Vegan Tofu Burger (GF)

If you’re looking for a slightly different, but absolutely delectable meat-free burger, you must try this Vegan Tofu Burger! It’s tender, juicy and full of flavour.

This Vegan Tofu Burger was inspired by Japanese burgers. Hamburgers are popular in Japan, but aren’t usually served like they are in the West. They usually come with a sauce, which tastes like a combination of soy sauce, ketchup, brown sauce and sugar, and eaten with rice.

And this particular burger was inspired by Mos Burger, a popular fast-food chain in Japan.

I used to really love their signature burger, mostly because of the amazingly flavourful ragu-like meat sauce coating the patty. I really wanted to recreate a healthier, meat-free version at home, so I got to work.

I wanted to make the patty using tofu, but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to successfully make a tofu burger without eggs.

Luckily, however, I discovered that with the help of a food processor, tofu transforms into a sticky paste and therefore becomes really easy to form into little patties!

Tip: It’s necessary to use a hard, firm tofu for this, as a soft silken tofu will be far too wet.

Breadcrumbs

Another realisation is that the secret to super soft tofu burgers is breadcrumbs! You can use shop-bought gluten-free breadcrumbs if necessary, or whizz up some bread in a food processor.

Why you’ll love this Vegan Tofu Burger:

I’m so pleased with how the texture of these tofu burgers turned out – they’re not dry or crumbly, but super soft and beautifully moist on the inside and crispy on the outside.

But the real star of these tofu burgers is the sauce! It’s made with delicious ingredients such as caramelised onions, red wine, tomatoes, tamari, apple cider vinegar and date syrup (because its gloriously dark, rich and sticky, and almost treacle-like), but you can use any other sweetener, and plenty of black pepper. It’s sticky, salty-sweet, tangy and full of flavour.

How to make this Vegan Tofu Burger

Scroll down to the bottom of the recipe for the full recipe.

• Break up the tofu with your hands (or chop into smaller pieces) and place in a food processor.

• Whizz until smooth.

• Place the tofu in a glass mixing bowl with the breadcrumbs and salt + pepper.

• Use your hands to form the mixture into small, flat patties, which you can lay out on a plate – makes around 6 burgers.
• Heat up the oil in a frying pan and place the tofu patties in the pan once hot.

• Cook on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes, flipping over halfway through, until golden brown and crispy on both sides.

Tip: Be careful not to over-cook them!

How to make the sauce

• Fry the onion for around 5 minutes.

• Add the red wine and cook for a minute until all the wine has evaporated.
• Add the tomatoes, date syrup, tamari, vinegar and salt + pepper.

• Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes.
• Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

How to serve this Vegan Tofu Burger

Serve this Tofu Burger in buns with salad and the sauce.

I also recommend adding a little spicy miso mayo if you happen to have any on hand.

It would also be delicious served with:

• Sweet Potato Fries
• Celariac Fries

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Vegan Tofu Burger (GF)

If you're looking for a slightly different, but absolutely delectable meat-free burger, you must try this Vegan Tofu Burger!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: japanese burger, vegan tofu burger

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 3 burgers

Calories: 443kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the tofu burgers:

• 400 g (14 oz) firm tofu
• 100 g (3.5 oz) breadcrumbs (gluten-free if necessary)
• Salt + pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons oil (vegetable, rapeseed or olive)

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon oil (vegetable, rapeseed or olive)
• 1 onion , sliced
• Splash red wine (ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary - can be omitted)
• 230 ml (1 cup) tinned tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons date syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• Salt + pepper to taste

To serve:

• Salad lettuce, tomato etc
• Burger buns (gluten-free if necessary)

Instructions

For the tofu burgers:

• Break up the tofu with your hands (or chop into smaller pieces) and place in a food processor
• Whizz until smooth
• Place the tofu in a bowl with the breadcrumbs and salt + pepper
• Use your hands to form the mixture into small, flat patties, which you can lay out on a plate - makes around 6 burgers
• Heat up the oil in a frying pan and place the tofu patties in the pan once hot
• Cook on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes, flipping over halfway through, until golden brown and crispy on both sides - be careful not to over cook

For the sauce:

• It's easiest to make this sauce while you're also cooking the burgers
• Heat up oil in a pan
• Add the onion and cook for around 5 minutes, until softened
• Add the red wine and cook for a minute until all the wine has evaporated
• Add the tomatoes, date syrup, tamari, vinegar and salt + pepper 
• Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes
• Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary (more date syrup for sweetness, more vinegar for sourness, more salt + pepper etc)

To serve*:

• Place the burgers in burger buns. Add salad and plenty of sauce

Notes

*It's also delicious with some spicy miso mayonnaise 

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Tofu Burger (GF)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 443 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Sodium 923mg38%

Potassium 189mg5%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 16g18%

Protein 17g34%

Vitamin C 2.7mg3%

Calcium 258mg26%

Iron 3.6mg20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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