If you know anything about me, you know that I have less than 10 safe ingredients to eat due to my condition. The great news is that bison is one of my safe ingredients, and today I get to wax poetic about ground bison, one of my personal favourite things to eat. So, let’s look at ground bison recipes as well as delicious ground bison dinner ideas.

Before we go too far, it’s important to know that in just about any recipe that calls for a ground meat, you can almost always substitute it with ground bison meat. You can use ground bison in traditional ways, innovative ways, and everything in between.

Great Ingredients to Keep on Hand

These are some of the pantry staples I like to keep on hand to make meals a breeze. Honestly, I think half the battle with cooking regularly at home is having your fridge, freezer, and pantry well stocked. That way, when inspiration hits, you don’t have to run to the grocery store for that onnneeee item you’re missing. Whilst this isn’t an exhaustive list, it’s a great starting point.

• Aromatics (Red Onion, Yellow Onion, Green Onion, Garlic)
• Bell Peppers
• Carbs & Starches You Love (Bagels, Breads, English Muffins, Tortillas, etc.)
• Cooking Fats (Tallow, Olive Oil, Butter/Dairy Free Butter)
• Dry Pasta for Cooking
• Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, and Japanese Yams
• Rice and/or Cauliflower Rice (you can buy this frozen)
• Salt & Flavoured Salts (smoked salts etc.)
• Sauces You Enjoy (BBQ Sauce, Cream Sauce, Fish Sauce, Marinara Sauce, Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, etc.)
• Spices (Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Chili Powder
• Sweeteners (Dates, Maple Syrup, Honey, etc.)
• Tomato Products (Tomato Sauce, Tomato Paste, etc.)
• Vegetable “Pasta” (Zucchini for zoodles, spaghetti squash, etc.)

First Time Cooking Ground Bison? Here’s What You Can Expect

Cooking ground bison may sound a little intimidating at first, but have no fear! If you’ve cooked any other type of ground meat before, you’re already in the right ballpark, and I think your taste buds will enjoy the new experience.

If you’re wondering “what does bison taste like?”, here’s what I can tell you. Bison does not taste like other red meat grinds. If you’ve ever had ground lamb, there’s a gaminess and almost funkiness that you won’t have in ground bison. Other ground game meats tend to be more distinct in flavour, where ground bison has an almost neutral taste. However, it’s not neutral like chicken, more like, a bit earthy and deep in flavour without being overwhelming to your taste buds.

Easy Ground Bison Recipes

Here are amazing recipes with rich flavors that will be perfect at your dinner table. The best part is that these recipes are incredibly easy to make (you can even have your kiddos help you with these recipes).

• Spicy Bison Lettuce Wrap (an amazing simple weeknight dinner)
• Bison & Broccoli (a play on beef and broccoli, swap the beef for bison in this recipe)
• Paleo Bison Ragu (swap the ground lamb for ground bison)
• Spicy Bison Curry Pasta (swap the beef in this recipe for ground bison)
• Honey Almond Meat Sauce Recipe (great with rice or pasta)
• Quick and Easy Cheesy Meat Pasta

Ground Bison Meal Ideas

If you’re looking for a delicious weeknight meal that features ground bison, here are a few ideas to get you started. Don’t let the simple ingredients fool you. These simple yet flavorful recipes will absolutely leave you feeling satisfied.

Classic Bison Burger

If you’re a big fan of burgers and fries, a classic bison burger is a great way to enjoy ground bison. You can start with a lean beef burger recipe and swap the beef for ground bison. Another option is to do a search online for “bison burger recipe”. This is super popular in US states such as Montana and Wyoming. They have recipes and restaurants dedicated to the art of the bison burger, so I know you’ll find something delicious to try.

Ground Bison Harvest Bowl

Harvest bowls are a fun way of saying carb/starch + ground meat + vegetables. Usually, you’ll use fresh seasonal vegetables when making your harvest bowl, however, there’s nothing wrong with using frozen veg as well.

When I make harvest bowls for the kids, I usually cook white rice, then season it and crisp it up a little bit in a pan. Then, I’ll top that with seasoned ground bison and oven roasted vegetables.

