Tofu Burger Recipe with Sweet Potatoes {Vegan} (2024)

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Tofu burger recipe made with sweet potatoes is theperfect healthy summer vegan lunch. Soft, and tender on the inside while lightlycrispy on the outside, andfull of flavor.Gluten-Free too. Only 7 ingredients and 30 minutes needed!

Tofu burger yay or nay? I say yay and you will too as soon as you try this amazing sweet potato tofu burger recipe.

I once read somewhere that your taste buds change ever seven years of so. Have you heard of such a thing, or am I simply making this up? I don’t know how often this really comes about but I think there must be some truth to this.

A few years ago I wouldn’t be caught dead eating a sweet potato. There was just something about them; they were too sweet for me, just too much; they overwhelmed by senses.

And now?

Well now I can’t get enough of them. It was like flipping a switch. An invisible time flick and all of a sudden I was open to sweet potatoes. I don’t even understand what I had against them before. I’m simply obsessed with them now and want to add them to every recipe I make.

Now I need to catch up for all that lost time.

I get fixated on certain types of recipes. Sometimes it’s quinoa (like the time I became obsessed with my toasted quinoa with mushrooms and Asian flavors), or salads, but now it’s burgers – as in my vegan black bean burger recipe, superfood vegan chia seed burgeror my vegan crab cakes, which aren’t really burgers but I basically think of them as such.

I am just currently on a huge burger kick.

I had already tried sweet potatoes in a veggie burger in my vegan sweet potato squash burgersand since I loved those it was time for another sweet potato burger recipe. This time the additional ingredient would be tofu – a tofu burger.

Why this tofu burger is the best:

100% vegan plant based recipe
Only 2 main key ingredients
Super firm burgers
You would never know there was tofu in these! And you’ll be amazing at how much flavor tofu can have!

Recipe Tips:

You must usesuper firm tofu for this recipe and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This is key to making these tofu veggie burgers super firm.
To get as much liquid as possible out of the tofu stack some heavy books or a cast iron pan on top of paper towel wrapped tofu blocks to help do the trick

Variations:

Instead of sweet potatoes you could use butternut squash or pumpkin
If you are not vegan add an egg to the mix to make these more firm
To make these grain free instead of breadcrumbs you could use a grain free flour of choice like cassava, tiger nut, etc
Instead of garlic and rosemary you can add your favorite spices and herbs instead – think paprika, Italian seasoning, etc

Are these freezer friendly?

Absolutely! You can freeze the uncooked burgers and then bake them directly, or freeze the cooked burger patties themselves too.

Are these low carb?

Yes, as long as you serve these bunless style in lettuce wraps instead of on burger buns or bread. Use romaine, or iceberg in place of a regular burger bun to make this a lower calorie and lower carb recipe.

Sweet Potato Tofu Burger Key Ingredients:

Super firm tofu
Sweet potato
Panko breadcrumbs
Sesame seeds (optional)
Garlic
Rosemary (optional – for a fall themed flavor profile)

How to make my tofu burger with sweet potatoes:

First and most importantly you will need to press all the liquid out of your tofu. This is the key component of a tofu burger recipe that is firm and holds together well. You will want to wrap the tofu in paper towels and stack something heavy on top – think a cast iron pan, a few cans, heavy plates, etc.

You want as much liquid out of that tofu as possible. Even when you buy extra or super firm tofu there is still plenty of liquid that needed to be pressed out of it.

While the tofu is being pressed peel, cut up and boil the sweet potato. The smaller the sweet potato is cut up, the faster it’ll boil! Rinse and sweet potato in cold water to cool it down. Drain.

Next, crumble the tofu in your hands or use a fork to break it up into a mashed mess. It will be quite firm so you’ll really have to mix it up in your hands to get it to resemble a crumb mixture. If this isn’t working well, use a box grater to grate the tofu instead. Add the sweet potatoes and mash them up with the tofu.

Mix in the remaining ingredients. Form into burger patties of desired size.

If the burger patties are not forming well, pop the mixture into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to firm up.

Once patties are formed, pan fry them in olive oil until browned on both sides.

FAQs

What makes vegan burgers stick together? ›

Eggs are the most common and effective binder, and egg replacers are an excellent alternative for vegan burgers. Other common binders include wheat germ, bread crumbs, oats, and ground flaxseeds. These are dry ingredients, though the recipe's other ingredients often add just enough moisture to make a sufficient binder.

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What binds a veggie burger together? ›

Common binding agents include flax eggs (a mixture of ground flaxseed and water), chia seeds, mashed potatoes, tapioca flour, or even your favorite nut butter. These ingredients help hold everything together and prevent your burger from crumbling.

What makes tofu stick together? ›

To Keep It Together, Think Dry and Firm

One of the most important steps in preparing tofu is drying out or firming up its exterior in some way to help it hold together. For pan-frying, draining it and then drying and pressing the exterior with paper towels works well.

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Why do my veggie burgers fall apart? ›

The more pulverized the veggie burger mixture gets, the better the patties will stick together. (But don't puree them, or the final texture will be off.) Keep the patty size reasonable. If you make the veggie burgers too large, they are more likely to fall apart.

How do you keep homemade veggie burgers from falling apart? ›

If you're tired of ending up with a crumbly mess on your plate, then you might need to rethink how you keep your veggie burgers intact. Before hitting the grill or pan, one major tip is to use a binding agent with your burger, such as egg or breadcrumbs, to help hold the patty together.

What can I add to tofu to make it taste better? ›

Marinate it: Tofu can be marinated in a variety of flavorful sauces or spices. You can use soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and other seasonings to make a simple marinade. Let the tofu marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to a few hours) before cooking or grilling.

How do you keep tofu from falling apart? ›

However, in recipes calling for tofu to hold its shape, it's critical that you press the tofu to remove enough water so that it will hold its shape when used in recipes for salads, stir-fries, or grilling. Unless you do this, the tofu will fall apart and lose all shape.