This easy to make Hawaiian Burger is stacked high with layers of green leaf lettuce, all ground beef hamburgers, melted cheese, grilled pineapple rings, and an amazing homemade teriyaki sauce! The incredibly tasty burger is my version of a restaurant favorite that I serve up with homemade french fries and a nice cold drink!!
Hawaiian Burger Recipe {Grilled Pineapple Teriyaki Cheeseburger}
I have been hooked on teriyaki burgers for so long now, thanks to the 'Banzai Burger' at Red Robin! These super tasty Hawaiian burgers are so very easy to make, and I anxiously await summertime to get really good grilling on my burgers, pineapple and buns!
It's that or drag the grill outside in a snow storm, and as crazy as that sounds my husband knows better than to put it past me!
How To Make a Hawaiian Teriyaki Burger
Make the Teriyaki Sauce
Start your teriyaki sauce first, unless you will be using your favorite commercial brand teriyaki. Start with a medium size saucepan, and combine the water, soy sauce, light brown sugar, honey and garlic powder.*Toasted sesame seeds and crushed fresh ginger are also superb additions!
Set the heat on the burner to medium high, then combine the cold water and cornstarch and add to the sauce. Stir all of the ingredients, making sure that the sugar has dissolved, while bringing the sauce to a slow boil. Reduce heat if the sauce begins to boil rapidly, cook for about 3 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. If the teriyaki sauce thickens too quickly, you can always add a bit more water to thin it back out. Remove from heat.
I usually allow the teriyaki sauce to cool to room temperature for about 15 minutes, when it will be the perfect warmth for adding to the burger.
Grill the Hawaiian Burgers
For my burgers, I like to have a fattier ground beef. Typically I will use an 85/15 ground hamburger or 80/20 ground chuck for my burger meat.
In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef with sesame seed oil and work it in just enough to coat the ground beef. Overworking the meat will toughen your burger! Divide the ground beef into 4 portions and shape them into a ball, pressing them out into a 1 inch thick disc shape. Use your thumbs to press an indent into the top center of the burger patty on the side that will be facing upward first when cooking. Set aside.
Finish the preparation of your burger ingredients, toasting the brioche buns ( if desired ) and grilling the pineapple slices until warmed and they have grill marks on them. Rinse and pat dry lettuce leaves ( and prep any additional toppings like red onion, tomato, etc ).
Grab your grill, or large skillet or frying pan, and heat it to medium high heat. Season the bottom side of the four burgers with salt, pepper, and paprika ( optional but highly recommended, or smoked paprika ) then place them into the heated grill, skillet or pan. Repeat the seasoning on the upward facing side of the burger patties. *Your burger patties should sizzle when they come into contact with the heated skillet or pan, if they have not, adjust the heat up a bit.
Cook the first side for 3-4 minutes, then flip the burger when the bottom has a nicely brown seared color. Add the cheese slices on each burger patty, covering the skillet or pan if the cheese needs some encouragement to melt fully. Cook the second side for 3-5 minutes.
Place the green leaf lettuce leaves on the bottom of each brioche bun or hamburger bun, then place the cooked burgers onto the buns and lettuce. Drizzle some of the teriyaki sauce over the bottom portion of the burger and over the cheeseburger patty. Then add the grilled slices of pineapple ( plus any additional toppings and condiments desired ) and top with a generous amount of the ginger sesame teriyaki sauce. Finish it off with the top half of your bun, serve and enjoy!
Burger Cooking Times
Cooking times are based on cooking your ¼ pound ground beef burgers over direct heat, on the grill or stove top.
- 6-7 minutes for medium-rare (red in the middle)
- 7-8 minutes for medium (pink in the middle)
- 9 minutes for medium-well (only a hint of pink in the middle)
- 10 minutes for well done (no pink in the middle)
Hawaiian Burger {Grilled Pineapple Teriyaki Cheeseburger}
Ingredients
Teriyaki Sauce {with optional toasted sesame seeds and ginger}
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted, optional)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated, optional)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with ¼ cup cold water)
Hawaiian Burger
- 1 lb ground beef (I like to use 85/15 ground beef or 80/20 ground chuck)
- ½ teaspoon sesame seed oil
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon paprika (optional, but recommended)
- 4 brioche buns (see recipe - toasted or grilled)
- 8 rings pineapple (2 slices per burger, fresh or canned, grilled)
- 4 slices provolone cheese (or cheddar cheese)
- 8 leaves green leaf lettuce (rinsed & pat dry)
Instructions
Ginger Sesame Teriyaki Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, soy sauce, light brown sugar, honey, toasted sesame seeds, ginger, and garlic powder. Heat to medium high, then combine cornstarch with cold water and add to the sauce. Cook on medium high until a slow boil is reached, reduce heat if necessary. Cook until the sauce thickens (you can add more water to thin the sauce if it thickens too fast, if needed). Remove from heat and allow to cool to warm room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Cheeseburger
- Add sesame seed oil to ground beef, then portion into 4 patties (¼ lb each) that are about ¾ of an inch in thickness and set aside. Toast or grill brioche or hamburger buns until golden brown, if desired. Grill pineapple, just enough to heat the pineapple and leave grill marks.
- Heat your grill, a large skillet or frying pan to medium high. Season the 4 ground beef patties with salt, pepper, and paprika (optional). Place the seasoned side facing down into the heated grill, skillet or frying pan (they should sizzle upon contact). Repeat seasoning on the upward facing side of the patties. Cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes, then flip the burger when the bottom has a nicely browned coloring. Cook the second side for 4-5 minutes, adding the cheese slices in the last minute of cooking. Close the grill lid, or cover the skillet or frying pan with a lid if the cheese is not melting.
- While the burgers are cooking, place green leaf lettuce on the bottom half of the buns. When the burger patties are finished cooking, place them onto the bun and lettuce, top with grilled pineapple and drizzle with some of the teriyaki. Add the bun top and serve with any additional condiments or toppings desired.
Notes
Burger Cooking Times
Cooking times are based on cooking your ¼ pound ground beef burgers over direct heat, on the grill or stove top.- 6-7 minutes for medium-rare (red in the middle)
- 7-8 minutes for medium (pink in the middle)
- 9 minutes for medium-well (only a hint of pink in the middle)
- 10 minutes for well done (no pink in the middle)
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
jc says
Hubby was willing to try this; he just usually likes LTO burgers! He thought they were delicious!!!
I did not use the cheese. I did season the burgers before grilling, as suggested (including the smoked paprika).
I did not make the sauce, nor did I have any teriyaki sauce, but had a bottled stir fry sauce on hand and it worked well! After flipping the burgers, I brushed with the sauce, same with the pineapple. Brushed each again with the sauce when placing the burgers on the lettuce and bun bed. So Good! Thanks for the yummy recipe! Will make again!!