Teriyaki Burger

No summer is complete without this delicious Teriyaki Burger recipe! It includes a sweet pineapple teriyaki sauce, grilled pineapple, plenty of veggies, Swiss cheese, and lightly toasted brioche buns.

Pair this delicious teriyaki burger with this fruit salad recipe, Asian cucumber salad, or roasted sweet potatoes.

One of the first dates I ever went on with my husband was to Rumbi grill. They have a “Kahuna burger” there that was my husband’s favorite. Essentially, it’s a teriyaki burger loaded with toppings and served with a side of fries.

Today I’m sharing my own copycat version that my husband will tell you is way better than the original. With a sweet pineapple teriyaki sauce dredged on a hot grilled burger with melty Swiss cheese, caramelized pineapple, garden-fresh veggies and a buttered toasted brioche bun, you really can’t go wrong.

Teriyaki sauce

This double-purpose sauce will be basted on the burger as it cooks AND gets spooned over the burger right before eating. The Rumbi teriyaki sauce is quite sweet and so is this one. I use pineapple juice and a little brown sugar to achieve that sweetness. A touch of grated ginger, toasted sesame seeds, and a pinch of red pepper flakes round out the flavor nicely.

I recommend using a microplane to grate the ginger.

Grilling Teriyaki Burgers

How long to cook Teriyaki Burgers will depend on how hot your grill is and how thick the patty is. I set the grill to around 400-450 degrees F and with a 4 to 4.5-inch-wide patty (1-inch thick), below are the general times required:

• Rare burgers: 125 degrees F (about 4 minutes total)
• Medium-rare burgers: 135 degrees F (about 5 minutes total) 
• Medium burgers: 145 degrees F (about 6-7 minutes total)
• Well-done burgers: 160-165 degrees F (about 8 minutes total) 

The USDA recommends cooking ground meat to at least 160 degrees F, so use your personal discretion. We prefer teriyaki burgerd cooked at about 5 minutes (2 and 1/2 minutes per side, around medium-rare doneness) Be sure to check the internal temperature with a food thermometer. Insert through the side not the top for the most accurate readings.

Teriyaki Burger tips

• Always start with a clean grill with oiled grill grates. Use a grill brush to remove any built-up residue and then oil the grill. I do this by drenching a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates. 
• Use a microplane to grate the ginger and garlic. This will ensure the ingredients are evenly dispersed throughout the patty.
• Keep the meat as cold as possible. Any heat (your hands/warm environment) will melt the fat in the meat, which prevents it from binding. If it doesn’t bind, it will render as it cooks and create a dry patty. Keep the meat as cold as possible and in the fridge as much as you can.
• Make sure to handle the meat as little as possible. I like to use a tray lined with parchment paper to form the patties on.
• Flip burgers, but never press them. Once the patties are on the grill, don’t press them down with a spatula. If you press the meat, it forces the fat and subsequently the flavor out of the burgers.
• Use a large, wide metal spatula. This spatula makes it so much easier to flip and remove the Teriyaki Burgers, especially because they get a little sticky with the teriyaki sauce.

QUICK TIP

From a legal perspective, ground beef can be anywhere from 73% to 97% lean. 80% lean is considered ‘regular’ and is what you’ll find in most burgers since the higher fat content contributes to flavor and juiciness. Lean beef is 92% lean, and extra-lean must be 96% lean or greater.

How to grill pineapple

• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F).
• Prepare the grill by cleaning with a grill brush to remove any built-up residue and then oil the grill. 
• Prepare the pineapple (how to cut a pineapple here) and then gently drizzle oil over the pineapple (this helps it keep from sticking).
• Place pineapple slices on the grill and cook, flipping once in between until tender, golden, and lightly charred–about 2-4 minutes per side.
• Let the pineapple slices stand for a minute, and then they’re ready to add to your Teriyaki Burger!

