Teriyaki Burger Bowls

 
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When summer hit, I have this constant dilemma of wanting to eat burgers like every weekend but also wanting to fit in my bikini. So burger bowls are my rescue! These Teriyaki Burger Bowls were perfect for weekend meal in the yard, and even better washed down with our favorite cider.

 
 

When I’m making something, I get in this mindset of it’s not homemade what is the point. So with teriyaki burgers comes teriyaki sauce, which is typically something I only buy pre-bottled & in the Asian section of Fred Meyer, and I decided to make my own for this one. & that was where the majority of my cooking effort was directed. One way I love to add a little sweetness to Asian sauces is fresh squeezed orange juice. I add a squeeze of orange to pretty much any stir fry, so adding to my go at teriyaki felt right. It has a really nice sweet & citrusy note that plays so well with the saltyness from Soy Sauce, and all I know was the end result was super delish teriyaki that left us adding extra sauce to our plates.

 
 

I drizzled the teriyaki right over the top of the whole thing, & paired it with a wasabi-soy-mayo dressing. The teriyaki sauce is pretty sweet (duh), so a more salty & spicy dressing made it all balance really nicely. Plus I like my shit saucey, & two sauces are sometimes better than one. Jordan really liked both, too, which is always a pretty secure indication the whole thing was a hit.

I put Jordan in charge of grilling the burgers, pineapple, & onion, leaving a lighter load of prep work for me & time to crack a cider (which I did enjoy on this occasion). So if anyone is in the same situation where your hubs can man the grill, I highly suggest pawning off a little of the work.

 
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For the teriyaki sauce

  • 1 c. soy sauce

  • 1 c. sugar

  • 1 orange, juiced

  • 1/4 . rice wine vinegar

  • 1 tbsp ginger

For the wasabi-soy-mayo dressing

  • 1/2 c. mayo

  • 1/3 c. pineapple, minced

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp wasabi

  • 1 tbsp sriracha

  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

  • Salt & pepper

For the burgers

  • 1 lb ground chicken

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 pineapple, sliced

  • 1 avocado, flesh scooped out & sliced

  • Swiss cheese, sliced

  • I bag of crunchy salad mix (I love the Crunchciferous Salad Mix from TJs)

Place a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add in all the ingredients for the sauce, whisking constantly, & cranking up the heat to medium high. Continue to whisk until the sauce begins to bubble, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off & let the sauce cool completely.

In a separate bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the mayo dressing, adding in a small pinch of salt & pepper. It should have a nice spice to it when you give it a taste. Place the dressing in the fridge.

Now time to get cooking. Form the ground chicken into 4 patties, seasoning both sides with salt & pepper. Either using a grill or a large sauté pan over medium high heat (grill preferred), add the burger patties, onion, & pineapple and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side. You want the burgers to be fully cooked through, and the onions and pienapple to have a slight charred. When everything is just about done, place the cheese on the burger patties, keep the patties over heat until the cheese melts. Remove all veggies from the heat.

To plate up you dinner, fill one side of a shallow bowl or large plate with a handful of salad. On the other side of the plate, place a spoonful of the mayo dressing - about a tablespoon or two - smearing it in a line. Place the burger patty, avocado, pineapple, and onion on top of the dressing, overlapping them slightly so they touch the lettuce, fit on the plate, & it looks like one cohesive dish. Drizzle the teriyaki sauce generously ontop of the entire plate. We also added a drizzle fo sriracha to spice things up.

Lesley Zehner