This is a classic Oklahoma onion burger, with sliced onions, cheese and maybe some pickles and mustard. Damn good, and easy to make.
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT10M
Total time: PT30M
Rating
5 stars (22 reviews)
Keywords
burgers, venison
Ingredients
1 large yellow or white onion, (sliced very thin)
Salt
1 pound finely ground venison or beef
1 tablespoon canola oil
Black pepper
4 slices cheddar, American or other cheese
Pickles, mustard and burger buns
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Steps
Slice the onion very thinly, then toss it with a little salt in a bowl and set aside for a few minutes. Divide the meat into four patties.
Heat a large frying pan or flat top over medium high heat for a few minutes. When it's hot, add the canola oil. When it's hot, place a patty on the pan and smash it with a spatula or bacon press. Hold for 30 seconds. Sprinkle black pepper on the patty, then cover the patty with onions. It's OK if a few spill onto the hot pan. Cook like this for 2 minutes.
Carefully flip the burger. You want to scrape the pan to get everything, in case you have some spots that have stuck. I use my off hand to hold the onions onto the patty as I flip. Once flipped, Press down on the patty to sink the onions into the meat.
Add salt and pepper to the patty and lay a slice of cheese onto it. Let this cook for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how cooked you want your meat. Two minutes will give you a nice medium.
To get everything off the pan, place the bun on the cheese and use the spatula to lift the burger off the pan. Set it on the bottom bun. Add pickles and mustard if you want. Optional: Get another pan hot and melt some butter in it to toast the buns before you use them. About 30 seconds should get you a nice toasty brown.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 333 kcal
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Protein: 32 g
Fat: 21 g
Saturated Fat: 10 g
Cholesterol: 120 mg
Sodium: 260 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Reviews
joe perettine on 2025-08-31 (5 stars): This recipe crushed it - simple, delish,... solves for what you really want in a burger without complication.
Suran on 2025-08-30 (5 stars): Agree with Hank! I have tried adding fat (even bacon grease) to lean ground and it just doesn't work. It doesn't make sense, but there it is.
Suran on 2025-08-30 (5 stars): Hello! Somehow I missed this recipe 3 years ago. I hope all is well!
If you haven't tried Hank Shaw's Venison Diane.....a HUGE hit. Also, his version of Beef Stroganoff!!!!!!! (hint .... it's just as good with ground venison) (another hint .... if in a hurry, a lot of the ingredients can be eliminated in favor of a can of GOLDEN mushroom soup (not cream of mushroom.), Try not to skip the worcestershire sauce or the sour cream.
Suran on 2025-08-30 (5 stars): If anyone is wondering, Hank Shaw's recipes are now my primary go-to! Always excellent (well, maybe except fried rabbit and I have questions....)
As for this onion burger. Our family loves a grilled onion! when we make burgers we mix finely diced onion, black pepper, salt, a dash of Worcestershire. Very careful not to add anything else (even garlic!!!!) in case it strays into Italian meatball mode. We also grill onion slices AND have fresh sweet onion slices. (yes, we REALLY like onion!)
Garnish and condiment to individual taste. Enjoy!
Thomas Schoeneberg on 2025-08-29 (5 stars): Great food!!!!
Robin Warnberg on 2024-11-03 (5 stars): Wow, what flavor!! Cooking the onions this way makes all the difference! Didn’t even need to have cheese, these were just great. Thanks so much for the recipes
John Lawrence on 2023-12-10 (5 stars): Wow! I have to say this was the best venison burger ever. I've made this 2x this week and I just want to thank you for sharing your wild game recipes. I used american cheese but will switch to cheddar on my next one. Also thank you for all the detail and sharing your experiences. I cannot wait to try your venison ragu. Thanks again.
Brian on 2023-09-29 (5 stars): Great write up and better recipe
Michelle on 2022-11-26 (5 stars): I’m a newlywed experimenting with ways to fix venison hunted by my husband. Wow were these burgers a hit! Made them just as you suggested — yellow mustard and pickles. Outstanding! Thank you! Nice to surprise my spouse with a dinner he’s never tried
Dave on 2022-10-18 (5 stars): Looks great. Similar to White Mana's sliders in Hackensack, NJ.
Jennifer on 2021-12-17 (5 stars): Have been craving a diner type burger for a few years now and all of the other recipes on Google that I have tried are dry, basic homemade burgers. While yours EXCEEDED my expectations. Truly delicious!!!
Martha on 2021-09-11 (5 stars): THANKS! For sharing this recipe. Outstanding flavor. My choice of protein was Bison, and Ifollowed your recipe throughout. WOW
Pamela Stephens Karnes on 2021-05-08 (5 stars): I'm born and bred in Northeast Oklahoma. Suddenly Oklahoma Onion burgers are a thing and it makes me chuckle because we've been doing it this way our whole lives. I do ground venison and beef fat when I make my burger at a 10% ratio. And it works - not too dry not too greasy. Grill grates flipped over and using the back side I sauteed the onions a little bit first season the Patty with my favorite seasoning smash them down & let them go! Just do it. The more you smash them flat the better the crispy meat edges are. Toasted buns are a must. Happy Spring 2021! Just waiting on a fresh garden tomato to make it perfect.