Teriyaki Mango Pineapple Salsa Burgers - Oh My!

Heaven on a bun.

I know it sounds like far to many flavor combinations, but trust me it was fantastic! It was so good I completely forgot to take a picture so I am sharing the photo from Annie's-Eats.com since thats where I stumbled across this recipe gem. 

Monday was Memorial Day and we wanted to cook out for some family and friends. This was the perfect recipe. It was also a lot simpler than I thought it would be to make. For someone who doesn't like Teriyaki Sauce on anything - I LOVE this Teriyaki Sauce. So if you're on the fence about this one, try it - you might just find that you love it as well. If you want to go for the full Vegan effect, sub the hamburger patties for Morning Stars Veggie Burgers or Boca Burgers. 

I'm discovering a new found love affair with Pineapple. A few months back my hubby convinced me to try it on pizza with some ham and I haven't looked back since. I keep adding pineapple to most of my food. Salads, tacos, hummus - yes trust me it's great! The Mango Pineapple Salsa was great topped off on hot dogs or just some tortilla chips.

Teriyaki Burgers with Mango Pineapple Salsa
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Ingredients:
For the salsa:
1 mango, diced
1-1½ cups diced fresh pineapple
½ of one red bell pepper, diced small
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
Juice of one lime
Pinch of coarse salt

For the sauce:  (I halved it and had plenty for 4 burgers)
1 cup fresh chopped pineapple
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced fine
3 tbsp. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. vinegar (apple cider or rice vinegar)
½ tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. cold water

For the burgers:
1 lb. ground sirloin
2 tbsp. finely chopped yellow onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 or 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Toss to mix well.  Cover and refrigerate, allowing flavors to blend while you prepare the sauce and burgers.

To make the sauce, combine the pineapple, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, garlic, vinegar and sesame oil in a blender or food processor.  Puree until smooth and well blended.  Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan.  Warm over medium-high heat until bubbly, about 1-2 minutes.  In a small prep bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and stir until well incorporated.  Continue heating the sauce, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the burgers, prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat.  In a large bowl, mix together the beef, yellow onion, garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Form the mixture into 4 patties, each about ¾-inch thick.

When the grill is heated, cook the hamburgers directly over medium-high heat, turning once, 3 -5 minutes per side. Check for doneness by cutting into a hamburger near the center or testing with an instant-read thermometer. No pink should show on the inside, and the internal temperature should register at least 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.  A few minutes before the burgers are done cooking, grill the buns just until lightly brown and toasted.

To serve, place a hamburger patty on each of the buns.  Top with teriyaki sauce and garnish with mango-pineapple salsa.  Replace the top bun to form a sandwich and serve immediately.