a large pan/skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the cooking oil. Place the patties in the skillet and make sure there is enough space between them. You may have to use two pans or cook them in batches if your patties are large. Cook the patties for about 4 minutes on each side for medium/rare. Depending on how you like them cooked, increase the cooking time.
• You can also grill them on a BBQ grill. Grill for a couple of minutes on each side until they reach the desired temperature.
• See the options below for how to serve these patties. You can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days. The patties taste great cold as well as a snack or for breakfast.

Serving examples:

• Sweet potato bun: While the patties are cooking slice up a few thick (1/2 inch) white sweet potato slices. Use the thickest part to make them as big as possible. Fry them for a few minutes on each side in a lightly oiled pan and season with salt until fork tender. Serve the patty on the sweet potato bun and add your favorite toppings. Place another sweet potato bun on top and enjoy.
• Lettuce wrap: Grab a large piece of butter lettuce place a patty and your desired topping inside and enjoy.
• With a salad and fries: Prepare the fries first so they are done in time. Cut the sweet potatoes into fries, coat with olive oil salt, and garlic powder. Grill in the oven for 40 minutes on 400F, flip after 20 minutes. While the patties are cooking prepare a simple salad. Simply chop some lettuce and cucumber and avocado and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt. Serve patties with fries and a side salad.