Grillable Tofu Burgers
Seasoned with a good amount of cumin, cayenne and mustard, these are hearty, filling, easy to make, dump-everything-in-the-food processor grillable tofu burgers.
Wayne calls this the “1996 Veggie Burger.” It’s basically an old-school hippie burger. I love them for a few reasons. First, they’re grill-able. Second, they’re made from ingredients I understand - organic tofu, seeds, nuts, eggs, spices, and breadcrumbs. And third, they’re endlessly adaptable by switching up the spices & your burger toppings.
The Recipe
On the cooking front, I've been cleaning out some drawers. Primarily going through old magazine clippings (which is part of the reason I've been featuring more magazine inspired recipes than usual). I've been finding lots of gems, and these tofu burgers jumped out at me. I've adapted them from a reader contributed recipe that ran in the October 2004 issue of Sunset Magazine. The recipe was sent to Sunset by Jeremy Wolf of San Francisco, and I enjoyed them so much! They were impossibly easy to make, relying on the "throw everything in the food processor" technique, and called for a quirky mix of ingredients ranging from tofu, seeds, and nuts, to mustard, cumin, and mushrooms. In the years since, I've done a lot of variations, and I'll talk through a few of them below.
I will say, I suspect you'll be tempted to tweak the seasonings, and you should! But here's my advice. Don't skimp on the cumin or mustard, you need some assertive flavors to kick in - keep in mind you're dealing with ground tofu and eggs as a burger base. Whatever you do think bold!
Tofu Burgers - How To Cook Them
One of the great things about these is you can cook them a number of ways. You can use a skillet, you can grill them, or you can bake them. The main thing you need to do is blend the mixture to a smooth-ish consistency. Then firmly shape and press the mixture into firm patties. I call for the firmest tofu you can find (extra-firm), but each tofu brand has a different quantity of water in it. If your mixture is too wet, simply blend in more breadcrumbs 1/4 cup at a time, and go from there. The mixture also firms up as it sits, so keep that in mind. You can let it rest for 10 minutes or so before shaping if you have the time.
Tofu Burger Variations
A number of people have attempted to make these without the egg. I haven’t tested that version yet, but here’s are a few notes from the comments. From Lisa,”For the vegan, I reserved part of the batch before adding eggs, and put in a tablespoon of almond butter as a binder, plus a little extra breadcrumbs.” Jacqui says,”...although I was out of eggs, so I used 2 T of chia seeds mixed with 6 T of water as a replacement. Worked great!”
For a gluten-free option Lisa commented with this brilliance, “I make something similar to these and use masa harina instead of breadcrumbs for a gluten-free option… it definitely gives it a “southwestern” twist, and is SO delicious.”
Cooking Tips
If you’re nervous about the patties falling through grill grates, Judith says,”…my husband was in charge of the grill, started out on aluminum foil, we thought they might fall through the grates, he ended up putting them right on the grates (they firmed up while cooking on the foil for a bit) and they were wonderful!”
A couple other favorite summertime sandwiches include this chickpea salad sandwich and this veggie burger from Super Natural Cooking. And I like to bring these when we're out camping. Here's where you can see all my favorite camping recipes. Enjoy!!
More Tofu Recipes
- vegan "fish" tacos
- caramelized tofu
- quick shredded tofu stir-fry
- sesame seeded tofu
- grilled tofu spring rolls
- tofu scramble
- all the tofu recipes
Premium Ad-Free membership includes:
-Ad-free content
-Print-friendly recipes
-Spice / Herb / Flower / Zest recipe collection PDF
-Weeknight Express recipe collection PDF
-Surprise bonuses throughout the year
Grillable Tofu Burgers
Be sure to seek out the firmest tofu made from organic soybeans you can find. If your mixture is too wet after blending (tofu brands have a range of water in them) add more breadcrumbs 1/4 cup at a time. Toppings pictured include basil, tomatoes, avocado, & sriracha-ketchup-mayo slather. You can also do a lettuce wrap in place of buns.
- 1 pound / 16 oz / 450 g extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry, then sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup / 2 oz / 55 g fine dried bread crumbs, plus more if needed
- 1/2 cup / 2 oz / 55 g cashew nuts
- 1/2 cup / 2 oz /55g sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup / 2 oz / 55g sliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon shoyu, tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- extras: whatever buns & condiments you like!
-
Place all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture comes together and is free of most chunks, stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor once or twice if needed. If it seems a bit thin to you, add more bread crumbs a handful at a time until everything comes together.
-
Divide the mixture into eight equal portions and use your hands to (really) press and form into round but flat-ish patties. If you want larger burgers, shape into 4-5 patties. Allow to sit for ten minutes or so. You can also refrigerate at this point.
-
If grilling, gently rub each patty with a bit of olive oil, and place on a medium hot grill. Grill, covered, usually 5-7 minutes on the first side, and 4-5 on the flip. Be sure the centers are cooked. If cooking on a stovetop, pour the olive oil into your largest skillet over medium-high heat, and arrange as many patties as you can without crowding. Cover, and cook turning once, until deeply browned on both sides. Roughly ten minutes. You want to make sure the middle of the patties cook through. If the pan is too hot you'll burn the outsides before the middle cooks up, so be mindful of that.
