Bison (Buffalo Meat)

Bison meat, often marketed as buffalo meat, is the lean, deeply flavored flesh of the American bison, valued as a nutrient-dense alternative to domestic beef with a slightly sweet, richer taste.

History & Origins

Bison were the dietary cornerstone of Indigenous peoples across the North American Great Plains for at least 10,000 years, providing meat, pemmican, marrow, and tongue, with virtually no part of the animal wasted. Commercial hunting in the 19th century reduced wild herds from tens of millions to under 1,000 animals, but 20th-century conservation and the rise of ranched bison restored populations and created a modern niche meat industry in the United States and Canada.

Nutrition Facts

Per 100 g, edible portion (estimated)

• 109 kcalCalories
• 21.6 gProtein
• 1.8 gFat
• 0 gCarbs
• 0 gFiber
• 0 gSugars
• 334 mgPotassium
• 2.7 mgIron

Culinary Uses

• Bison burgers grilled rare to medium-rare
• Bison ribeye and strip steaks seared with butter
• Smoked bison jerky and summer sausage
• Hearty stews and chili made with ground bison
• Traditional pemmican dried with berries and tallow

Known Benefits

• Lower in total fat and calories than beef
• High in bioavailable heme iron
• Excellent source of zinc and vitamin B12
• Rich in complete protein with all essential amino acids
• Naturally higher in omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef

Hidden Benefits

• Higher conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content than conventional beef
• Favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio when grass-finished
• Greater vitamin E and selenium than typical grain-fed beef
• Often raised without growth hormones or sub-therapeutic antibiotics
• Iron content roughly twice that of skinless chicken breast

Cautions & Considerations

• Cook only to rare or medium-rare to prevent drying out due to low fat
• Do not braise or stew without added fat or moisture
• Wild-harvested bison is illegal in most jurisdictions; only ranch-raised is sold commercially
• Stronger iron content may be unsuitable for those with hemochromatosis
• Higher purine level than many white meats—caution for gout sufferers