These Hawaiian teriyaki burgers are juicy, flavorful, and made for summer grilling. Each burger is packed with fresh ginger, scallions, and a hint of spice, then topped with grilled pineapple and a simple homemade teriyaki sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big, bold flavor from fresh ginger, garlic, and soy
- Grilled pineapple adds natural sweetness and caramelization
- Juicy burgers with built-in flavor (not just toppings)
- Great for summer cookouts and easy entertaining
- Flexible — works with beef, turkey, or even salmon
If you’re firing up the grill this summer, this is one burger worth making. Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers are fresh, juicy and oh-so flavorful. Fresh ground beef is mixed with chopped scallions, grated carrots, fresh ginger, and a touch of spice for a flavorful teriyaki-style burger. Then topped with a perfect, freshly-made teriyaki sauce and grilled, caramelized pineapple.
If you’ve never had grilled pineapple, this is the recipe to try it. The edges caramelize just enough to bring out its natural sweetness. The outside caramelizes just enough for a special treat to add to any meat, fish, chicken or to enjoy on its own. The homemade pineapple teriyaki sauce is spot-on perfect teriyaki, but couldn’t be easier to create. You’ll want to keep the sauce recipe on hand to make over and over.
Ingredients in Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers
- Ground beef
- Carrots, scallions, jalapeño
- Fresh ginger + soy sauce
- Pineapple (fresh or canned in juice)
- Brown sugar, garlic (for sauce)
- Hamburger buns + toppings
Best Pineapple for Grilling (Fresh vs. Canned)
- Fresh = best flavor + caramelization
- Canned works — just use pineapple in juice, not syrup
- Pat dry before grilling for better char
How to Make Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers
- Make the teriyaki sauce and let it cool
- Mix burger ingredients gently and form patties
- Grill burgers until cooked through
- Grill pineapple during the last few minutes
- Assemble with sauce + toppings
As good as the teriyaki sauce and pineapple are, the best part of this recipe is the burger. Which is exactly what you want in a burger. Infusing the meat with fresh ingredients before grilling adds incredible flavor… just look at this.
What to Serve with Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers
- Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
- Garlic Parmesan Cheese Bread
- Grilled corn or vegetables
- Simple green salad
Variations & Substitutions
- Ground turkey or chicken (add a little oil for moisture)
- Try with salmon
- Swap sriracha for chili garlic sauce
- Serve without bun over lettuce for a lighter option
We also added lettuce, avocado and red onions to the bun but feel free to scrap the bun all together. The juicy burger, caramelized pineapple and perfect sauce is also fabulous just over a bed of lettuce.
If you’re looking for something a little different from the usual cheeseburger, these Hawaiian teriyaki burgers are such a good change of pace. The combination of juicy beef, sweet grilled pineapple, and that easy homemade sauce just works — especially in the summer when everything goes on the grill. It’s one of those recipes that feels a little special without being complicated.
Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers with Grilled Pineapple
Ingredients
For the Teriyaki sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup cold water
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar, plus 2 Tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, very fine
- 2 small garlic cloves, finely minced
For the burger:
- 2 pounds fresh ground beef
- ½ cup grated carrots
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- ½ jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, more if you like it spicy
- 8 slices fresh pineapple
- Lettuce, red onions and whatever other fixings you want for the burgers
- 8 hamburger buns
Instructions
Make the Teriyaki Sauce:
- Combine 1 Tablespoon cornstarch in ½ cup cold water and dissolve. Set aside to thicken.
- In a small saucepan, mix ½ cup soy sauce, 1 cup pineapple juice, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 2 garlics over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer until sauce reduces, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add cornstarch and water mixture, simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Make the Burgers:
- Combine 2 pounds ground beef with ½ cup grated carrots, ½ cup scallions, ½ jalapeño pepper, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce. Mix throughout but don't overwork the mixture so the patties don't get tough. Form 8 equal sized patties.
On the Grill:
- Place the patties on the hot grill and cook until they reach desired doneness, grilling the pineapple next to the patties during the last 5 minutes or so. Optionally, you could brush a little teriyaki sauce on the pineapple slices as they grill.
- To serve, place a piece of lettuce on the bottom of each burger bun. Top with the cooked burger and 1 Tablespoon (or more) of teriyaki sauce, top with grilled pineapple and any other fixings you want to include.
Notes
Notes & Tips
Don’t overmix the meatMix just until combined to keep the burgers tender and juicy. Sauce thickens as it cools
If it seems a little thin at first, let it sit a few minutes—it will continue to thicken. Fresh pineapple is best (but canned works)
Use pineapple packed in juice, not syrup, and pat dry before grilling for better caramelization. Oil the grill grates
This helps prevent sticking, especially with the pineapple. Make ahead option
The teriyaki sauce can be made 2–3 days in advance and reheated before serving.
Perfect for summer. cant wait to they these!
SUPER delicious! Made these for dinner and loved all of the flavor! Thank you for another great recipe Sally 🙂
Thanks, Terry! This is definitely one of our favorite burgers.
They were excellent! Juicy and full of flavor. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Thanks, Pam! One of my favorite burger recipes for all the reasons you mention. Try my turkey burger if you like a juicy, flavorful burger. 🙂
My husband loves this sandwich, I had to make it twice in one day! I did add Maple Bacon and loved the grilled pineapple slices. Was so good!!
Whoa, love the idea of adding the bacon, Janice. And the fact that you had to make this twice in one day just made my day! 😀
I LOVE anything teriyaki and these did not disappoint! Added sprouts to mine and served on a brioche bun. Out of this world delicious Sally! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Jackie-Lynn! I’m happy you liked the burger. It’s a favorite at our house, too!
Making this today! You don’t need an egg or binder to keep the meat together?
Hi Jon, Nope! It all holds together just right as is. 🙂
This is absolutely one of the best burgers I have ever tasted!….If not THE best. The teriyaki sauce is the perfect
flavor, not too sweet or tangy. The sriracha really makes it stand out and gives it that extra punch, but it isn’t too hot.
I loved the combination of the carrots, jalapenos, ginger & garlic in the patty….tasty.
I will definitely be making this again!
I love a good classic burger, but this variation sounds amazing! The soy sauce-pineapple combination is one of my all time favorites!
Chelsea, I too usually prefer the classic burger. But I promise, this won’t disappoint. 🙂
The combination of teriyaki, pineapple and sriracha sounds divine in this burger. I can’t wait to try this.
Kathy, It really is super flavorful and delicious! Let me know what you think.