Easy grilled burgers topped with pineapple salsa and spicy aioli. Enjoy this juicy hamburger recipe at your next summer BBQ! Everything is on the table ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes!
Serve it with a Corn and Tomato Salad and finish with my Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos on the side.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: about 7 minutes on a medium-high grill
- ⏳ Total Time: under 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 burgers
- ⚡ Calories: 816kcal per burger with toppings, per the recipe card
- 🥣 Ingredients: ground beef, egg, hamburger seasoning, pineapple, plum tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime, avocado, gluten-free buns, mayonnaise, hot sauce and garlic powder
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Smoky and juicy, with sweet pineapple, jalapeno heat and a spicy, creamy aioli
- ✋ Difficulty: Mix, form, grill, top
Quick Answer
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Knead 1 lb ground beef with 1 egg and 1 tablespoon hamburger seasoning for 2 to 3 minutes, form 4 patties ½ inch thick, and chill them. For the salsa, mix ¾ cup finely diced pineapple, 1 diced plum tomato, 2 tablespoons diced white onion, 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno, 1 teaspoon cilantro and 1 teaspoon lime juice. For the aioli, mix ⅓ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. Oil the grill, cook the burgers 3 minutes, flip once and cook 3 to 4 minutes more to 160 degrees F, grilling the pineapple and onion rings alongside. Toast the buns and top each burger with aioli, salsa, avocado and grilled onions.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why These Burgers Stay Juicy
- Why You'll Love This Juicy Hamburger Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Organic and Grass-Fed Beef
- How to Make Juicy Grilled Hamburgers
- Tips for Grilling a Juicy Hamburger
- Let's Talk About This Pineapple Salsa
- Juicy Hamburger FAQs
- More Grilling Recipes
- Juicy Grilled Hamburgers With Pineapple Salsa and Spicy Aioli
It's burger season and what better way to enjoy the outdoors than to fire up that grill! I have to be honest with you before I start to get into sharing this juicy hamburger recipe with you. I don't eat red meat! But I know some of you do and my family just loves a big juicy burger too!
How about we give a big "WELCOME" to the first red meat recipe blog post on Delightful Mom Food!!!
During the summer months my husband makes grilled burgers almost every weekend. I usually have mine vegetarian with just lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, and avocado stacked inside gluten-free hamburger buns with a side of grilled corn and fresh seasonal salad. My favorite part is all the toppings and veggies you can add to a "burger" to make them healthier. On veggie nights I make my Grilled Veggie Burger.
Why These Burgers Stay Juicy
Click to see why it works
- Kneading packs the patty. About 3 minutes packs each patty in nice and tight so it does not fall apart on the grill, and settles in all the flavors.
- One egg holds it together. My husband's secret ingredient keeps burger patties staying together nice and tight and snug.
- A hot grill sears in the juices. Medium-high heat for 3 minutes gives the patties nice grill marks.
- Flip only once. Be gentle with the burgers on the grill.
- Never press them down. Pressing with a spatula pushes out the natural juices.
- Grilling lets fat drip away. The extra oils and fats drip into the fire instead of settling on the meat.
Why You'll Love This Juicy Hamburger Recipe
- Ready in under 30 minutes, toppings and all.
- Sweet and spicy. Pineapple salsa with hints of jalapeno heat pairs with a spicy aioli.
- Grilled flavor. Grilled hamburgers have a clearly distinct flavor rather than pan fried burgers.
- Gluten-free on gluten-free hamburger buns.
- Leftovers work too. Any leftover cooked patties can be crumbled up and added to pasta dishes for another meal.
Key Ingredients
- Ground beef - organic and grass-fed, lean or extra-lean.
- Egg and hamburger seasoning - or just salt and pepper.
- Pineapple - some diced for the salsa, the rest cut into rings for grilling.
- Plum tomatoes, white onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime - for the pineapple salsa.
- Purple onion - cut into rings for the grill.
- Mayonnaise, hot sauce and garlic powder - for the spicy aioli.
- Avocado and gluten-free hamburger buns - for serving. Want another sauce? Try my Gluten-Free BBQ Sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
Organic and Grass-Fed Beef
Shop for organic and grass-fed meats! When we buy red meat I only look for two things and those two things are it needs to be organic and grass-fed. I also try to only choose beef that is "lean" and "extra-lean" to minimize saturated fat and cholesterol.
Cows raised in the pasture have less saturated fat and higher amounts of omega-3 (healthier) fatty acids than grain-fed cattle. Eating organic and grass-fed meats also help to ensure there are no added hormones given to the cows.
I have found organic grass-fed ground beef at Grocery Outlet and Costco to have the best prices. You can also read my Butcher Box review, and see how beef compares in Ground Pork Vs. Ground Beef.
I do not want to deprive my boys (or any of you who love red meat) because it can be a healthy food choice for certain bodies. Everybody has a different blood type in which their bodies crave certain foods that help them thrive. My body doesn't do well on red meat but my husband and oldest both crave it. To the point that when they get a grilled burger in their hands it is gone within minutes and there is no return, no question, no food complaints and any hangry moments are out the door! To tell you the truth it is not the same situation feeding them a turkey burger. That being said, I am going to start adding our favorite grilled burgers recipes to the blog!
How to Make Juicy Grilled Hamburgers
1Make the patties. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Add the hamburger meat to a large bowl with 1 egg and hamburger seasoning (or just salt and pepper). Knead with your hands for about 2-3 minutes. Form the meat into 4 patties ½ inch thick, set them on a plate (not overlapping), and refrigerate until ready to use.
