Teriyaki Burgers

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Back in the day, when we didn't have three large, teenage males to feed, we went out to dinner. Nothing fancy, but occasionally we would find ourselves out and about at dinner time and we'd stop someplace that offered free kids meals one night a week. Occasionally that was Red Robin. I enjoyed Red Robin because the food was pretty good, the kids enjoyed it, and it was loud enough that if they misbehaved, every one wasn't watching. Especially on kids night -- someone else's kid is always acting worse.

I haven't been to a Red Robin in probably 10 years. I'm sure Peach has never been. Such fun she's missing. One thing I remember from the menu, only because my husband ordered it every single time, is the Bonzai Burger. It's a teriyaki marinated burger, topped with cheese, grilled pineapple, lettuce and tomato. He fondly remembers it and when I suggested copying it, he was most pleased. He was even more pleased when I actually did copy it. He said it was even better than Red Robin's. Successful copycat. I have to thank Meemo, because when I Googled "Bonzai Burger recipe," her blog popped up and the recipe looked pretty authentic to me.

I changed the name to protect the copyright, but I am reposting Meemo's recipe almost exactly (her portions were really jumbo-sized, so I cut them back a little). When making these, plan ahead. The marinade not only has to do its work on the meat, but it has to cool after you cook it.

Teriyaki Burger
6 burgers

2 pounds ground beef, equally divided and formed into six patties

Marinade
1-3/4 c. water
1 c. soy sauce
1 c. light brown sugar
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. garlic powder


6 canned pineapple slices
6 slices cheddar cheese
6 sesame seed hamburger buns
mayonnaise
6 tomato slices
6 iceberg lettuce leaves

Combine all marinade ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Place burgers in a baking dish or a large storage container. Baste with marinade; flip and baste the other side (be sure to reserve some marinade for the pineapple slices). Cover container and refrigerate 4-12 hours. Place pineapple slices in a separate container with the remaining marinade, cover and chill.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Cook hamburgers 3 to 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. When you flip the burgers, add the pineapple to grill and cook until the grill marks show, turning once. About 1 minute before the burgers are done, place a slice of cheese on top of each patty to melt.

Spread mayonnaise on the top and bottom of each bun. Place hamburger patty on bottom bun and top with a tomato slice and a grilled pineapple slice on each. Cover with a lettuce leaf and place top bun on sandwich.


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