His third goal in the second minute of stoppage time, a looping header from a Juan Muniz cross, stunned the 9651 fans at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.
Burkitt, who scored 11 goals in 17 games for Adelaide's NPL side last year, ignited the visitors' attack off the bench in just his second ALM match.
"It's a dream come true," Burkitt said to the host broadcaster after his match-winning heroics.
"I am there to do my job and get the three points for my team."
Adelaide coach Airton Andrioli said he knew Burkitt had it in him.
"I had him in the NPL with me for the last three years and I couldn't wait to find a way of giving him an opportunity to prove that he could do what he did today at this level," he said.
"I am really happy for him and the result today."
Adelaide provisionally jumped Brisbane to move into fourth on the ladder, one point ahead of the Roar.
Brisbane dominated the opening half and had nine shots on goal to just one by Adelaide forward Ajak Riak.
"We had enough chances to finish that game off in the first half," Roar coach Michael Valkanis said.
"We shouldn't have gone in (to halftime) at 1-0. It should have been 3-0 or 4-0."
Roar midfielder Sam Klein scored a cracker in the 41st minute.
Klein had plenty of space to make a run, composed himself and from 20m stroked a right-to-left curler beyond goalkeeper Joshua Smits, who could have done better.
The possession flipped in the opening stages of the second half and Burkitt slotted his first ALM goal with a lovely first touch and left-foot strike in the 56th minute.
That sparked the Roar back into gear. English marksman Chris Long, with a slick turn just outside the box, buried a right-foot rocket five minutes later to restore the lead.
Olyroos star Yaya Dukuly was a ball of energy off the bench and made a scything run down the left and cut a pass back to Burkitt, who finished well in the 70th minute.
His third was opportunistic and brilliantly taken with the composure of a veteran.
Brisbane brought Socceroos striker Nick D'Agostino off the bench in the 77th minute for his first game for the club since 2019.
The players observed a minute's silence at the start of the match in honour of the late mother of Roar coach Valkanis, who returned from Greece this week to take the helm after missing last week's win over Perth.
