Spicy Hawaiian Burgers

These spicy Hawaiian burgers check all the boxes: delicious, nutritious, filling, juicy, slightly sweet and spicy, all thanks to perfectly seasoned Ground Beef patties, my favorite Hawaiian hamburger sauce, a pineapple relish, and chipotle mayo! 

For more ways to up your beef burger game, check out my favorite recipes for Greek Beef Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce, Bacon Blue Cheese Burgers, and California Club Burger.

For more ways to up your beef burger game, check out my favorite recipes for Greek Beef Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce, Bacon Blue Cheese Burgers, and California Club Burger. 

This post is a collaboration with Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.

May is one of my favorite months. There’s the promise of less rain (thanks April), warmer temperatures, the end of the school year, long weekends, the unofficial start of summer, and of course, National Beef Burger Day.

In honor of this amazing holiday, I wanted to create an out-of-the-box burger that could transport me to the tropics with just one bite. Enter this spicy Hawaiian burger. Chock full of Ground Beef seasoned and grilled to perfection then topped with not one but two different, delicious sauces and relish? Let’s just say my kids busted out their leis and had a little mini-luau around the grill to celebrate this fabulous burger. 

Why This Recipe Works

Each individual ingredient is delicious on its own, but put them all together? Heaven. 

Each individual ingredient is delicious on its own, but put them all together? Heaven. 

Beef— If you start with the choicest Ground Beef, then it’s really hard to go wrong. I truly believe there is nothing tastier than a Beef hamburger and there is no Beef substitute when it comes to a true hamburger.  While grilling Beef hamburgers is always my favorite way to cook them, you can also prepare them in other ways, and use any cooking style that works best for you. 

Chipotle mayo — So easy to make. Just mix mayo with adobo sauce and you have yourself your own chipotle mayo. My recommendation? Don’t skip this step. It adds a bit of heat and tangy taste that takes this beef burger over the top. 

Pineapple relish — Made of pineapple, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro, it’s the perfect accompaniment and cooling companion to the hamburger seasonings and chipotle mayo that makes that sweet/spicy combo really stand out.  This salsa can also be made up to a day ahead of time, too.  

Customizable — Beef hamburgers are so much more than just Beef and a bun. I encourage you to play with your burger recipes! There are so many tasty recipes with full flavors, you could try a “bun-less” version, or add your favorite delicious ingredients to a beef burger to make an extra scrumptious meal, like I did here with all of these tasty ingredients. 

Here’s How You Make It

Make the pineapple relish

In a bowl, mix together the finely diced pineapple, jalapenos, onions, and cilantro. Cover and set aside, or put in the fridge until ready to use or up to 24 hours. (photo 3)

Make the sauces

1. First, make the chipotle sauce by mixing together the mayo and adobo sauce. Set that aside. (photo 2)
2. Now make the Hawaiian hamburger sauce by combining the following ingredients in a small saucepan: teriyaki, ketchup, brown sugar, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Take it off the heat and set aside till ready to use. (not pictured)

Preparing the hamburgers

1. Divide the Ground Beef into four equal sections and shape each into a 5-inch patty. Season them with garlic powder, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. (photo 1)
2. Preheat the grill and add the hamburger patties. Grill on each side for 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink through the middle. If you’re not sure if they’re done or not, use a meat thermometer. Ground beef should be cooked to a safe and savory 160ºF when inserted horizontally from the side into the center of hamburger patty. (not pictured)
3. Transfer the patties to a platter and top each with a slice of pepper jack cheese right away, allowing the cheese to melt for 1-2 minutes. (photo 4)

Putting the spicy Hawaiian burgers together

Assemble the burgers in the following order: 

1. Spread chipotle mayo on the bottom half of a bun. (not pictured)
2. Top the bun bottom with a grilled burger patty, slice of bacon, a tablespoon or two of pineapple relish, the Hawaiian hamburger sauce, and then the top half of the bun. (not pictured)
3. Serve immediately. (not pictured)

Beef Cut Suggestions

While I used Ground Beef for this hamburger recipe, you might also find it in your meat department labeled as Chopped Steak, Ground Chuck, ground round, Ground Sirloin, Ground Steak, or Market trim. Versatility and rich flavor make ground beef ideal for burgers, tacos or wraps. Plus, it’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, and everything in-between.

Expert Tips

• For the buns, I love to use brioche (pictured) or sweet Hawaiian hamburger buns for this recipe. 
• No pineapple? No problem. You can substitute mango or papaya instead. Or use all three! 
• Ground Beef Burgers are a great ingredient to use as a base for meal prepping and planning, and Ground Beef is easy to cook once and use in multiple meals, which can help you cut down on food waste and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Visit www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com for more recipes and inspiration.

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• Greek Lemon Rice

Did you try this amazingly easy and tasty grilled chicken recipe? YAY! Please rate the recipe below!