Life is a tropical vacation with my Hawaiian Style Burgers. These burgers feature a savory seasoning blend, caramelized toppings, and a sweet glaze. The cherry on top is homemade spicy mayo, which adds the perfect kick!

Calgon may not take you away, but my Hawaiian Style Burgers will transport you to another dimension. This recipe is perfect for any Summer luau, cookout, or pool party. Grab one while you can; I doubt you’ll have any leftovers!

Hawaiian Style Burgers | Heath Riles BBQ

Classic recipes have their place, but it’s also fun to try something new. Burgers are one of my favorite recipes to play around with. Ground beef is neutral enough to taste good with sweet, sour, and salty notes. These Hawaiian Style Burgers are sure to please any foodie! Don’t just take my word for it, though. Try this recipe for yourself, and let me know what you think!

The Ingredients

This recipe may sound fancy, but it uses ingredients found in most kitchens. Here’s what you need to add to your shopping cart. You’ll have plenty of leftover Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeño Rub and Heath Riles BBQ Beef Rub for the next tasty recipe.

Ground meat. These Hawaiian Style Burgers use a mix of ground pork and ground beef. I found this blend at my local Costco and was so impressed with the flavor. Plus, the addition of pork kept the patties juicy and rich.

Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeño Rub. This delicious AP rub was an instant best-seller. Who can resist a spicy blend of hot peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper? It goes great on tacos, burgers, veggies, fries, and popcorn.

Heath Riles BBQ Beef Rub. I created this rub specifically for beef. It’s a must-have for steaks, roasts, and burgers. It contains a blend of chili powder, paprika, salt, garlic, and pepper. It’s not just for beef, though! You can use it on chicken, pork, or lamb.

Cheese slices. Since this burger contains a lot of unique flavors, I recommend sticking with creamy white cheeses. I used Havarti cheese, but you can also go with Swiss or pepper jack.

Toppings. One of the best parts of making a burger is the toppings. I kept my garnishes simple and used toasted brioche buns, grilled onion slices, and grilled pineapple rings. This combination was out of this world delicious!

Brown Sugar Garlic Glaze. A basic glaze is an easy way to jazz up any burger. This glaze is reminiscent of teriyaki sauce and includes brown sugar, lite soy sauce, and minced garlic. This glaze would taste great on chicken or pork chops, too!

Spicy Mayo. I love experimenting with homemade condiments. I wanted to add heat to this burger, so I created a spicy mayo using mayonnaise and sriracha. The result was a creamy sauce that wasn’t overly spicy.

The Smoker Setup

Here’s the main equipment I used for this recipe. More of my grilling favorites are in the Equipment and Tools section.

Kettle Grill. I cooked these Hawaiian Style Burgers on the Weber Kettle Grill. Beginners love this pit because there are only a few bells or whistles to mess with. Weber produces high-quality pits that last for ages. This model is easy to store, making it perfect for small spaces. There are also a lot of fun accessories you can purchase, like the Vortex Chimney, a must for two-zone fires.
Charcoal. I stoked the pit with Royal Oak Charcoal. I used Royal’s new super-size charcoal and was so impressed. This charcoal doesn’t use any fillers and produces pure, clean smoke. I use them just about every time with fabulous results. I also added a few Royal Oak Tumbleweeds for good measure.

The Process for Making Hawaiian Style Burgers

You can find a visual demonstration of this recipe in the video. Here’s a quick overview of how I threw these delicious Hawaiian Style Burgers together.

Fire up the grill. I stoked the Weber Kettle Grill with Royal Oak Super-Size Charcoal Briquets and Royal Oak Tumbleweeds, creating a two-zone fire. I let the pit heat up to about 400℉, the perfect temperature for charcoal-infused burgers.
Form the patties. I divided my meat mixture into fourths, then formed the portions into a patty. This ratio gave me excellent, juicy, ½ pound burgers.
Add seasonings. I laid each patty on Heath Riles BBQ Butcher Paper, then seasoned them with Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeño Rub and Heath Riles BBQ Beef Rub. I flipped the burgers and repeated the process on the other side.
Start grilling. I set the Hawaiian Style Burgers directly on the cool zone of the Weber Kettle Grill.
Make the glaze. While the burgers cooked, I made a glaze by combining brown sugar, lite soy sauce, and garlic in a cast iron pan. I set the glaze on the Weber Kettle Grill to thicken.
Grill the onions. Next, I laid the onion and pineapple slices on the grill. This step brings out the natural sweetness in the onion and gives it a caramelized texture.
Make the spicy mayo. While the onions charred, I whipped up a zesty, spicy mayo by combining mayonnaise and sriracha until smooth.
Add glaze. Once the burgers started sweating, I flipped them and brushed on the glaze. I also added glaze to the pineapple and onion slices to make them sticky-sweet. The pineapple and onions only need a few minutes to caramelize, so keep watch!
Finish the burgers. When the burgers were almost done, I moved them to the grill’s hot zone. This creates a perfect crust without sacrificing any juiciness. I added one last coat of glaze to both sides and let the meat cook until it reached 143℉ internally. I topped each burger with a slice of Havarti cheese and let it cook until melted.
Assemble the burgers. To assemble the burgers, I toasted the brioche buns, then spread my spicy mayo over both buns. Next, I added a burger patty, topped with pineapple rings and charred onions. The only thing left was to try a bite!

The Results

The Hawaiian Style Burgers tasted like a tropical vacation! This burger is multi-faceted with an exciting flavor profile. With every bite, you get a combination of spicy mayo, sweet pineapple, and rich, savory meat.