This is a beef or chicken burger glazed with a homemade teriyaki sauce — soy, mirin, sake, ginger, garlic, and sugar — and finished with Kewpie mayo and shredded lettuce on a soft brioche bun. The sauce is the whole point, and you make it from scratch in about five minutes. It’s a genuinely different burger to throw into a cookout rotation, and the components scale up cleanly for a crowd.
The technique that matters
The teriyaki glaze needs to reduce until it coats the back of a spoon before it ever touches the patty. If you brush it on too thin, it runs off and you lose that sticky, lacquered finish that makes this burger what it is. The second thing worth getting right is the sear: cook the patty fully on one side before flipping, then brush the glaze on during the last 60–90 seconds of cooking so it caramelizes rather than burns. For beef patties, pull them at 160°F (71°C) internal temperature; for chicken, go to 165°F (74°C) — no pink, no exceptions.
Troubleshooting
- Glaze burns before the patty is cooked through: Your heat is too high. Drop to medium, and only apply the glaze in the final 90 seconds. The sugars in mirin and regular sugar scorch fast.
- Patties falling apart on the grill: Make sure the mix is well-chilled before shaping — 20 minutes in the fridge helps the fat firm up and the patties hold together. Also, don’t press them with the spatula mid-cook.
- Sauce too sweet or too salty after reducing: Taste it before it goes on the patty. A small splash of rice vinegar cuts excess sweetness; a teaspoon of water stirred in tames a too-salty reduction.
- Brioche bun going soggy: Toast the cut sides in a dry pan until golden. The crust layer buys you a few extra minutes before the Kewpie mayo and glaze soak through — useful when you’re assembling burgers for a group and they’re not all eaten at once.
- Kewpie mayo separating or looking oily: It’s been in a warm spot. Keep it refrigerated until the moment you’re assembling. It doesn’t behave like standard mayo when it gets warm.
Substitutions that actually work
- Mirin: If you can’t find it, use 1 tablespoon dry sherry plus 1 teaspoon sugar per tablespoon of mirin. It’s not identical but it gets you close.
- Sake: Dry sherry or a splash of dry white wine both work. Skip the cooking sake sold in some Asian grocery stores — it has added salt and will throw off the balance.
- Kewpie mayo: Regular full-fat mayo works in a pinch, but add a small dash of rice vinegar to approximate Kewpie’s slight tang. The texture will be thicker.
- Brioche bun: A potato roll is the next best option — soft, slightly sweet, holds up well. Standard sesame seed buns work but go stale-feeling faster once the glaze hits them.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Skip the egg in the mix — it makes the patty mushy. Panko alone, moistened slightly, gives you a lighter bind without the texture problem.
Make-ahead notes
The teriyaki sauce keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to two weeks, which makes it the obvious thing to prep ahead when you’re cooking for a group — make a double or triple batch the night before. Raw shaped patties can be stacked with parchment between them and refrigerated for up to 24 hours, or frozen for up to two months; thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking. Cooked patties reheat reasonably well in a covered skillet over low heat with a tablespoon of water to keep them from drying out, though they’re best fresh off the grill. Don’t assemble the burgers in advance — the glaze and mayo will soften the bun within about 10 minutes.
MOS-Style Teriyaki Burger
Ingredients
For the Teriyaki Sauce:
- ½ cup soy sauce use low sodium for better balance
- ¼ cup mirin sweet rice wine, available in Asian markets
- ¼ cup sake optional, adds depth
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar adds caramel-like sweetness
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
For the Burger Patties:
- 1 pound ground chicken or beef organic, 85% lean recommended
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs Japanese-style for better texture
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
To Assemble:
- 4 pieces brioche or steamed burger buns light, soft, slightly sweet preferred
- ½ cup shredded lettuce iceberg or romaine for crunch
- 4 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise Kewpie brand recommended
Instructions
- Prepare the Teriyaki Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally until slightly thickened and aromatic. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make the Burger Patties: In a mixing bowl, combine ground meat, panko, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until combined—don’t overwork the meat. Form into 4 equal flat patties, about 4 inches in diameter. Let them rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up.
- Cook the Patties: Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat (375°F/190°C). Add a little oil and cook patties for 4–5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through (internal temp of 165°F/74°C for chicken, 160°F/71°C for beef). In the last minute, brush both sides with teriyaki sauce and let it caramelize slightly.
- Assemble the Burgers: Lightly toast or steam the burger buns. Spread Japanese mayo on the bottom bun, add shredded lettuce, then place the patty. Drizzle extra teriyaki sauce over the patty. Cap with the top bun.
Notes
- For variation, try using grilled portobello mushrooms instead of meat for a vegetarian version.
- Add a slice of grilled pineapple to bring out the sweetness of the teriyaki.
- Use a ring mold while cooking patties for consistent shape and size.
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I use store-bought teriyaki sauce instead of making it from scratch?
You can, but the flavor will be noticeably sweeter and thinner than a homemade reduction. If you go that route, simmer the store-bought sauce in a small pan for 3–4 minutes to thicken it up before brushing it on — otherwise it just slides off the patty.
How do I keep the burgers warm while I cook the rest of the batch?
Place finished patties on a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a 200°F (93°C) oven — they’ll hold for up to 20 minutes without drying out. Don’t stack them or cover them tightly with foil, or the glaze turns tacky and the steam softens the crust you built.
Can I make this with ground chicken instead of beef?
Yes, and it works well — ground chicken soaks up the teriyaki glaze a little more than beef does. Just make sure you cook it all the way to 165°F (74°C) internal; ground chicken should never be served with any pink in the center.
Try these next
- Hawaiian Teriyaki Burger
- Teriyaki Whopper Jr copycat
- Korean Rice Bulgogi Burger
- Korean Fried Chicken Burger