Easy Chicken Teriyaki Burger

Burgers are always a hit at my house, but sometimes you want something a little different from the usual beef patty. Don’t get me wrong—I love a classic cheeseburger—but when I’m craving something with more flavor, I turn to chicken teriyaki burgers.

The sweet and savory teriyaki sauce paired with juicy grilled pineapple makes this burger feel like a mini vacation. And the best part? It’s just as easy as making regular burgers. You’re basically just swapping ground beef for chicken and adding a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

These burgers are great for weeknight dinners when you want something quick but special. My family requests them all summer long, and I’m happy to make them because there’s hardly any cleanup involved. Just fire up the grill and you’re good to go.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For this teriyaki burger, you’ll want to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs – both work great but offer slightly different results. Chicken breasts are leaner and have a milder flavor, while thighs are a bit juicier and more forgiving if you accidentally overcook them. If you’re using chicken breasts, try to find ones that are similar in size and thickness so they cook evenly on the grill or in the pan. You can also pound them to an even thickness if needed, which helps prevent dry edges while waiting for the center to cook through.

Options for Substitutions

This burger is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients around:

• Pineapple slices: Fresh pineapple works great if you have it – just slice it into rings about ½-inch thick. Canned is more convenient though, and honestly tastes just as good when grilled.
• Teriyaki sauce: Store-bought teriyaki is totally fine, but you can make your own by mixing soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. If you’re out of teriyaki entirely, try using a mix of soy sauce and honey with a splash of rice vinegar.
• Swiss cheese: Not a fan of Swiss? Provolone, mozzarella, or even pepper jack work really well with the sweet teriyaki flavors. Cheddar is fine too, though it has a stronger taste.
• Chicken: Ground chicken, chicken breasts, or chicken thighs all work for this recipe. If using breasts or thighs, pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly on the grill or in the pan.
• Hamburger buns: Brioche buns add a nice touch of sweetness, but regular sesame seed buns or even ciabatta rolls work just fine.
• Mayonnaise: Mix your mayo with a little sriracha for some heat, or swap it out for wasabi mayo if you want an Asian-inspired kick.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Grilling

The biggest mistake when making teriyaki burgers is using chicken breasts straight from the marinade without patting them dry first, which prevents proper browning and creates steam instead of those nice grill marks you want.

Since teriyaki sauce contains sugar, it can burn quickly over high heat, so keep your grill at medium temperature and watch the chicken closely – if the outside is charring before the inside reaches 165°F, move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking.

Don’t skip grilling the pineapple slices for at least 2-3 minutes per side until you see caramelized edges, as raw pineapple lacks the sweet, smoky flavor that makes this burger special.

Finally, toast your hamburger buns on the grill for about 30 seconds to prevent them from getting soggy from the juicy chicken and pineapple.

What to Serve With Chicken Teriyaki Burgers?

These burgers are already pretty loaded with the pineapple and teriyaki flavors, so I like to keep the sides simple and let the burger be the star. A batch of crispy sweet potato fries or regular fries works perfectly – they’re great for dipping in any extra teriyaki sauce you might have on the side. If you want something lighter, try a simple cucumber salad with rice vinegar and sesame seeds, or some coleslaw to add a nice crunch that balances out the sweet teriyaki glaze. For a full Hawaiian-style meal, serve these burgers with some white rice or macaroni salad on the side.

Storage Instructions

Store: If you have leftover cooked chicken patties, let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the buns and toppings separate so everything stays fresh and the bread doesn’t get soggy.

Freeze: The cooked chicken patties freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, then put them all in a freezer bag. This way you can grab just what you need for a quick meal later on.

Assemble: When you’re ready to eat, thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight or warm it up from frozen in a skillet over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes per side. Then just build your burger fresh with all the toppings for the best taste and texture.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1750-2050
• Protein: 90-110 g
• Fat: 60-75 g
• Carbohydrates: 200-240 g

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 1 lb chicken thighs or breasts
• 20 oz canned pineapple slices in 100% juice
• 1 1/4 cups teriyaki sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon honey

For the burger:

• 4 burger buns (toasted on the grill)
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 1 head butter lettuce
• 4 slices swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Step 1: Marinate Chicken and Prepare Mise en Place

• 1 lb chicken thighs or breasts
• 1 1/4 cups teriyaki sauce

Cut chicken thighs or breasts into patties roughly 3/4-inch thick, then place them in a shallow dish or ziplock bag.

