Your favorite sweet and sour chicken in burger form! Burger buns stuffed to the gills with ground chicken burgers slathered with sticky sweet and sour sauce, topped with red onion, grilled pineapple, provolone, lettuce, tomato and then finished with a plum mayonnaise. These burgers are packed with flavor and perfect for all your grilling soirees!
Ahhh, the 4th of July. It conjures up visions of red, white & blue. Fireworks, block parties, kids running through the celebratory streets with sparklers. Children (and adults who act like children) throwing those ‘snaps’ on the ground producing a “POP!” sound (normally aimed at my feet).
The day invokes the smell of the grill firing up, wood chips and their appetizing aroma lingering in the air. Hot dogs and burgers grilling; fall off the bone tender ribs getting slathered in BBQ sauce. 
It’s a great holiday, if you ask me. Well, aside from the fact that my birthday is two days later. AND, my entire life I have had to celebrate THE ONE day I can call MY day with the Lady of Liberty… because it “made it easier on everyone”.* 
*side note: I call BS and say “come on, how unfair is that??” (Insert feet stomping like a toddler having a temper tantrum).* 
But, other than that pretty traumatic detail, I LOVE the 4th of July. It is fun, festive, and colorful. It brings people together who also happen to bring or cook good food. 
In the spirit of this glorious day, and in celebrating our big, beautiful, diverse country, which provides us our freedoms… I have, for your enjoyment, a great non-classic burger. I wanted to give you a different option for this special day. 
These burgers are forking deeee-lishhhh-ious. They are my play on ‘sweet n sour chicken’… which was always my go-to when my family ordered Chinese take-out growing up. 
You have the chicken (obviously), but instead of thigh meat pieces, I used lean ground chicken breast. Onion and pineapple garnishes are still included. However, they are left whole, sliced and grilled, instead of diced and sautéed. AND, the pineapple slices are kissed with a generous glazing of honey before being tossed on the grill. The best part, in my opinion, is the orange-redish candy colored, sticky, sweet, sour, incredibly addictive sauce that makes its appearance generously applied on top of all those wonderful components. (I was eating this sauce on its own, by the spoonful, until I got nervous someone was watching me and judging from afar). Then, because I could not stop there, I added a plum flavored mayonnaise to slather on those toasty, fresh off the grill, hamburger buns. 
Utter, AWE-SOME-NESS is happening with these burgers. So, bring something new to the party this 4th and make these! 
Wishing you all a happy and safe 4th of July! -xoxo- Cheyanne
Sweet & Sour Hawaiian Chicken Burgers with Grilled Pineapple & Plum Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Chicken
- 1/4 Cup Sweet n' Sour Sauce (recipe below)
- 1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1/3 Cup Scallions - minced
- 1 Clove Garlic - minced
- 1 tsp Ginger - grated (can substitute dry ground ginger)
- 1/4 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1/8 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 3 slices Pineapple - cut 1/2'' thick
SWEET & SOUR SAUCE
- 2 tsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 Shallot - minced (can substitute 2 TBS Onion)
- 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar - packed
- 1 Thai Chili - seeded and minced
- 2 tsp Fresh Ginger - grated
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 TBS Ketchup
- 1 TBS Soy Sauce (reduced sodium, recommended)
- 3 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar (can substitute Cider Vinegar)
- 1/2 Cup Pineapple Juice
- 2 tsp Cornstarch , dissolved in 2 TBS Water (to create a slurry)
PLUM MAYONNAISE
- 1/4 heaping Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 heaping TBS Asian Plum Sauce
- 1 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- *Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl*
OPTIONAL FOR SERVING: Burger Buns, Sliced Tomatoes, Provolone Cheese, Sliced Red Onion, Lettuce
Instructions
- FOR THE BURGERS:
- Combine all of the burger ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Gently, mis with your hands, being careful not to overwork the mixture.
- Divide the mixture into thirds. Delicately form each into a ball. Use yoru index finger to make an indention in the middle of each patty to prevent them from puffing up during cooking.
- Place on a parchment lined plate or half sheet pan.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour - up to overnight.
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Lightly grease grates with oil. While grill is heating allow burgers to sit on counter to remove chill.
- Grill burgers about 6 - 8 minutes per side (depending on how thick you formed them), until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the patty registers 160 degrees F. **See Notes**
- Remove burgers to a plate or clean work surface. Tent burgers lightly with aluminum and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- While burgers rest, toast the buns on the grill, about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per side.
- To Assemble:
- Bottom Burger Bun
- Slather on Plum Mayonnaise
- Burger Patty (with or without cheese)
- Pineapple Slice
- Red Onion Slice
- Tomato Slice
- Lettuce
- Sweet n' Sour Sauce
- Plum Mayonnaise slathered Top Burger Bun
- SWEET n' SOUR SAUCE DIRECTIONS:
- In a small bowl combine: Brown Sugar, Salt, Ketchup, Soy Sauce, Vinegar and Pineapple Juice. Set aside
- Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat, add Vegetable Oil. Add Onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add Chili, cook 1 minute, until slightly softened.
- Add Ginger, cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, or until aromatic.
- Add the set aside Sugar-Ketchup mixture to the pan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve mixture.
- Once simmering, add the cornstarch/water (slurry) mixture. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes; or until sauce is at desired thickness. (You want it to be able to coat the back of a spoon)
- Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Set aside and allow flavors to marry at least 10 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust salt content according to taste. (alternatively, you can cool the sauce and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks, stored in refrigerator.)
Notes
*If using Provolone (or a different variety of cheese), top during last 2 minutes of cooking.
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