Lean Ground Bison & Sweet Potato Skillet

Start with a large skillet and sauté onion along with small/medium diced cubes of sweet potato. Season with salt and cook for at least 10 minutes. You want both the potatoes and onion to start to soften. Then, add your ground bison, salt, and any other seasonings you’d like to use. Mix this together and continue to cook until the bison is cooked. Once the ground bison is cooked all the way through, you’re ready to serve.

The nice thing about a sweet potato skillet is that you can mix and match ingredients that you love. They’re also a delicious way to incorporate frozen vegetables such as corn or peas. You’ll need to time your cooking of all the ingredients to make sure that everything is finished when the ground bison is finished.

Bison Pasta

Whilst this is a basic idea, there’s a lot of room for variation. You can have your bison pasta with your favorite marinara sauce, rose sauce, white sauce, cheesy sauce, pumpkin sauce, pesto, and more.

You’ll want to cook your ground bison and season it well with salt, pepper, and anything else that compliments your sauce. Whilst the bison is cooking, have your pasta cooking in a separate pot at the same time so they finish around the same time. When it’s all done, toss the bison, pasta, and sauce together.

Ground Bison Tacos (or Taco Bowls)

Start with taco seasoned ground bison meat (here’s a recipe for taco seasoning you can make at home). Pop that in your favourite tortilla and add your favorite toppings. My kids like their tacos with salsa, (dairy free) sour cream, guacamole, and (dairy free) cheese.

If you’re making taco bowls, my kids absolutely love it when I serve these with corn free tortilla chips. You can crush chips on top, or use them for dipping.

Hearty Bison Chili

Take any chili recipe you already enjoy and use anywhere between 50 – 100% bison meat. Ground bison is a lean meat and in some recipes, for best results, you’ll want to mix it with another ground meat that has a higher fat content such as ground pork. If you plan on using only lean ground bison, be sure to watch your cook time as you don’t want the meat to dry out.

Your chili can be topped with a variety of ingredients including cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. It would pair well with just about any type of carb/starch you can imagine.

Smoky Bison Pizza

Cook your ground bison with aromatics and be sure to add liquid smoke. I like the Lazy Kettle Brand. Add your favorite pizza toppings along with a cheese you enjoy. My kids enjoy their bison pizza with bacon bits, caramelized onion, poblano peppers, and sautéed mushrooms.

Bison Enchiladas

To make something close to a traditional enchilada, you’re going to want your well seasoned ground bison, tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese of choice. My kids love when I add caramelized onions to their enchiladas. I’ll be honest, enchiladas are a lot of work, especially if you’re making the sauce yourself, so be sure to make a big tray of them so you have leftovers to enjoy.

Bison Picadillo

There are to main types of traditional picadillo recipes: Mexican and Cuban. For a Cuban version, you’ll want your ground bison, onion, garlic, tomato, cilantro, green olives, and seasonings. If you opt for the Mexican route, you’ll want to have potatoes, onion, peppers, garlic, bison, and plenty of spices.

Either way, do a quick search online for the version you’d like to make, then swap the ground beef for ground bison in the reicpe.

Five of My Favorite Recipes Using Ground Bison

• Bison Meatballs
• Nutrient Dense Meat & Vegetables (almost like a ground bison bolognese sauce)
• Mini Bison Meatloaf Recipe
• Bison Corn Free Corn Dogs
• Truly Corn Free Pot Pie (think chicken pot pie, but made with rabbit or bison)

Answering Your Ground Bison Questions

Can I use lean ground bison in a recipe that calls for any red meat?

Yes, you can use lean ground bison in place of other ground red meats in recipes. You’ll need to be mindful of the fat content. If you have a great recipe that you love and it calls for ground beef with a 20% fat content, know that ground bison won’t compare. Whilst the ground bison is a great option, it’s not the same. Now, if you have another fatty blend on hand such as ground pork, you could add that to the ground bison.

