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    Home > Vegan Recipes

    Meaty Tofu Burger (Whopper Style)

    By Nandor Barta on 09/04/2023 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    Ready in just 35 minutes, this juicy tofu burger is full of smoky flavors that taste just like something you would find in a Whopper, but without the meat! The secret is minced frozen tofu. Add some fresh veggies and condiments to top it off, and you will have a protein-packed burger so good you will be craving another one!

    Burger bun with two patties, cheese in between, pickled cucumber slices, onion slices, tomato and ruffled lettuce.

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    The best part about burgers is that they are just as versatile as they are delicious. Be sure to check out our other vegan burger recipes, such as our vegan beet burger, TVP burger, vegan portobello mushroom burger, or vegan pulled pork burger.

    Jump to:
    • What to expect from this recipe?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Cooking tips
    • Variations
    • Serving ideas
    • Equipment
    • Storing tips
    • FAQs
    • More vegan burger recipes
    • Meaty Tofu Burger (Whopper Style)

    What to expect from this recipe?

    These soft and juicy vegan burgers are made with a combination of minced frozen tofu, vegan Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, and a variety of spices to mimic the texture of ground chicken. After these tofu burgers are fried to perfection to achieve a crispy crust and tender insides, you can top them with your veggies and vegan condiments of choice to create a mouthwatering burger just like the Burger King Whopper!

    Here’s why you will love this recipe:

    • It is incredibly versatile and customizable to your specific tastes.
    • It has a soft and juicy texture that isn’t dry and won’t fall apart.
    • The frozen tofu is minced in a food processor, giving it the consistency of a ground chicken burger.
    • The combination of spices gives it a delicious smoky flavor, just like a burger right off the grill.
    • It is full of protein, low in calories, and low in fat.
    • It is easy to make and ready to eat in just half an hour!
    2 burgers on a black board. One with two patties, cheese in between, pickled cucumber slices, onion slices, tomato and ruffled lettuce. And the other is with 2 patties and nothing else, not even top bun. Leftover ingredients are around it like lettuce, jar of pickled cucumber, onion, and tomatoes.
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    Ingredients

    The main ingredient in this tofu burger recipe is the minced tofu, which is combined with breadcrumbs and a variety of spices and seasonings to give it its delicious Whopper-style taste. We also provide a few substitution options to customize the burger to your specific taste and dietary needs.

    Ingredients of tofu burger in small glass bowls like tofu mince, breadcrumbs, milk, cornstarch, and different spices.
    • Firm tofu – It has been frozen for at least 24 hours.
    • Breadcrumbs – Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed.
    • Dairy-free milk – We recommend oat, almond, or cashew milk.
    • Cornstarch – Tapioca starch is another option.
    • Onion – Finely chopped
    • Garlic – Finely chopped
    • Olive oil – This helps give the burger its juiciness.
    • Worcestershire sauce – We like to use this vegan and gluten-free brand. You can also use soy sauce or tamari.
    • Sweet smoked paprika powder – Make sure it is smoked paprika, as this helps give the burger its smoky taste.
    • Cumin
    • Mustard powder
    • Fennel
    • Salt
    • Nutritional yeast

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

    Instructions

    Preparing tofu

    1. For the best results, always use frozen tofu for at least 24 hours and thaw overnight.
    2. Once you thaw the tofu, use your hand or a milk bag to squeeze the tofu hard until you reach a sponge-like texture.
    3. Then, use a food processor to chop the tofu into small crumbles.
    A food processor with tofu mince.

    Making onion-garlic puree

    This puree gives the tofu burger its juiciness and melt-in-your-mouth texture. We used acclaimed chef Joe Sasto’s method to make the onion sweeter without the overpowering aroma.

    1. Preheat a frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the finely chopped onion and garlic.
    2. Cook the onion and garlic over medium-low heat until it becomes tender, opaque, and yellow. Do not let the mixture caramelize.
    White frying pan with finely chopped onion.
    1. Add the onion and garlic mixture and the remaining oil to a bowl, then use a hand blender to blend it.
    Glass bowl with a light yellow onion puree.

