Grilled Teriyaki Burgers Recipe

Burgers can seem like a less-than-exciting option for dinner unless you dress them up a bit, which is exactly what recipe developer Kate Shungu is doing here. In this dish, she's going with an Asian-slash-tropical theme, flavoring her burgers with teriyaki sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds and then garnishing them with grilled pineapple and roasted red peppers. "The flavors are reminiscent of a teriyaki dish that's typically served over rice," she says — but of course, this version comes on a bun and goes great with a side of fries.

This burger recipe is highly adaptable, so you can make a few tweaks based on your preferences or the ingredients you have on hand. Opt for 80% or 90% lean ground beef instead of the 85% lean meat Shungu favors, or swap it out for ground turkey or plant-based patties. You can also use a different type of breadcrumbs or even cracker crumbs if you don't have panko, while canned pineapple rings are a convenient swap if you don't want to go through the hassle of cutting a pineapple.

‌Preheat grill to medium heat.

Form beef mixture into 4 patties, each about ¾ inch thick.

Place pineapple rings on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 2–3 minutes, or until grill marks appear.

Place beef patties on the grill, cover, and cook for 4 minutes.

Remove patties from the grill and brush evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce.

Place the bottom buns on a serving platter. Top each with a beef patty, a pineapple ring, a slice or 2 of roasted red peppers, and a top bun.

Serve immediately.

"The key to a restaurant-quality burger is building the flavor and varying the textures," Shungu shares. That's perhaps why restaurant chains like Red Robin cultivate lengthy menus of burgers topped with tasty combos like barbecue sauce, cheddar, and caramelized onions or bacon, eggs, and American cheese. 

In this particular burger, the green onions and teriyaki sauce mixed into the meat provide fresh fragrance and an umami boost, while grilling the pineapple deepens its flavor and makes the fruit even sweeter. The red peppers, too, are more flavorful because of the roasting, adding a sharpness that contrasts with the rich beef.

As for the texture, the pineapple and peppers make for a much heartier mouthful than classic lettuce and tomato, while the sesame seeds inside the burger patties (instead of atop the buns) provide a little bit of crunch from an unexpected direction. Even the step of grilling the buns works to provide some textural contrast, as they're lightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Next time you devise a custom burger recipe, consider these tips on creating complementary textures and flavors.