-
Serve with your favorite burger fixings!
Adapted them from a reader contributed recipe that ran in the October 2004 issue of Sunset Magazine.
Related Recipes
Ultimate Veggie Burger
The ultimate veggie burger recipe made with a secret trick, garbanzo beans, cilantro, onions, lemon zest, eggs, and bread crumbs.
12+ Camping Recipes to Make Camping Meals No Big Deal
If you’re looking for quick, easy and inspired camping recipes to deploy on your next camping trip, you’re in the right place.
Tofu Scramble
This tofu scramble is fast, flavorful, and a wonderful egg-free savory breakfast. Made with spinach, curry powder, nutritional yeast, garlic, and onions, this is the version we’ve been making for years!
Crispy Paprika Oven Fries
Perfect homemade oven fries where the tender, evenly cooked, starchy insides of the fries contrast the crisped, pan-blistered outsides.
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
The chickpea salad sandwich filling to make in bulk for easy lunches and snacks all week. A perfect vegetarian or vegan sandwich option.
Turmeric Grilled Tofu Spring Rolls
The spring rolls we've been eating all summer. Grilled turmeric tofu, asparagus, herbs, and hot sauce.
Caramelized Tofu
One of my favorite tofu recipes, caramelized strips of tofu served over sautéed shredded brussels sprouts. It come together quickly and uses just one pan.
Post Your Comment
Comments
I am always on the lookout for different veggie burgers. I am definitely going to try this, I love it!
This might seem like a silly question, but my parents are new fat-free vegans (health reasons) and I'm trying to find things they might actually like to eat. Meaning: I know nothing about this kind of stuff. Question is, is there something I could replace the egg and the oil with? Those are the only two things they can't eat.
I didn't realise tofu could sound so delicious! Great combinations of flavours. :-) Mandy
These are right up my alley! btw - tried your grilled tofu with soba noodles and garlic cilantro dressing on a recent camping trip and it held up great! I actually chopped up the tofu an tossed with the noodles as I was serving to a big group. Delicious. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the idea:)
mmmm looks good! Although, Pam @ cookware reviews, not vegan (with eggs in it) . Love your website Heidi, always has me inspired!
Oh my Lord! That looks like the most gorgeous tofu burger I have ever seen. And I actually wouldn't mind biting into it, given how tofu-averse I am.
I think turning these into meatballs—tofu meatballs—would be a fun idea. I once ate at a restaurant called Oleana in Massachusetts. They served a wonderful soup of lamb meatballs in a green soup which had a cooling mint flavor. I think the robust seasonings in this tofu meat would supplement well with the same green soup served with the lamb meatballs I ate—namely the minty flavor. HS: Great idea Earl. I think if you made them small and pan fried them, they be excellent.
Yum - so nice to find a burger recipe that won't clog your arteries and still tastes great. Will definitely try these. I'm de-lurking to say that I baked your cottage cheese sundried tomato muffins yesterday evening *as a loaf* - it came out like a terrine, smelled fantastic in the oven and tasted fab this morning for breakfast. Thanks!
This looks delicious, and I'd love to make them - but my husband is vegan. Do you have any idea if there is a substitute to the eggs? I know they work as a binder, but I'm not cook-savvy enough to know what would work in its place.
This looks like a wonderful recipe! I've never thought to use cashews in a burger patty before, I'll surely try this recipe soon!
These sounds wonderful and I will be making them soon. Can these be frozen? If so, should it be done before or after cooking. HS: I'm not 100% sure how these would freeze. The freezer does crazy things to the texture of tofu. If anyone tries it, please report back.
I like the idea of bold flavors coloring this blank canvas, and the nuts and seeds adding texture and substance. What a fun surprise to have found that poor little frog in your office. It must have been happy to return to nature.
Yummy, and the pics of making them are gorgeous! I love the contrast in textures in these burgers, and may play around a bit with the spice mixture for fun.
Those look so good! I love making my own faux-meaty things at home; much less processed, know what went into them. These seem like soon to be favorites.
For some reason, it has never even entered my brain to make my own tofu burgers. You are such a genius, Heidi. I have to try this as soon as I move into my new apartment.
This looks fabulous... I love veggie burgers and find most of the store bought ones pretty terrible. I am re-inspired to make my own...
Ooh this looks super good. I've been looking for a new vegetarian burger recipe and tofu burgers have actually been on my mind but nothing's jumped out - this might be it!
Wow these are fantastic, never thought of mixing in nuts and seeds to tofu burgers. Great idea.
These sound great! The seasonings remind me vividly of helping my brother cook when he lived in a vegetarian co-op in Berkeley. I think they put olive oil, Dijon mustard, and soy sauce in just about everything!
Wow, am I the first one to comment? It hardly happens! I love this recipe as I am trying to eat more healthy and trying out Vegan diet for a month, this will be a perfect recipe to make. Thank you for sharing it.