    Making tofu burgers

    1. In a large mixing bowl, add the tofu crumbles, breadcrumbs, dairy-free milk, cornstarch, onion and garlic paste, 1 Tbsp olive oil, fennel, smoked sweet paprika, cumin, mustard powder, vegan Worcestershire sauce, salt, and nutritional yeast.
    A large glass bowl with different spices and ingredients to make the tofu burger.
    1. Mix everything well using your hands or a spatula. Roll and press the tofu mixture to form the burger patties.
    A sticky light orange dough in a glass bowl.
    1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. If you don’t have a non-stick skillet, add a small amount of coconut oil, or vegetable oil to the pan. Add 2-4 patties depending on how much fit in it comfortably.
    4 raw burger patties are in a white frying pan.
    1. Fry the patties on each side for a few minutes until they turn brown.
    4 golden brown burger patties in a white frying pan.

    Let’s build a whopper style burger

    1. Cut and grill the burger buns in a grill pan to give them a charcoaled finish.
    2. Add one or two tofu burger patties in between vegan cheese slices.
    3. Then add several slices of sweet pickled cucumbers.
    4. Apply a generous drizzle of ketchup.
    5. Add raw onion and tomato slices.
    6. The last layer of veggies is these gorgeous, ruffled lettuce leaves.
    7. Spread some vegan mayo on top.
    8. Finish it off with the top burger bun. Enjoy!
    Burger bun with two patties, cheese in between, pickled cucumber slices, onion slices, tomato, and ruffled lettuce. Leftover ingredients are around it like lettuce, jar of pickled cucumber, onion, and tomatoes.

    Cooking tips

    • Don’t skip freezing tofu – We recommend freezing and thawing tofu before using it. If you skip this step and use firm tofu straight out of the packaging, this recipe will not work the same. Tofu is too moist and spongy, even after pressing it.
    • Completely dry the tofu – The tofu must be completely squeezed before mincing it with the food processor. If it is not dry to the touch, the recipe will fail.

    Variations

    • Different seasonings – Switch up the flavor by mixing in other seasonings and herbs, such as oregano, basil, or balsamic vinegar.
    • Optional spices – Add chili pepper or a pinch of cayenne pepper for a kick of heat. Or, add some liquid smoke for a tasty chargrilled taste.
    2 burgers on a black board. One with two patties, cheese in between, pickled cucumber slices, onion slices, tomato and ruffled lettuce. And the other is with 2 patties and nothing else, not even top bun.

    Serving ideas

    The best part about this juicy tofu burger is that there are many different ways to prepare and serve it to fit your taste and appetite! Here are a few of them:

    • With all the fixings: Make your tofu restaurant-style by adding a toasted bun, lettuce, vegan cheese, sweet pickles slices, ketchup, dijon mustard, and raw onion. If you are really hungry, add an extra patty!
    • With fries: Serve the classic “burger and fries” by adding sweet potato wedges or roasted potatoes to the side.
    • With veggies: Serve your burger alongside carrots, parsnip, roasted cauliflower, broccoli, grilled vegetable kabobs, or the tomato-corn salsa from our copycat Chipotle veggie bowl recipe.
    • With grains: Brown rice, quinoa, or our riced sweet potatoes are an excellent side dish to go with tofu burgers.
    • With salad: Serve it next to a light green salad, or try our easy vegan coleslaw.
    • Without the bun: Skip the bun altogether and serve your tofu burger atop a green salad or rice.

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • Cast-iron Skillet – We like to use the one from UnoCasa.
    • Non-stick frying pan – We recommend a 10.5-inch / 26 cm pan.

    Storing tips

    In the fridge – To store your tofu burgers in the refrigerator, place them in an airtight container for up to five days.

    In the freezer – You can freeze these burger patties for up to three months in an airtight freezer bag or container. We recommend wrapping them individually in parchment paper before freezing them to prevent them from sticking together.

    Defrosting and Reheating – Defrost your tofu burgers in the fridge or at room temperature. Reheat them in the oven, on the stove, or in the microwave. For the best results to help them keep their crispy crust, reheat the patties over the stove.

    2 burgers on a black board. One with two patties, cheese in between, pickled cucumber slices, onion slices, tomato and ruffled lettuce. And the other is with 2 patties and nothing else, not even top bun.

    FAQs

    Can you grill tofu burgers?

    Yes! To grill, lightly brush them with olive oil, then place them on the grill pan for approximately 8 minutes per side until they are crisp and golden brown. Flip at halftime.

