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Spicy Teriyaki Elk Burgers

A flavorful twist on the classic elk burger that the whole family will love! Spice up your burger night with a few simple ingredients like teriyaki sauce and fresh pineapple.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
23 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 515 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Burger Patties:
  • 1 lb ground elk (or venison, moose, antelope, etc.)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon teriyaki sauce or Japanese BBQ sauce
  • 2 tablespoon bacon grease, melted (use less if your meat has a good amount of fat ground in.)
Other Ingredients:
  • Olive oil spray
  • 4 slices fresh pineapple
  • teriyaki sauce or Japanese BBQ sauce
  • 4 slices pepper jack cheese
  • 4 burger buns
  • 4 pieces leaf lettuce
  • ½ cup pickled jalapenos
  • mayonnaise

Instructions

Burger Patties:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Thaw ground meat in a paper towel-lined bowl under refrigeration to remove excess moisture. This helps the burger patties stick together.
  2. Preheat grill to 350°F.
  3. To a medium bowl, add ground meat, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, teriyaki sauce, and melted bacon grease.
  4. Mix with your hands until the spices are well combined with the meat. Work quickly because the bacon grease will start to set up. When you're done mixing, the bacon grease should be distributed throughout the meat.
  5. Divide meat into 4 equal portions and gently roll the portions into balls.
  6. Form each ball into a patty by gently squishing it between the palms of your hands. Patties should be about 4-5" in diameter. Using your thumb, place a small dimple in the middle of each patty. If your patties have warmed up, place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to help them stick together.
  7. Place patties on the preheated grill directly over the flame. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until browned on the bottom.
  8. Flip burgers and immediately drizzle with teriyaki sauce and top with 1 slice of cheese per burger patty. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the burgers are cooked through. You can add more teriyaki sauce on top of the cheese as well. Remove to a plate and assemble burgers.
Grilled Pineapple:
  1. You can grill the pineapple while you grill the burgers, if your grill has enough space directly over the flames. Or you can grill it before you grill the burgers and keep it warm until serving.
  2. Spray the grill grates with olive oil spray. Place the pineapple slices on the grill, directly over the flames. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce.
  3. Grill for 3 minutes, or until grill marks are on the bottom of the pineapple. Flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Assembly:
  1. You can assemble your burgers however you'd like but this is how I like to do it!
  2. Spread mayo on hamburger buns. Place burger patties on the bottom halves of the buns. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce.
  3. Top with pickled jalapeños, grilled pineapple, and lettuce. Place the top halves of the buns on top. Place a sandwich pick in each burger to hold them together. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Thaw your meat on paper towels to help remove off flavors. This also removes excess liquid which helps to keep your patties from falling apart.
  • If your meat has fat ground in, you can cut back on the bacon grease. It adds juiciness to burgers that don't already have fat ground in.
  • This recipe uses a pellet grill but you can use a gas grill, charcoal grill, or cast iron skillet to cook the burger patties.
  • Thaw your meat on paper towels to help remove off flavors. This also removes excess liquid which helps to keep your patties from falling apart.
  • If your meat has fat ground in, you can cut back on the bacon grease. It adds juiciness to burgers that don't already have fat ground in.
  • Don't overmix the meat or smash the patties too much. Gently mix in the spices and form the patties to keep the burgers from becoming hard when you cook them.
  • Shape your burger patties then refrigerate them for a few hours before grilling to help them stick together!
  • Adding cheese right after flipping the burgers helps ensure the cheese melts before the burgers get overcooked.

Nutrition Information

Calories 515kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 36g (12%) Protein 35g (70%) Fat 25g (38%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 8g Cholesterol 100mg (33%) Sodium 1.215mg (0%) Potassium 597mg (17%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 13g (26%) Vitamin A 575IU (12%) Vitamin C 43mg (48%) Calcium 253mg (25%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 515

% Daily Value*

Calories 515kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Protein 35g 70%
Fat 25g 38%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 100mg 33%
Sodium 1.215mg 0%
Potassium 597mg 13%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 13g 26%
Vitamin A 575IU 12%
Vitamin C 43mg 48%
Calcium 253mg 25%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.