These Hawaiian Turkey Burgers feature a juicy patty glazed with teriyaki sauce and topped with melted cheese and a sweet pineapple ring. It’s a delicious break from the traditional burger that will leave you wanting seconds!
$14.57 per recipe / $1.82 per serving
I loved eating these Hawaiian turkey burgers during the summer when I was growing up because it was a nice break from the traditional American hamburger.
Normally I like a burger piled high with lots of toppings, but this version is the exception.
It only has 2 toppings and 1 condiment, and the flavor is still incredible! You’ll get transported to breezy island luau with each bite.
This recipe works because it’s:
- The best combination of flavors. The salty teriyaki sauce combined with the sweet pineapple and juicy turkey burger makes this a burger you’ll want to make again and again.
- Simple to prepare. You only need a few ingredients to make these burgers and you can even cook them on the stovetop if you want! No need to heat up the grill.
- Healthier for you! Using ground turkey will save you some calories and fat so you can even eat 2 if you want 😉
Step-by-Step Instructions
Gently combine 2 pounds of ground turkey, 1 cup of panko bread crumbs, 1/3 cup sliced green onion, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium mixing bowl. Do not overmix.
Form meat mixture into 8 evenly sized patties.
Cook burgers on the grill, frying pan, or under broiler for 6-7 minutes. Flip burgers and cook until meat is no longer pink and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (about 10-12 minutes total). Baste the tops of the burgers with 1/2 cup of Teriyaki sauce during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Remove burgers to a plate and place a slice of Swiss cheese on each burger. Keep warm.
While the burgers are cooking, heat 8 pineapple rings in a frying pan over medium-low heat, basting each side with the remaining Teriyaki sauce. The pineapple should take 3-4 minutes to cook.
Toast 8 hamburger buns for serving.
Serve burgers on toasted buns spread with mayonnaise. Top each patty with a pineapple ring.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
You can always substitute ground beef for the ground turkey, but the flavor and nutritional content will not be the same. I’ve never tried this recipe with ground beef, so if you do let me know how it turns out!
The easiest way to make sure you get 8 equal-sized burgers is to press the meat flat into the bowl. Mark out four sections with the side of your hand. Then mark each of those sections in half. You’ll then have 8 even portions of meat!
Try serving these turkey burgers on King’s Hawaiian hamburger buns for an added sweet flavor.
If you don’t have panko bread crumbs on hand, and kind will do, just be aware that a seasoned bread crumb may alter the flavor of the burgers.
You can add chopped green peppers to the meat for additional flavor.
Try topping the burgers with lettuce, bacon, or red onion.
If you’re not a fan of Swiss cheese try provolone, muenster, or gruyere, or gouda.
If you need a substitute for some of the ingredients for any reason, try these:
Recipe Costs
The total cost for this recipe is $14.57 which makes each serving $1.82. This just goes to show that healthy recipes don’t have to cost more money. The Jennie-O ground turkey we like to use for these burgers is about $2.00 less per pound than the same amount of ground beef!
- Ground Turkey – $7.90
- Panko Bread Crumbs – $0.46
- Green Onion – $0.32
- Ground Ginger – $0.24
- Teriyaki sauce – $1.28
- Swiss Cheese – $1.48
- Canned Pineapple Rings – $1.28
- Hamburger Buns – $1.46
- Mayonnaise – $0.11
More Like This
Looking for more delicious grilled dishes? Try these!
See even more recipes like these (plus sides, desserts, and drinks) at 25+ Family Summer Dinner Ideas.
FAQs
Turkey burgers are a lot more delicate than traditional ground beef hamburgers. To keep them from falling apart, I like to cook the burgers on a frying pan so I can get a good grip on them with the spatula before flipping. If you cook them on a grill, they make get stuck and rip when you try to turn them.
Try cooking the turkey burgers on the stovetop or in the oven when you make them to keep them from falling apart.
Some turkey burger recipes call for egg, but this one does not. Ground turkey is wetter than ground beef, so adding too many liquids will make the burgers fall apart. The pineapple juice and breadcrumbs are all you need for the meat mixture.
If you don’t have any breadcrumbs on hand, try one of these substitutes:
-Crushed pretzels
-Crushed potato chips
-Cracker crumbs
-Crushed corn flakes
-Rolled oats
-Crumbled stale bread
I hope your family loves these Hawaiian turkey burgers! If you make them, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
And if you’d like to get a 4-week meal plan featuring my recipes, just enter your email in the form above and you’ll get it straight to your inbox!
Hawaiian Turkey Burgers with Pineapple
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup chopped green onion
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ cup pineapple juice, reserved from pineapple rings
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Teriyaki sauce, divided
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 8 canned pineapple rings
- 8 hamburger buns
- mayonnaise, to taste
Instructions
- Gently combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, green onion, ground ginger, pineapple juice, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Do not overmix.
- Form meat mixture into 8 evenly sized patties.
- Cook burgers on the grill, frying pan, or under the broiler for 6-7 minutes. Flip burgers and cook until meat is no longer pink and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (about 10-12 minutes total). Baste the tops of the burgers with 1/2 cup of Teriyaki sauce during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
- Remove burgers to a plate and place a slice of Swiss cheese on each burger. Keep warm.
- While the burgers are cooking, heat pineapple rings in a frying pan over medium-low heat, basting each side with the remaining Teriyaki sauce. The pineapple should take 3-4 minutes to cook.
- Toast hamburger buns for serving.
- Serve burgers on toasted buns spread with mayonnaise. Top each patty with a pineapple ring.