    How do you prevent tofu burgers from falling apart when cooking?

    The breadcrumbs in the recipe act as a binding agent and prevent the tofu from falling apart during the cooking process. Other binding agents you can use include oats, ground flax seeds, and wheat germ. Eggs are also a popular binding agent for burgers, but since we are a vegan blog, we do not use them in our recipes.

    More vegan burger recipes

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      Meaty Vegan TVP Burger (Big Mac Style)
    • 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.
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    • 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.
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    • 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
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    THANK YOU so much for visiting our website. Please comment below if you have tried this recipe. We LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, please don’t forget to give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RATING. We appreciate all of our readers.  

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    Burger bun with two patties, cheese in between, pickled cucumber slices, onion slices, tomato and ruffled lettuce.

    Meaty Tofu Burger (Whopper Style)

    Nandor Barta
    Ready in just 35 minutes, this juicy tofu burger is full of smoky flavors that taste just like something you would find in a Whopper, but without the meat! The secret is minced frozen tofu. Add some fresh veggies and condiments to top it off, and you will have a protein-packed burger so good you will be craving another one!
    4.8 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Course
    Servings 4 patties
    Calories 226kcal

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • our Cast-iron Skillet by UnoCasa
    • Non-stick frying pan (10.5 inch / 26 cm)

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 4 oz Firm tofu measured as drained and squeezed
    • ½ cup Breadcrumbs
    • ¼ cup Dairy-free milk
    • 4 Tbsp Corn starch
    • ½ Onion
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • 3 Tbsp Olive oil
    • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce vegan and gluten-free
    • ½ tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
    • ½ tsp Cumin
    • ½ tsp Mustard powder
    • ½ tsp Fennel
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • 1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast

    Add-ins

    • 4 Burger bun
    • ¼ Lettuce
    • 2 Tomatoes
    • 1 Onion (medium)
    • 8 Tbsp Ketchup
    • 8 Tbsp Mayo
    • ¼ cup Pickled cucumber
    • 4 Vegan cheese slices
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    EXCLUSIVE 5-ingredient recipes for busy home cooks that are ready in 15 minutes!Check out our Express Vegan Cookbook!

    Instructions
     

    Making onion-garlic puree

    • Take a frying pan or skillet and preheat to medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and finely chopped onion and garlic. Cook on medium-low heat until tender, opaque, and yellow but not caramelized.
    • Add onion and garlic with the remaining oil to a bowl and blend it with an immersion blender.

    Preparing tofu

    • For the best result, use frozen tofu. Thaw it overnight, then squeeze it hard. Use your hand or a milk bag. You will have a sponge-like texture at the end.
    • Use a food processor to chop the tofu into smaller crumble-like pieces.

    Making tofu burger patties

    • Take a large mixing bowl and add tofu crumbles, breadcrumbs, dairy-free milk, cornstarch, onion and garlic paste, 1 Tbsp olive oil, smoked sweet paprika, cumin, fennel, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and nutritional yeast. Mix everything well with a spatula or with your hands.
    • Form patties with your hands. Rolling and pressing.

    Frying

    • Take a frying pan and heat it on medium heat. Add a bit of coconut or olive oil if you don’t have a non-stick pan. Fry them for a couple of minutes on each side to give them a nice brown color. 

    Assembling a Whopper inspired burger

    • Cut and grill the burger buns in a pan to give them a charcoal finish.
    • Add one or two tofu burger patties in between vegan cheese slices.
    • Then add several slices of sweet pickled cucumbers and apply a generous drizzle of ketchup.
    • Add raw onion, tomato slices, and ruffled lettuce leaves.
    • Spread some vegan mayo on top. Finish it off with the top burger bun. Enjoy!
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Video

    [adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”2wWXPy1g” upload-date=”2023-02-20T18:21:24.000Z” name=”Meaty Tofu Burger” description=”Ready in just 35 minutes, this juicy tofu burger is full of smoky flavors that taste just like something you would find in a Whopper, but without the meat! The secret is minced frozen tofu. Add some fresh veggies and condiments to top it off, and you will have a protein-packed burger so good you will be craving another one!” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Meaty Tofu Burger (Whopper Style)
    Amount Per Serving (1 patty)
    Calories 226 Calories from Fat 117
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13g20%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
    Monounsaturated Fat 8g
    Sodium 484mg21%
    Potassium 129mg4%
    Carbohydrates 21g7%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 6g12%
    Vitamin A 186IU4%
    Vitamin C 3mg4%
    Calcium 91mg9%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    13.0K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.80 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    1. Betsy Korbinyr

      June 04, 2024 at 1:15 am

      I think this would be good, but as a vegetarian, I wish you would not have used Worcestershire sauce which has fish in it.

