Spicy Teriyaki Hawaiian Burgers

My husband used to work with a guy from Hawaii who hated when people would call any recipe with pineapple in it “Hawaiian.” I just have to laugh and poke fun, mostly because I’m super jealous. Because he has since moved back to Hawaii, the lucky dawg.

Since it’s totally warm now and our pool is open and the kids are swimming and wearing themselves out (hallelujah!), it is time for some major grillage. And sometimes, there’s nothing better hot off the grill than a juicy, homemade burger. And there are many, many kinds of burgers out there. Just look at Red Robin’s extensive burger menu. But the best burger ever concocted has got to be a Hawaiian burger. Which, of course, means it has pineapple on it. And sweet teriyaki sauce.

Which brings me to these incredible Spicy Teriyaki Hawaiian Burgers. They are beyond amazing. Juicy burger? Check. Gooey, melty cheese? Check. Sweet and tangy grilled pineapple? Ahhh yes. Teriyaki sauce? Fo sho. And my homemade teriyaki sauce will totally blow your mind. It’s perfect on this burger, but also great on hot dogs, chicken, pork, bananas. Maybe I was kidding on that last one. But you get the pic, right? AND it’s not just any ol’ teriyaki sauce. It’s a little spiiiisay. Yep, we just upped the ante on this burger, my friends. It is the real deal. My burger-loving husband raved. About 10 times. That, in my book, means a win.

Couple things to note before making these. The best kind of ground beef to get is 85% or 80% lean. Any fatter and the grease will attract the flames and could cause major burnage. Any less fat and the burger can turn out dry. Also, when forming the burgers, just roll each into a loose ball and lightly press the sides and middle down with a fork. Resist the urge to press it down firmly with your hand!! That way, your burger will be super juicy and won’t dry out. Also, resist the urge to pat them down with a spatula while grilling. Finally, remember that burgers shrink as they cook, so take that into consideration when forming your patties. Make the patties the same width or even a little wider than your bun to avoid a “Want a burger with that bun?” kind of scenario. 😉

Spicy Teriyaki Hawaiian Burgers

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Erin

Recipe type: Dinner, Beef, Grill

Serves: 4 burgers

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup soy sauce
• ⅛ cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce
• 2-1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3 garlic cloves (3 tsp), minced, divided
• ⅛ cup cold water
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 lbs. 80% or 85% lean ground beef or ground chuck
• 4 pineapple rings
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 romaine lettuce leaves
• 8 slices red onion
• 4 hamburger buns

Instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sriracha, sugar, ginger, and 1 tsp garlic. Bring to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch. Add to the boiling soy sauce mixture and stir constantly, until thickened. Reduce heat to low or remove from heat until your burgers are done.
4. In a large bowl combine ground beef and remaining 2 tsp garlic (I just use my hands). Divide into 4 equal sections.
5. Roll each into a ball and lightly pat down the sides and middle with a fork.
6. Brush each side of each pineapple ring lightly with olive oil.
7. Grill hamburgers for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 4 minutes or to desired doneness. (Use this finger test from Simple Recipes to test for doneness).
8. During last 4 minutes of grilling, add pineapple rings. Grill 2-3 minutes per side and then flip, cooking for 2-3 minutes on the other side.
9. During last 2 minutes of cooking burgers, top each patty with a cheese slice. Remove burgers and pineapple from grill.
10. On each hamburger bun, lay a piece of lettuce. Follow with a burger and 2 slices of the red onion, then a pineapple slice. Drizzle teriyaki sauce generously over each one. Then dig in and indulge in the juicy deliciousness!

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