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    Home > Vegan Entrees

    Chinese BBQ Tofu Burger (Vegan)

    By My Pure Plants on 02/20/2023 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    Sweet, savory and aromatic are the three words I would use to describe this delicious tofu burger. The marinade was inspired by Char Siu aka Chinese BBQ dishes, which goes perfectly with a light coleslaw salad and a dollop of sriracha mayonnaise.

    A burger bun up close with white sauce, green ruffled lettuce, dark glazed tofu slice, shredded cabbage and carrot in white sauce.

    You might think it is not easy to enjoy a flavorful tofu dish, but on the contrary, we have some super yummy recipes you can try. One of the most flavorful tofu dishes we have ever made is copycat Chipotle sofritas. We also spiced up our crispy rice paper spring rolls with delicious shredded Hoisin tofu. Oh, and you must try these grilled buffalo tofu skewers. Check out all of our vegan tofu recipes.

    Table of Contents hide
    1. What to expect from this recipe?
    2. Ingredients
    3. Instructions
    4. What to serve with it?
    5. FAQs and substitutions
    6. Allergen info
    7. More vegan tofu recipes
    8. More vegan burger recipes
    9. Chinese BBQ Tofu Burger (Vegan)

    What to expect from this recipe?

    Chinese BBQ marinade is a lot different from the classic BBQ sauce you might know. Char Siu Pork is a quite popular Cantonese dish you might have come across. Pork neck is marinated in whole in Chinese BBQ sauce and fork roasted until tender. Then it is sliced and usually served with steamed rice. It is a sticky, aromatic meat dish, which was the inspiration to create this vegan tofu burger.

    It tastes fragrant, sweet, and savory. The texture is pillowy on the inside and sticky on the outside. It matches perfectly with the crunchy coleslaw salad.

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    Ingredients

    So what do you need to make this marinated tofu burger patty?

    The ingredients of the tofu burger is placed in glass bowls like maple syrup, soy sauce, molasses, hoisin sauce, spice and oil. A brick of tofu is placed on a black plate.
    • Tofu -> We recommend using a firm or extra-firm tofu. Since it is a BBQ recipe, you can also use smoked tofu, it would give an additional charcoaled taste for sure.
    • Chinese five spice mix (anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger)
    • Molasses
    • Maple syrup
    • Hoisin sauce
    • Soy sauce (or use any of these gluten-free soy sauce alternatives)
    • Sesame oil

    As I was saying Char Siu Pork was only an inspiration as we didn’t add any red bean curd or red food coloring. We also made sure we use vegan and gluten-free ingredients. Molasses is not really an authentic thing to use here, but we like this additional dark, sticky, smoky flavor which reminds us of charcoal grill flavors. You also don’t need extra salt, since soy sauce has already plenty of sodium.

    🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Instructions

    Pressing tofu

    Use firm tofu and press it. We used our trusted TofuBud*, but you can choose any DIY method or tofu press. For more information, tips, and steps, read our complete guide on how to press tofu and our honest review of TofuBud.

    Marinating tofu

    1. After you pressed the tofu cut them into 1-inch thick slices (approx. 2 cm). If you use a 12-oz block (approx. 360g) then cut it in half horizontally.
    2. Take an oven-safe shallow glass bowl and layer the tofu slices in one layer.
    3. Pour Chinese BBQ marinade on them and gently mix them. We use a silicone brush or a spoon to make sure it is thoroughly covered.
    4. Let the tofu marinate for 15 minutes.

    Reduce the marinade into a thick sauce

    1. When the time is up, use a slotted turner to take the marinated tofu slices out.
    2. Pour the leftover marinade into a small saucepan.
    3. Cook it over medium-high heat on a stovetop until it is reduced to a thick sauce. It has to be syrupy thick.

    Baking the tofu

    1. Preheat the oven to 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
    2. Place the marinated tofu slices back in the oven-safe glass bowl they were marinated in. Don’t use a baking sheet or parchment paper as it is better if they are baked in the marinade.
    3. Place the bowl in the oven for 15 minutes.
    4. Take it out and spread the reduced marinade generously over both sides using a silicone brush or spoon.
    5. Place the bowl back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
    6. Take it out and brush it again with the remaining marinade.
    7. Reduce the heat of the oven to 320 Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius) and place the bowl back for the final 10 minutes. See the result in the below image.
    Glass bowl from above with two large tofu slices in a dark glaze-like sauce.

    Building the burger

    The best part of the whole recipe is building your yummy baked tofu burger. You can absolutely add other ingredients, but we recommend trying this combination. They are absolutely amazing and delicious together!