      Reply
      • Nandor Barta

        June 04, 2024 at 8:13 am

        Hi Betsy, actually there is vegan Worcestershire sauce. I link to it from the recipe card.

        Reply
    2. Theresa

      September 17, 2023 at 7:13 pm

      Hello! If I used super firm tofu in this recipe, would I still need to freeze it?

      Reply
      • Nandor

        September 20, 2023 at 7:54 am

        Hi, freezing not only help with the excess liquid but it also slightly changes to texture to more chewy, meaty. We recommend freezing in all cases.

        Reply
    3. Al

      September 12, 2023 at 4:13 pm

      Help! My patties keep falling apart! What am I doing wrong?

      Reply
      • Nandor

        September 13, 2023 at 12:53 pm

        Hi Al, without more details, I think of two things. Did you measure the 4 oz tofu after drained and squeezed and not as raw? What kind of breadcrumbs did you use? This recipe works better with a finer variety.

        Reply
    4. Dawn

      September 02, 2023 at 7:04 pm

      I’m assuming the fennel is added along with the remaining spices for the patties? It is not listed in the directions. Just wondering.

      Reply
      • Nandor

        September 04, 2023 at 1:21 pm

        Hi, you are correct. Fennel needs to be added together with the other spices when you are forming to burger patties.

        Reply
    5. Pamela

      June 25, 2023 at 4:47 pm

      Is the recipe correct as to 4 ounces of tofu? That’s a very small amount of tofu; we are going to make this recipe using a 16 ounce container of tofu, frozen and defrosted. It’s hard to imagine that 4 ounces of tofu will make 4 patties.

      Reply
      • Nandor

        June 26, 2023 at 7:41 am

        Hi, it should be 4 oz measured after defrosted and squeezed. If you start with 16 oz tofu then you probably end up around 4 oz since significant amount of water will be gone.

        Reply
        • Pamela

          September 06, 2023 at 4:22 pm

          Would this work with gluten free breadcrumbs, and arrowroot instead of corn starch?

        • Nandor

          September 07, 2023 at 8:05 am

          Hi, we used gluten-free breadcrumbs to make the ones on the photos, so absolutely, yes. It is finer than panko, which makes the texture even better. I never used arrowroot starch, but I see no problem substituting it for corn starch.

    6. Brandi

      June 22, 2023 at 3:54 pm

      can u use panko instean of breadcrumbs

      Reply
      • Nandor

        June 23, 2023 at 10:26 am

        Yes you can.

        Reply
    7. Mary

      April 13, 2023 at 6:15 pm

      I don’t like my tofu frozen and then used. Would this work without being frozen?

      Reply
      • Nandor

        April 14, 2023 at 6:47 am

        If you try it with pressed (not previously frozen) tofu, we recommend frying the crumbles a bit before adding it to the burger patty mixture to lose the extra moisture the tofu may have compared to our version.

        Reply
    8. Kay

      March 02, 2023 at 3:58 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! A must try. I love burgers and this recipe is a keeper. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    9. Kathy F

      February 20, 2023 at 8:24 pm

      What is raw tofu and what is a hand blender? Isn’t all tofu raw until cooked? Or do you mean unpressed?

      Reply
      • Nandor

        February 21, 2023 at 9:02 am

        Hi Kathy, yes. I mean immersion blender and unpressed, uncooked tofu that you freeze and thaw before using in this recipe.

        Reply

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    Hi, we are Emese Maczkó and Nándor Barta, the founders and recipe creators behind My Pure Plants. We are sharing our knowledge and expertise in vegan recipes and encourage you to try home-cooked meals using locally-sourced, organic, whole foods.

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    Hi, we are Emese Maczkó and Nándor Barta, the founders and recipe creators behind My Pure Plants. We are sharing our knowledge and expertise in vegan recipes and encourage you to try home-cooked meals using locally-sourced, organic, whole foods.

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