Mini Hawaiian Chicken Burgers

There's a restaurant down the street from our house that we love. They have the best wings in town, hands down. But more often than not, I opt for the Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich. It's a grilled teriyaki chicken breast, provolone cheese, and a pineapple slice. It's pretty delicious, to say the least. I've always thought it'd be easy to make at home, but have just never made it for some reason.

I was craving one of those sandwiches tonight, but had ground chicken out, not chicken breasts. I figured I could try to make something similar, so I just improvised with what I had on hand. These were nothing short of amazing...seriously. And maybe, just maybe, better than the Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich I set out to make in the first place!

Mini Hawaiian Chicken Burgers
Original Recipe, idea from local restaurant

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 egg
1/2 c. bread crumbs
pepper, seasoning salt, and garlic powder, to taste
2" slice of mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 equal pieces
1/2 c. teriyaki sauce
8 pineapple slices
8 slider buns
cooking spray

Mix ground chicken, egg, bread crumbs, and seasonings in a bowl with hands, until well mixed. Divide mixture into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Add 1 piece of mozzarella to the middle of the disk, then wrap meat around to cover. Roll into a ball again, and flatten to form a patty.

Generously coat a large pan with cooking spray and turn to medium-high heat. After the pan is hot, place burgers into the pan. Cook for about 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Drizzle half of the teriyaki sauce over burgers, and continue to cook for another 2 minutes per side. In another pan, heat the other half of the teriyaki sauce over medium heat. Put pineapples in the pan, then turn to coat. Cook until pineapples are hot. Serve burger with a pineapple on top on a toasted bun.