Serving suggestions

In my opinion, nothing goes better with these teriyaki burgers than sweet potato fries with ketchup or fry sauce!

A few other great side dish ideas

• Pasta salad (this Mexican street corn pasta salad is a reader favorite)
• Grilled corn on the cob (this elote recipe has the how to!)
• Roasted Vegetables (or grilled veggies)
• Cucumber Salad

More grilling recipes

• Burger Recipe our favorite standard burger recipe with the BEST sauce
• Grilled Chicken Marinade reader favorite
• Pineapple Chicken with a grilled pineapple salsa
• Steak Fajitas on the grill
• Honey Lime Chicken with a cilantro-lime sauce

A lot of the ingredients are used more than once, but have been written out separately for clearer reading.

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Teriyaki Burger

5 from 5 votes

- Review this recipe

No summer is complete without this delicious Teriyaki Burger recipe! This burger recipe includes a sweet pineapple teriyaki sauce, grilled pineapple, plenty of veggies, Swiss cheese, and lightly toasted brioche buns.

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

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Teriyaki Burger

5 from 5 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

No summer is complete without this delicious Teriyaki Burger recipe! This burger recipe includes a sweet pineapple teriyaki sauce, grilled pineapple, plenty of veggies, Swiss cheese, and lightly toasted brioche buns.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword teriyaki burger

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 3 burgers (recipe easily doubles/triples)

Calories 1062kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $10.36

Ingredients

Burgers

• ▢ 1 pound 80/20 ground beef, keep very cold
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grate on a microplane)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lite soy sauce
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Buns and Toppings

• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 3 brioche buns
• ▢ 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
• ▢ 3 slices Swiss cheese
• ▢ 6 slices fresh pineapple (+ a little vegetable oil)
• ▢ Burger toppings: mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, teriyaki sauce (recipe below)

Sweet Teriyaki Sauce (Note 1)

• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 1/4 cup cold water
• ▢ 1/4 cup lite soy sauce
• ▢ 1/2 cup 100% pineapple juice
• ▢ 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger (grate on a microplane)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• SWEET TERIYAKI SAUCE: 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 saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer until the sauce reduces, about 15 to 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.
• PREHEAT THE GRILL: Heat the grill to 450 to 475 degrees F.
• BURGERS: In a large mixing bowl, add the (cold straight from the fridge) beef, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Mix the meat just a few times (no longer than for 30-40 seconds) until ingredients are incorporated. Be careful to not overwork or overhandle the meat.
• SHAPE: 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 or puffing up too much. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the grill is completely heated.
• GRILL BURGERS: 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 generously salt and pepper both sides of the patties. Hold your hand 6-7 inches above the meat and sprinkle the seasoning liberally or to taste. 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 of the sweet teriyaki sauce. We will baste this over the burgers.
• PINEAPPLE: 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. OPTIONAL: Grill red onions by drizzling with vegetable oil and cooking for 1-3 minutes per side or until crisp-tender and lightly charred.
• BURGER TEMPERATURES: Place patties INDENTED SIDE DOWN on the grill. Cook to desired doneness: Rare burgers: 125 degrees F (about 4 minutes total) Medium-rare burgers: 135 degrees F (about 5 minutes total) Medium burgers: 145 degrees F (about 6-7 minutes total) Well-done burgers: 160 degrees F (about 8 minutes total) (We 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.
• CHEESE: In the last minute of cooking time, add a slice of Swiss cheese to each patty. Remove patties to a plate and cover with foil to rest for 1-2 minutes.
• GRILL BUNS: Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 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 the 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.
• SERVE: Assemble by adding mayo to buns and topping with lettuce, cheese-covered burger patty, grilled pineapple, a spoonful (or 2 -- to personal preference) of the sweet teriyaki sauce, grilled red onions, tomatoes, and the top of the bun. Enjoy immediately.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: There will be more sauce than needed for the burgers. You can halve the sauce or use it in other recipes!

Nutrition Facts

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

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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