Pour the teriyaki sauce over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are submerged, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours for deeper flavor).

While the chicken marinates, slice the tomatoes and red onion, separate and wash the butter lettuce leaves, and divide the mayonnaise into small portions for easy spreading.

I find that marinating for at least 2 hours gives you great flavor without requiring overnight prep, so you have flexibility with timing.

Step 2: Create Teriyaki-Ginger Glaze and Prep Pineapple

• 20 oz canned pineapple slices in 100% juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated honey
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Drain the canned pineapple, reserving the juice, and set the slices aside on paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the reserved pineapple juice with the honey and freshly grated ginger, stirring until the honey dissolves completely.

This ginger-enhanced glaze will add brightness and depth to both the chicken and pineapple as they cook.

Step 3: Grill Chicken and Pineapple

• marinated chicken from Step 1
• ginger-honey glaze from Step 2
• 4 slices swiss cheese
• pineapple slices from Step 2

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 375-400°F).

Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Place chicken patties on the grill and cook for 5-7 minutes per side until cooked through and nicely charred, basting with the ginger-honey glaze during the final 2 minutes of cooking on each side.

In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, top each patty with a slice of swiss cheese to melt.

Simultaneously, grill the pineapple slices for 2-3 minutes per side until they develop light char marks and caramelize slightly.

Remove everything from the grill and set aside.

Step 4: Toast Buns and Assemble Burgers

• 4 burger buns
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 head butter lettuce
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• cheese-topped chicken from Step 3
• grilled pineapple from Step 3

Place the burger buns cut-side down on the grill for 1-2 minutes until lightly toasted and golden.

Spread mayonnaise on the bottom half of each bun, then layer with butter lettuce, a tomato slice, red onion slices, the cheese-topped grilled chicken patty from Step 3, and a grilled pineapple slice.

Top with the upper bun half.

I like to layer the lettuce first as a barrier—it keeps the bun from getting soggy while the warm chicken melts the cheese and pineapple caramelizes beautifully.

Easy Chicken Teriyaki Burger

Delicious Easy Chicken Teriyaki Burger recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1900 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the marinade

• 1 lb chicken thighs or breasts
• 20 oz canned pineapple slices in 100% juice
• 1 1/4 cups teriyaki sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon honey

For the burger

• 4 burger buns (toasted on the grill)
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 1 head butter lettuce
• 4 slices swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

 

• Cut chicken thighs or breasts into patties roughly 3/4-inch thick, then place them in a shallow dish or ziplock bag. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are submerged, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours for deeper flavor). While the chicken marinates, slice the tomatoes and red onion, separate and wash the butter lettuce leaves, and divide the mayonnaise into small portions for easy spreading. I find that marinating for at least 2 hours gives you great flavor without requiring overnight prep, so you have flexibility with timing.
• Drain the canned pineapple, reserving the juice, and set the slices aside on paper towels to absorb excess moisture. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the reserved pineapple juice with the honey and freshly grated ginger, stirring until the honey dissolves completely. This ginger-enhanced glaze will add brightness and depth to both the chicken and pineapple as they cook.
• Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 375-400°F). Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit for 5 minutes. Place chicken patties on the grill and cook for 5-7 minutes per side until cooked through and nicely charred, basting with the ginger-honey glaze during the final 2 minutes of cooking on each side. In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, top each patty with a slice of swiss cheese to melt. Simultaneously, grill the pineapple slices for 2-3 minutes per side until they develop light char marks and caramelize slightly. Remove everything from the grill and set aside.
• Place the burger buns cut-side down on the grill for 1-2 minutes until lightly toasted and golden. Spread mayonnaise on the bottom half of each bun, then layer with butter lettuce, a tomato slice, red onion slices, the cheese-topped grilled chicken patty from Step 3, and a grilled pineapple slice. Top with the upper bun half. I like to layer the lettuce first as a barrier—it keeps the bun from getting soggy while the warm chicken melts the cheese and pineapple caramelizes beautifully.