Copycat Red Robin Banzai Burger Recipe

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

It's not always easy to decide which burger to get at Red Robin — with over 20 gourmet burgers on the restaurant's menu, the decision can be sweat-inducing. But lovers of sweet-savory flavors don't need to break a sweat when deciding which burger to order, as the teriyaki-glazed, pineapple ring-topped Banzai burger sticks out as a clear winner every time. 

However, if you're anything like recipe developer Patterson Watkins, your love for Red Robin runs high, but your proximity to a Red Robin location does not. These circumstances are exactly what inspired Watkins to develop this copycat Red Robin Banzai burger recipe, one that she assures us is "as close to the OG Banzai as possible," thanks to some "serious sleuthing" and "deep dives" on the various components that go into the burger, including assembly protocols. 

Indeed, no stones were left unturned when crafting this Banzai burger, meaning that this copycat burger recipe yields a deliciously juicy cheeseburger that contains staple fixings like teriyaki glaze, pineapple, and the signature Red Robin seasoning blend for the beef. "All you need is a basket of unlimited steak fries," Watkins says.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Before you get cooking, round up the ingredients for the recipe's two main components: the teriyaki sauce and the burgers. For the teriyaki sauce, you'll need soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, sesame oil, fresh ginger, garlic cloves, and cornstarch. Then, for the burgers, you'll need ground beef, pineapple rings, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, ground celery seed, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, burger buns, tomatoes, and shredded romaine lettuce. 

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

To start the teriyaki sauce, in a small saucepan, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

In the meantime, make a slurry in a small bowl by whisking together the cornstarch and ¼ cup water.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Let the teriyaki sauce simmer for 3 minutes, whisking frequently, before adding the slurry. Mix well to combine and continue simmering until the sauce thickens into a glaze.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Remove the glaze from the heat and set aside, keeping half separate for serving.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Moving on to the burger, preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Season the ground beef portions and pineapple rings with salt, pepper, paprika, and ground celery seed.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Once the grill is preheated, add the pineapple slices and grill on one side for 2 minutes or until grill marks form.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Flip the pineapple slices.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Brush the grilled side of the pineapple slices with the teriyaki glaze. Continue cooking until grill marks form on the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove from the grill.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Add the ground beef to the grill, flatten portions into patties with a spatula, and cook on one side for 5 minutes.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Flip the patties and brush with some of the teriyaki glaze. Continue grilling the patties for 3 to 4 minutes or until they're cooked to your liking.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Reduce the grill temperature to low and top each patty with a slice of cheddar cheese. Cook for an additional minute or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the grill.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Working in batches, begin assembling the burgers by spreading mayonnaise over the inside of the burger buns.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Place the patties on each of the bottom buns.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Top each patty with a grilled pineapple ring.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Top the pineapple rings with tomato slices and shredded lettuce.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Cap each burger with a top bun. Serve with leftover teriyaki sauce on the side.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

"Red's Original Seasoning blend is a staple at Red Robins," Watkins says, noting that it's used on both the burgers and the fries. Now, exactly which spices go into the blend is something of a secret, though Watkins says there are some "stand-out" ingredients in the blend. "What makes this seasoning so unique and crave-worthy are smoked paprika and ground celery seed," she says. "There's much more that goes into it, of course, but I erred on the side of caution with our homemade version." 

Watkins uses salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and ground celery seed to get the job done of capturing that essential Red Robin flavor while still allowing the sweet and savory elements in the teriyaki sauce and pineapple to shine. "I felt that this slightly abridged version nailed the flavor profile for this specific burger," she says. That said, you can certainly add more spices to the mix and experiment — adding dashes of sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, or cayenne pepper is a good place to start, so as long as you are sure to include the smoked paprika and ground celery seed, you really can't go wrong here.

Teriyaki sauce is an incredibly versatile ingredient, tasting just as good on fries as it does on fish. While you could skip the recipe's steps to make teriyaki glaze and opt for the store-bought version instead, you'd be missing out on a treasure trove of fresh, customizable flavor. Plus, after you glaze both the pineapple rings and burger patties with the teriyaki sauce, you'll have some left over, perfect for serving as a "tasty french fry dipper or for additional burger dunks," according to Watkins. 

If you'd like to have more than a little left over, then she recommends doubling the recipe — the sauce will keep in the fridge for about a week. There are quite a few ways to enjoy the leftover teriyaki sauce, but perhaps one of the best ways is to add it to a stir-fry. Other teriyaki applications include using it as either a marinade, finishing sauce, or sauce to serve on the side for salmon, shrimp, chicken, steak, or veggies.