2Make the pineapple salsa. Slice the top and bottom off the pineapple, remove the skin and any brown spots, and slice into ½-inch rings, removing the hard core. Finely dice about 3 rings. Mix the diced pineapple with a diced plum tomato, diced white onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice, and refrigerate.
3Make the spicy aioli. In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, hot sauce and garlic powder. Set aside until the burgers are ready.
4Grill the burgers. Oil the grill. Cook the burgers on medium-high heat for 3 minutes, flip, and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and 160 degrees F.
5Grill the toppings. Oil the remaining pineapple rings and the purple onion rings and grill them 2-3 minutes on each side, until grill marks appear. During the last minute, toast the buns 1 minute per side.
6Serve. Serve the hamburgers immediately with the aioli, pineapple salsa, sliced tomatoes, grilled onions, avocado and the extra grilled pineapple on the side.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Tips for Grilling a Juicy Hamburger
- Knead the meat for a long time, about 3 minutes, to pack each patty in nice and tight so it does not fall apart on the grill.
- Heat the grill on medium-high and get it nice and warm inside before the patties go on.
- Oil the patty and sear it 3 minutes for nice grill marks. Flip after 3 minutes and heat for another 3-4 minutes or until 160 degrees F for well done.
- Add any cheese about 1 minute before removing from the grill.
- Be gentle and only flip the burgers once.
- Do not press the burgers down with a spatula or it will push out natural juices.
- Keep the onion rings connected so they do not slip through the grill.
- Grilling chicken too? Here is how to grill chicken breast without drying it out.
Let's Talk About This Pineapple Salsa
This salsa encompasses sweetness with hints of jalapeno heat and pairs well with a spicy aioli. Something about all that subtle heat and sweetness just really complements the grilled burger (hubby's words). It all started because we came home from the grocery store with a pineapple that was about to go bad. I absolutely LOVE grilled pineapple and thought it would be delicious either added to a grilled hamburger recipe sliced on top or turned into salsa.
These burgers are so juicy! Grilled hamburgers have a clearly distinct flavor rather than pan fried burgers, have you noticed a difference? I notice it even in my turkey burgers. My hubby will never let me pan fry a burger (even on a grill pan) on the stove.
More salsas to try: Best Homemade Salsa Recipes and Best Salsa Recipe (No Chopping). You might also love to top this dish with the Special Sauce used with these Grilled Veggie Burgers.
What are your favorite grilled burger toppings?
Juicy Hamburger FAQs
Add 1 egg to the ground beef and knead the meat for about 3 minutes. That packs each patty in nice and tight so it holds together on the grill.
Cook them on medium-high heat for 3 minutes, flip once, and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown and 160 degrees F.
No. Pressing the burgers with a spatula pushes out the natural juices. Be gentle and only flip them once.
Mayonnaise, hot sauce such as Frank's Original, and a little garlic powder, mixed together in a small bowl.
Finely diced pineapple, a diced plum tomato, diced white onion, minced jalapeno, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Any leftover cooked patties can be crumbled up and added to pasta dishes for another meal.
More Grilling Recipes
Keep the grill going with Grilled Veggie Burgers, Healthy Italian Turkey Burgers, Top Sirloin Steak On The Grill and Grilled Pizza. I hope you enjoy this juicy grilled burger recipe! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Juicy Grilled Hamburgers With Pineapple Salsa and Spicy Aioli
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef organic & grass-fed
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon hamburger seasoning or just 1 teaspoon both salt and pepper
- 1 avocado
- 1 pineapple ¾ cup for salsa is used and the rest is rings for grilling
- 3 plum tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons white onion diced
- ½ purple onion peeled and cut into rings (keep rings connected as best you can)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice about ½ a lime
- 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno minced (seeds removed)
- 4 gluten-free hamburger buns
- olive oil
Spicy Aioli Ingredients
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons hot sauce such as Franks Original
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Make the hamburger patties.
- Add the hamburger meat to a large bowl with 1 egg and hamburger seasoning (or just salt and pepper). Knead with your hands and blend it together for about 2-3 minutes.
- Form the meat into 4 patties ½ inch thick. Set on a plate (not overlapping), and set in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Make the Pineapple Salsa.
- Prepare the pineapple by slicing the top and bottom off then removing the skin all around and any brown spots. Slice into ½-inch rings (removing the core hard centers with a small circular cookie cutter). Take about 3 pineapple rings and dice them into fine pieces measuring ¾ cup. Dice one plum tomato. In a small bowl combine the diced white onions, diced tomato, ¾ cup diced pineapple, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. Mix to combine and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Make the spicy aioli.
- In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, hot sauce and garlic powder. Set aside until the burgers are ready.
- Grill the burgers, pineapple and red onion rings.
- Oil the remaining rings of pineapple on both sides and oil the purple onion rings (trying to be careful to keep them together so they do not slip through the grill).
- Oil the grill before placing the burgers down. Add the burgers to medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes flip the burgers and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Temperature should read 160 degrees F for well done.
- While the burgers are cooking place the pineapple and onion rings on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until slightly browned and grill marks appear. During the last minute add the hamburger buns and cook each side for 1 minute to toast.
- Serve the hamburgers immediately with the aioli, pineapple salsa, sliced tomatoes, grilled onions, avocado and the extra grilled pineapple on the side.
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