Alternatively, you can cook your ground bison in a little extra cooking oil such as tallow, butter, or oil. This can help bring in some of the rich mouthfeel you’ll be used to with ground beef. If you’re following a recipe that calls for a lean ground meat such as ground camel, simply swap it for lean ground bison without adding any extra fat.

Is Costco ground bison high quality?

Costco generally has high quality meat options. I’ve talked with them about their meats in general, and I know they’re doing their best with sourcing whilst also keeping the prices as low as possible for members.

Having said that, personally, I wouldn’t purchase the ground bison from Costco as it’s not grass fed and grass finished. The only two brands of ground bison I personally trust are The Honest Bison and Northstar Bison.

Does ground bison have fewer calories than other red meat?

It depends on the meat in question. As a loose general rule, yes, ground bison will have a bit fewer calories than other red meats. However, each ground meat that you purchase will have a different fat content. The higher the fat content, the higher the calorie count.

Where you source your ground bison and how they blend will determine the amount of calories present. If you were to compare ground bison to another naturally lean ground meat, you’d find that the calories are just about the same.

Is ground bison available at all grocery stores?

No, you won’t find ground bison at all grocery stores. Whilst it has gained popularity over the last decade, it’s still something you’ll find mostly at specialty shops. I have found that ground bison is found at more grocery stores if it’s a health conscious area. I’ve only noticed this because of all of the traveling I’ve done.

Whilst many natural/organic/Co-Op grocery stores carry ground bison, it’s still hit or miss depending on the region. The good news is that you can order ground bison online. My top pick is The Honest Bison, followed by Northstar Bison.

Can I swap beef for ground bison in a traditional beef meat loaf recipe?

When starting with a traditional ground beef meat loaf recipe, it’s important to look at the beef fat content the recipe calls for. If it’s a lean beef meat loaf, then you’d swap the bison 1:1. If it’s a fattier ground beef blend, you’d want to either add some bison tallow or fatty ground pork to your lean ground bison.

If you’re unable to add fat content, that’s OK, but you’ll need to watch the cook time to make sure your meat loaf doesn’t dry out. Also, make sure you season your bison generously. Many people don’t realize that fat is flavour, so you want to make sure your bison isn’t lacking in that department.

Do you know of any good bison one-pot dinner recipes that are gluten and dairy free?

Why yes, yes I do. Here are four of the best recipes I can share with you that meet that criteria:

• Dutch Oven Lasagna Soup (use ground bison in place of the ground meat in that recipe)
• Bison & Pea Ragu (swap the ground pork for ground bison)
• Dutch Oven Legume Free Chili
• Easy Bison Stew (swap the venison for bison)

Is ground bison a good source of protein?

When we look at the nutrition information for ground bison, I’d have to say that yes, it’s a great source of protein. There’s about 17 grams of protein in a 112 gram (4 ounce) serving. I’ll also add, depending on where you look up the nutrition information, you’ll see different numbers. However, the range is generally 17 – 21 grams of protein per serving.

I’d also encourage you to check out the nutrition information for other cuts of bison. There’s nearly 30 grams of protein in a serving of bison steak, which is one of the reasons I personally gravitate towards it (over ground bison).

What type of side dishes would pair well with ground bison?

Honestly, any side dishes that pair well with ground beef would also pair well with ground bison. The first few that come to mind are oven roasted vegetables (potatoes, carrots, green beans), mashed potatoes, and a sautéed vegetable medley. This article on side dishes should give you a lot more ideas.

What bison be a good meat for a casserole?

Absolutely yes! Ground bison would be awesome in any casserole recipe that calls for ground beef or ground pork. The first that comes to mind actually is a shepherd’s pie. Swap the ground beef for ground bison in that classic casserole for a *chef’s kiss* experience.

Are there any herbs I should avoid when cooking ground bison?

All herbs and seasonings would be fine with ground bison. The key is to make sure your herbs and spices don’t clash with one another. For example, tarragon and turmeric together would be awful. If you were to pair those herbs with your bison, you’d hate it. Focus on classic pairings, or, pick up a spice blend. My two favourite brands for blends are Spicely Organic and Paleo Powder.