    • We started off with a toasted bun.
    • First, we spread a generous layer of sriracha with vegan mayonnaise on it.
    • Then, we added green leaf lettuce because the ruffles look so pretty. 
    • Now, here comes the star of this recipe, the Chinese BBQ Tofu Burger patties.
    • Next up, is light and easy vegan coleslaw salad.
    • Finish it with the top bun.
    A burger from above with green ruffled lettuce and a dark glazed tofu slice on top. The top bun is next to it with charcoal marks. A small woddon bowl is in the corner with shredded carrot and cabbage in white sauce.

    What else can you add? 

    This recipe is all about Chinese flavors. So what goes great with these aromatic, sweet, and savory tofu burger patties? Steamed Chinese greens like Pak Choy or Chinese broccoli, Asian coleslaw, pickled carrots or cucumber, onion, tomatoes etc. What is your favorite combination? 

    A burger bun up close with white sauce, green ruffled lettuce, dark glazed tofu slice, shredded cabbage and carrot in white sauce. The top bun is placed to the side with charcoal marks.

    What to serve with it?

    If you add many layers to your burger, they will be rich and filling on their own. However, if you need some inspiration for burger side dishes, here are our usual choices:

    • roasted potato or sweet potato wedges
    • French fries from potatoes or other root veggies like carrots, parsnip…
    • brown rice, quinoa, or other cooked grains
    • light salad on the side

    Let us know in the comments what is your favorite side dish!

    Two hands are holding a burger bun up with white sauce, green ruffled lettuce, dark glazed tofu slice, shredded cabbage and carrot in white sauce layers.

    FAQs and substitutions

    How to store it?

    When it comes to burger recipes, we recommend storing the filling separately. If you want to make the tofu burger ahead of time, let it sit in the marinade overnight and bake the next day. Baked marinated tofu can be stored in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 3-4 days at most.

    Can you freeze it?

    We don’t recommend freezing tofu after baking as the texture will completely change. If you want to use frozen tofu to make this recipe you can expect to be a more chewy, gummy texture. People who want the tofu to resemble a bit of chicken like to freeze tofu before starting with any recipe.

    Allergen info

    This tofu burger recipe is meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. 

    • Vegan – All ingredients of the tofu patties are supposed to be vegan, but don’t forget to choose a vegan burger bun.
    • Nut-free – All ingredients are supposed to be nut-free but check for cross-contamination info on all packaging you need to use.
    • WFPB-friendly (whole foods plant-based) – You can skip sesame oil in the marinade if you really have to.
    • Gluten-free – Soy sauce is not gluten-free, so you need to use tamari, liquid aminos, or other substitutes. Hoisin sauce is not always gluten-free as it may contain soy sauce. If you choose unseasoned tofu, then that should be gluten-free, but smoked and flavored tofu you should watch out for. You also need to use a gluten-free hamburger bun. All other ingredients are supposed to be gluten-free but always look for the certified label.
    • Soy-free – Since tofu is the main ingredient in this burger recipe, you cannot really skip that to make it soy-free.

    More vegan tofu recipes

    For more inspiration check out the most flavorful tofu marinades or browse through all of our vegan tofu recipes or

    • White bowl with yellow-brown tofu bites
      Baked Chili Miso Tofu Bites
    • Triangle-shaped tofu slices in a red sticky glaze with freshly chopped green mint, sesame seeds on black plate
      Sticky Baked Harissa Tofu
    • White frying pan with a darkbrown red sauce tofu cubes, sliced bell peppers, sliced green chilies, mint leaves, sliced spring onion, mushrooms slices.
      Thai Red Curry with Tofu
    • White bowl from above with white rice topped with thin dark brown tofu slices with charred edges, green beans, chopped red bell pepper and sprinkled with white sesame seeds. Light brown chopsticks are placed on the side.
      Sticky Teriyaki Tofu (Copycat Pei Wei)
    • Light grey round plate with a brown, shiny tofu slice topped with a chopped green herbs served with baked half potatoes and roasted asparagus
      Tofu Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
    • Large white bowl with brown soba noodles, orange crispy tofu bites, roasted asparagus and black and white sesame seeds. More asparagus and tofu bites are on the side. Chopsticks are placed on the side.
      Spicy Tahini Miso Soba Noodles

