Hawaiian Burgers

Remember the search for the Best Burger in West Michigan that I was doing? Did you think that I totally ditched it? I didn't. Life just got in the way, and I had to put it on the back burner.

I did eat my share of fantastic burgers this summer, which I need to share with you soon. Very soon, but today I need you to try this one at home. I had it last summer at my girlfriend Brenda's cottage and I could not stop thinking about it for months after. I had to have the recipe so I could make them for myself, and well, you too.

I made a few adjustments because I got myself all psyched up for these burgers and then I didn't' have all the ingredients. I think that they tasted just as good, and my kids said they were the best burgers they ever ate! Wow, that's worth something. (Note: my kiddos did not have theirs with pineapple slices....they are adventurous eaters, but that was going too far for them.)

Hawaiian Burgers

printable recipe

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 can (8oz) pineapple slices, drained, and juice reserved

2 tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce/marinade any kind (here's my homemade recipe)
1/2 cup finely minced onion

1 heaping tablespoon beef bouillon

(this is where I improvised Brenda's called for 1 packet beefy onion soup mix so if you have it, great)

salt and pepper to taste

buns toasted or grilled

lettuce, grilled or raw onion slices, condiments, Wasabi Mayo (recipe to follow), smoked provolone cheese slices

Chop up you onion fine...you want it undetectable.

Mix onion, teriyaki sauce, beef bouillon, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice together.

I have a raw meat aversion, so I use these disposable gloves, but if don't gag, like me, when you touch raw meat, then just go ahead and dig in there. Mix it up real good.

Make them in to nice patty's just a little bigger than the bun you are putting them on, to allow for the shrinkage on the grill.

Place the pineapple rings in the patties. You might have to reshape the burgers a bit around the rings. Salt and pepper to taste. No go stoke up the grill!

While your grill is heating up, butter your buns. In my opinion the bun makes the burger, so go to your local bakery and get yourself some good homemade buns. Or you could make them yourself...I have never done that. Yet.


Now if you have a griddle, or a fry pan will work too, grill your buns; or you could also stick them under the broiler...but don't get distracted. I have burned a whole bakery full of bread in my lifetime forgetting it under the broiler.

Voila! Perfection.

Now your grill is nice and hot, go throw your burgers on the fire. But YOU NEED TO put them on with the pineapple facing down first. DO NOT put them on as shown in the above picture. It will work, but not really.

-Cook 4-5 minutes per side for medium done burgers.

-If you like cheese on your burgers, smoked provolone is a good one for this burger place it on there 30 seconds, more or less, before you remove your burgers from the grill.

You can grill your onion or put it on your burger raw. What ever floats your boat. My boat floats with my onions grilled.

Condiments are very important in my life. I actually believe that it would be extremely hard to live with out them. My husband on the other hand goes through life condiment free. I would call him a name right now, but I love him and I usually don't swear, and I would not want you to get the wrong idea about us. Let's just say I make up for the lack of mayo in his life, and I have a muffin top to prove it! Sorry...I'm reigning it in...back on track. I think the Wasabi Mayo is the star of this show. I love it. It is awesome on sandwiches...everyday.

Wasabi Mayo

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon wasabi paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

OK now build that burger! I was also missing the lettuce, which would have made my photo much more palatable, but hey. This is a real house, with real people in it, that really don't always have it all together. It was fabulous with our with or without the lettuce. I hope you try this. Let me know what you think if you do.

Enjoy!