Teriyaki Burger is a summer must-try! It features a sweet pineapple teriyaki sauce, grilled pineapple, fresh veggies, Swiss cheese, and lightly toasted brioche buns.
Pair with this fruit salad recipe, Asian cucumber salad, or roasted sweet potatoes.
The Best Teriyaki Burger
One of the first dates I ever went on with my husband was to Rumbi Grill. They have a “Kahuna Burger” that was his favorite—essentially a teriyaki burger loaded with toppings and served with sweet potato fries.
Today, I’m sharing my own copycat version, which my husband will tell you is way better than the original. With a sweet pineapple teriyaki sauce on a hot grilled burger, melty Swiss cheese, caramelized pineapple, garden-fresh veggies, and a buttered toasted brioche bun, you really can’t go wrong.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef (80/20): Keep the beef cold to prevent overworking it.
- Garlic and Ginger: Chop finely for even flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce to control salt.
- Brioche Buns: Lightly toast for extra crunch.
- Pineapple Juice: Use fresh juice for the best flavor.
- Swiss Cheese: Add cheese last for perfect melt.
- Fresh Pineapple: Grill slices until golden for maximum flavor.
- Toppings: Use your favorite toppings for extra flavor.
- Sweet Teriyaki Sauce: Adjust red pepper flakes to control heat.
How To Make Teriyaki Burgers
- Teriyaki Sauce: Boil soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and ginger. Thicken with cornstarch and water.
- Grill Prep: Heat grill to 450-475°F.
- Form Patties: Mix beef, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Shape into patties.
- Grill: Cook burgers, basting with pineapple juice and teriyaki sauce. Grill pineapple slices.
- Cheese & Buns: Add Swiss cheese in the last minute. Butter and toast buns.
- Assemble: Build burgers with mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, burger patty, pineapple, and sauce.
Quick Tip
Cook Teriyaki Burgers on a grill at 400-450°F: Rare: 4 minutes (125°F), Medium-Rare: 5 minutes (135°F), Medium: 6-7 minutes (145°F), and Well-Done: 8 minutes (160-165°F)
Note: USDA suggests cooking ground meat to 160°F for safety.
Storage
Store leftover teriyaki burgers and sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Keep patties and buns apart.
For longer storage, freeze the patties in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2-3 months.
Serve These With:
- Pasta salad or this Mexican street corn pasta salad is a reader favorite
- Elote simple to make
- Roasted Vegetables or grilled veggies
- Cucumber Salad refreshing and delicious
- Olive Garden Salad with a simple dressing
Teriyaki Burger
This Teriyaki Burger is a summer must! Juicy patties topped with a sweet pineapple teriyaki sauce, grilled pineapple, fresh veggies, Swiss cheese, all on toasted brioche buns.
Equipment
- Small pan or small pot
- Large sheet pan (15″ x 21″)
Ingredients
Burgers
Buns and Toppings
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 brioche buns
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
- 3 slices Swiss cheese
- 6 slices fresh pineapple plus a little vegetable oil
- Toppings as desired see note 1
Sweet Teriyaki Sauce (see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup 100% pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger grated on a fine grater
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Combine cornstarch and cold water. Stir with a fork until dissolved and set aside. Mix soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and grated ginger in a small pan over medium-low heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the sauce reduces, about 15–18 minutes. Whisk together the cornstarch-water mixture again and pour into the pan. Stir and continue to simmer until sauce thickens, another 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Heat grill to 450–475°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add (cold, straight from the fridge) beef, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Mix the meat just a few times (no longer than 30–40 seconds) until ingredients are incorporated. Be careful to not overwork or overhandle the meat.
- Line a large sheet pan with two layers of parchment paper. Shape the burger patties on the tray instead of with your hands (this helps keep them from being over handled while also providing leverage to get the patties firm). Divide the meat into 3 equal parts. Gently form each portion into a patty that is about 4 to 4 and 1/2 inches across and with 1-inch sides. Make a shallow depression in the middle (see pictures in the post). The depression keeps the patty from shrinking too much or puffing up too much. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the grill is completely heated.
- Prepare the preheated grill by cleaning with a grill brush. Generously oil the grill (I drench a roll-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates). Remove burgers from the fridge and, holding your hand 6–7 inches above the meat, sprinkle salt and pepper liberally on both sides of the patties. In total, I use about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper to all the patties. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons pineapple juice and 2 tablespoons sweet teriyaki sauce. We will baste this over the burgers.
- Drizzle vegetable oil over the pineapple (this helps keep it from sticking). Place pineapple slices on the heated grill and cook, flipping once, until tender, golden, and lightly charred—about 2–4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. Optionally grill red onions by drizzling with vegetable oil and cooking 1–3 minutes per side or until crisp-tender and lightly charred.
- Place patties indented side down on the grill. Cook to desired doneness: Rare burgers: 125°F (about 4 minutes total) Medium-rare burgers: 135°F (about 5 minutes total) Medium burgers: 145°F (about 6–7 minutes total) Well-done burgers: 160°F (about 8 minutes total) (I like medium-rare best). Flip the burgers once during cooking, at the halfway mark. Never press down on the patties (this will make fat and flavor escape. Use a wide, metal spatula for best results. Baste the burgers with the prepared sauce occasionally as you grill.
- In the last minute of cooking time, add a slice of cheese to each patty. Remove patties to a plate and cover with foil to rest for 1–2 minutes.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter, then brush (with a pastry brush) over both sides of all the buns. Set aside. When you have about 1 minute left on the cooking time for the patties, add buttered buns to the grill (over indirect heat, alongside the edges of the grill). Watch carefully; they toast in about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Assemble by adding mayo to buns and topping with lettuce, cheese-covered burger patty, grilled pineapple, a spoonful (or 2—to personal preference) of sweet teriyaki sauce (see note 2), grilled red onions, tomatoes, and the top of the bun. Enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Burger toppings: mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and teriyaki sauce.
Note 2: There will be more sauce than needed for the burgers. You can halve the sauce or use it in other recipes!
Storage: Store leftover teriyaki burgers and sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep patties and buns apart. For longer storage, freeze the patties in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2-3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1062kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Cholesterol: 287mg | Sodium: 1830mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 1216IU | Vitamin C: 86mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So good! We loved the pineapple!! It was amazing and easy to make!
Teriyaki and pineapple are so so good on a burger. I haven’t had it in too long. Yay for grilling season.
We love making homemade burgers! Love the flavor of these burgers!
Yum! I LOVE this burger! It’s one of my husband and I’s favorites. Thanks!
I’m so happy you and your husband loved this Teriyaki Burger, thanks for your comment! 🙂