    More vegan burger recipes

    • A burger bun with yellow sauce and green leaves is topped with a thick brown burger patty with visible sweet corn and black bean pieces, then red onion and avocado slices drizzled with yellow sauce again. It is covered with a top bun.
      The Best Chipotle Black Bean Burger (MorningStar Copycat)
    • A burger with ketchup, lettuce, yellow cheese sauce, bell peppers, guacamole and grilled mushroom cap on brown paper. French fries are placed next to it.
      Vegan Portobello Mushroom Burger
    • Close-up of a beet burger with layers like burger bun, lettuce, purple patty, tomato slice, green puree, arugula and bun on the top
      Easy Vegan Beet Burger
    • A burger sandwich on a wooden board with white sauce, brown juicy strips and purple cabbage coleslaw. A white bowl is the remaining brown juicy mushroom slices and a wooden bowl with more coleslaw salad and french fries
      BBQ Vegan Pulled Pork Burger (Mushroom)
    • A burger with layers of green ruffled lettuce, yellow sauce, thin cheese slices, dark brown burger patty twice, sliced pickles and white chopped onion.
      Meaty Vegan TVP Burger (Big Mac Style)
    • Several round-shaped breadcrumbs covered patties on a large white plate with a light orange sauce in a white bowl. Chopped parsley and lemon wedges are around for decoration.
      Crispy Vegan Chicken Patties
    A burger bun up close with white sauce, green ruffled lettuce, dark glazed tofu slice, shredded cabbage and carrot in white sauce.

    Chinese BBQ Tofu Burger (Vegan)

    My Pure Plants
    Sweet, savory and aromatic are the three words I would use to describe this delicious tofu burger. The marinade was inspired by Char Siu aka Chinese BBQ dishes, which goes perfectly with a light coleslaw salad and a dollop of sriracha mayonnaise.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Marinating time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Main Course
    Servings 2 burgers
    Calories 432kcal

    Equipment

    • TofuBud (pressing tofu in 15 minutes)
    • Silicone brush
    • Oven-safe glass baking dish (8-inch / 20 cm)

    Ingredients
     
     

    Chinese BBQ Tofu Burger

    • 12 oz Firm tofu -> gluten-free tofu brands
    • 1 Tbsp Chinese 5 Spice Mix
    • 1 Tbsp Molasses
    • ¼ cup Hoisin sauce
    • ¼ cup Maple syrup
    • 1 tsp Soy sauce -> gluten-free soy sauce alternatives
    • 1 Tbsp Sesame oil

    Spicy Mayo

    • ½ cup Mayo (I used vegan) -> gluten-free dairy-free mayo brands
    • 1 tsp Sriracha (or any other chili paste)
    • ½ tsp Sesame oil

    Other Add-ins

    • Vegan Coleslaw
    • Burger bun
    • Lettuce
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    Instructions
     

    Preparing the ingredients

    • Use a firm tofu and press it. 

    Making marinade

    • Take a glass bowl and mix all ingredients (Chinese five spice mix, molasses, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil).

    Marinating tofu

    • After you pressed the tofu cut them into 1-inch thick slices (approx. 2 cm). If you use a 12-oz block (approx. 360g) then cut in half horizontally.
    • Take an oven-safe shallow glass bowl and layer the tofu slices in one layer.
    • Pour the Chinese BBQ marinade on them and gentle mix them. We use a silicone brush or a spoon to make sure it is throughly covered.
    • Let the tofu to marinate for 15 minutes.

    Reduce the marinade

    • When the time is up, use a slotted turner to take the marinated tofu slices out.
    • Pour the leftover marinade into a small saucepan.
    • Cook it over medium heat on a stove top until it is reduced to a thick sauce. It has to be syrupy thick.

    Baking the tofu burger patties

    • Pre-heat the oven on 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
    • Place the marinated tofu slices back to the oven-safe glass bowl they were marinated in. Place the bowl in the oven for 15 minutes.
    • Take it out and spread the reduced marinade generously over both sides using a silicone brush or spoon. Place the bowl back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
    • Take it out and brush it again with the remaining marinade. Reduce the heat of the oven to 320 Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius) and place the bowl back for the final 10 minutes.

    Build your burger

    • We started off with a toasted bun.
    • First, we spread a generous layer of sriracha mayo on it.
    • Then, we added green leaf lettuce because the ruffles look so pretty. 
    • Now, here comes the star of this recipe, the Chinese BBQ Tofu Burger patties.
    • Next up, is light and easy vegan coleslaw salad.
    • Finish it off with the top bun
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Chinese BBQ Tofu Burger (Vegan)
    Amount Per Serving (1 tofu burger (only))
    Calories 432 Calories from Fat 144
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 16g25%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 8g
    Monounsaturated Fat 5g
    Cholesterol 1mg0%
    Sodium 737mg32%
    Potassium 335mg10%
    Carbohydrates 56g19%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 42g47%
    Protein 17g34%
    Vitamin A 13IU0%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 311mg31%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    UPDATED: This recipe was originally posted on June 2021. More tips, FAQs, and info were added and it was republished in July 2022.

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