Because bison is lean, it cooks faster than beef. You can easily substitute bison for beef in any of your favorite recipes, just remember to cook it a little less than you might beef. Bison contains no animal byproducts and growth hormones are never used. Bison meat is antibiotic-free.

Here are some basic tips:

For ground bison or bison burgers, cook about 2-3 minutes less than you would beef. There is very little fat, so overcooking may result in a dry burger. Bison burger is safe to cook to medium rare. If you are browning bison for tacos or your favorite recipe, there’s no need to drain the meat because it is so low in fat.

For roasts, low temperatures and high moisture yield the best results. The best oven temperature for preparing a bison roast is 275 degrees then continue to cook until desired doneness (as indicated on your meat thermometer). Covering the roast in aluminum foil or using a roasting bag helps retain the juices during cooking. Cook a frozen bison roast at 275 degrees adding 1/3 to ½ additional cooking time to the time originally specified in your recipe. Remove roasts from oven at about 5 degrees underdone and allow to set for 15-20 minutes, depending on size.

For steaks, preheat broiler at least 5 minutes, then broil farther away from the heat than you would a beef steak. Broil for less time than you would beef, for the doneness you prefer.

If you are grilling, simply grill for less time than you would beef.