This venison patty melt is hands-down one of THE BEST venison sandwiches we have ever enjoyed! Juicy ground venison, topped with melty cheese and sweet Vidalia onions. You definitely don’t want to miss out on this recipe!
It’s time to elevate your wild game harvest! Creating delicious venison sandwiches is one of our favorite things to do with our harvest each year. We always challenge ourselves with what recipe can we create this year that’s different than anything we’ve done before. We did this with our Venison Philly Cheesesteak Sliders (which were a HUGE hit last football season), and our Venison Reuben Sandwiches (great for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations)!
This Venison Patty Melt is beyond delicious – and we’re not just saying that because it’s our recipe. Even our son said it was the best sandwich he’s ever had. They’re really rather simple to make but taste just as good as delicious diner patty melt sandwich.
Ingredients Needed
- 1.5 pounds of ground venison
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil – divided
- 2 sweet Vidalia onions
- 1/2 tsp. salt – divided
- 5-10 slices of American cheese
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter – divided (or, use 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter and spreadable butter for the grilling portion)
- 12 slices rye bread
How to make a Venison Patty Melt
- Add the 1.5 Tbsp. olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Slice the sweet Vidalia onions and add to the skillet. Cook for about 7 minutes or until soft.
- Add 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. butter to the skillet and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Using your hands, form the ground venison into 3-inch oblong patties.
- Add another 1.5 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the venison patties to the skillet and season with 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes, then remove and set aside. Continue until all patties have been cooked.
- Begin to assemble the patty melt sandwiches.
- Butter one side of rye bread and place into a clean skillet, buttered side down. (I recommend either melting the remaining 2 Tbsp. of
butter, or using a spreadable butter). - Add 1-2 slices of American cheese on top of the bread, then top with a venison patty, then onions. Note – Rye bread tends to be wider than regular buns. We found that slicing the venison patties in half and placing them side by side on the rye bread gives you a fully-filled sandwich from crust to crust and the perfect cut line!
- Top with another slice of rye bread, one side buttered facing up.
- Cook over medium heat until browned, then carefully flip and cook the other side until browned.
- Remove from skillet and continue this process until all sandwiches have been assembled.
- Butter one side of rye bread and place into a clean skillet, buttered side down. (I recommend either melting the remaining 2 Tbsp. of
Recipe FAQs and Variations
What’s the difference between a patty melt and a cheeseburger?
The main difference is that a patty melt is served on toasted rye bread with cheese and onions, while a cheeseburger is served on a toasted hamburger but with mainly just cheese.
Should I add fat to ground venison?
It depends on the recipe, but with this venison patty melt sandwich there’s no need for additional fat to be added.
Does deer meat need to be cooked all the way?
Depending on the cut of meat, tender cuts of venison should be cooked just up to medium-rare. Otherwise, the lean venison meat may dry out. With this patty melt sandwich, we’re cooking them to a more medium to well-done finish.
Recipe Variations
- Use Swiss cheese, if preferred.
- For an extra cheesy sandwich, add an additional layer of cheese on top of the patties.
- Rye bread tends to be wider than regular buns. We found that slicing the venison patties in half and placing them side by side on the rye bread gives you a fully-filled sandwich from crust to crust and the perfect cut line!
Recommended kitchen resources for this recipe
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Enjoy these other ground venison recipes!
- BBQ Bourbon Venison Meatballs – the perfect party app or easy meal option
- Venison Taco Ring – a family favorite!
- Venison Stuffed Shells – a hearty ground venison recipe for anytime of the year
- Lunch Lady Tacos with Ground Venison – easy ground venison taco recipe
Venison Patty Melt Recipe
Venison Patty Melt
This venison patty melt is hands-down one of THE BEST sandwiches we have ever enjoyed! Juicy ground venison, topped with melty cheese and sweet Vidalia onions.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds of ground venison
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil - divided
- 2 sweet Vidalia onions
- 1/2 tsp. salt - divided
- 5-10 slices of American cheese
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter - divided (or, use 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter and spreadable butter for the grilling portion)
- 12 slices rye bread
Instructions
- Add the 1.5 Tbsp. olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Slice the sweet Vidalia onions and add to the skillet. Cook for about 7 minutes or until soft.
- Add 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. butter to the skillet and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Using your hands, form the ground venison into 3-inch oblong patties.
- Add another 1.5 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the venison patties to the skillet and season with 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes, then remove and set aside. Continue until all patties have been cooked.
- Begin to assemble the patty melt sandwiches.
- Butter one side of rye bread and place into a clean skillet, buttered side down. (I recommend either melting the remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter or using a spreadable butter).
- Add 1-2 slices of American cheese on top of the bread, then top with a venison patty, then onions. Note - Rye bread tends to be wider than regular buns. We found that slicing the venison patties in half and placing them side by side on the rye bread gives you a fully-filled sandwich from crust to crust and the perfect cut line!
- Top with another slice of rye bread, one side buttered facing up.
- Cook over medium heat until browned, then carefully flip and cook the other side until browned.
- Remove from skillet and continue this process until all sandwiches have been assembled.
Notes
- Use Swiss cheese, if preferred.
- For an extra cheesy sandwich, add an additional layer of cheese on top of the patties.
- Rye bread tends to be wider than regular buns. We found that slicing the venison patties in half and placing them side by side on the rye bread gives you a fully-filled sandwich from crust to crust and the perfect cut line!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 572Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 986mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 40g
The recipes included on this website are written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist or medical professional, and the nutritional data on this site have not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist, registered dietician, or other medical professionals.
Primal Pioneer is a food blog and public land hunting resource by Mike and Jennifer Shreckengost. We’re a husband and wife team who combined their two passions – a love of the outdoors and food – into a joint effort with Primal Pioneer! You’ll find resources on planning and executing your own DIY over-the-counter public land big game hunt, along with wild game recipes featuring mostly venison and elk.
YUM!!! One of those – duh, why didn’t I think of that moments when I saw your recipe come across my pinterest LOL. I have plenty of ground venison in the freezer and the hubs will love this, good thinkin 🙂