turn a simple block of tofu into a delicious homemade tofu burger! this recipe is easy to make and packed with plant protein.
the inspiration
I have made vegan burgers before with TVP and I love how they come out. However, I really wanted to try making a tofu burger. I figured it would be yummy and similar to meatless meatballs.
To bulk the tofu burger up a bit I thought it would be a good idea to incorporate some lentils. The recipe is so delicious and easy to make.
These patties are full of flavor, delicious on their own, on a bun, on top of salad, or anywhere else you want to use them.
the ingredients
- Super Firm or Fava Bean Tofu: the main star of our tofu burger is of course tofu! you can use either fava bean tofu or super firm tofu. Both work well here.
- Brown Lentils: you will need to cook the lentils before blending. You can also use canned lentils to quicken the process.
- Chickpea Flour: the chickpea flour helps to bind the vegan burger together.
- Rolled Oats: the oats help to bind the tofu burger and add a bit of texture. If you are gluten-free just gluten-free oats.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: this will add umami and flavor, feel free to sub in tamari or coconut aminos.
- Liquid Smoke: this helps to add flavor to the tofu burger and make it sort of as if it were cooked on the grill.
- Seasonings: I keep it simple for my vegan burgers salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder is good.
making tofu burger mixture
The first part of this recipe is to make the tofu burger mixture. This is very simple to do. All you do is add all the ingredients into a food processor.
Then, pulse everything until it turns into a mixture that holds its shape. These are so much better than veggie burgers because they aren’t soft and mushy. They actually have some texture and firmness to them.
Once, you are done with the food processor it is time to turn it into burger patties!
tips for making the patties
You can make as many tofu burgers as you like from this recipe. I opted for 4 burgers which came out to about 126g each which is actually a little bit bigger than a typical 4 ounce burger patty.
So, just evenly divide the mixture into as many patties as you want. Then, I like to use wet hands to help shape it into a ball. To help it not stick to anything I cut out a small square of parchment paper.
I will press the ball down to make the burger patty. This allows you to control the thickness and size to your liking. Having it on a piece of parchment paper helps to make transferring the tofu burger to a pan so much easier.
Repeat the process until you’ve made all of your tofu burgers!
cooking the tofu burger
When it comes time to cook them I like to first cook them in a frying pan or griddle on the stove with a little bit of oil. This helps to sear the outer edges and give them a nicer appearance.
Then, I just pop them in the oven to finish off cooking! You can also bake them completely and avoid any cooking on the stove.
I would not recommend grilling these as I am nervous they may stick to the grill. If you would like to try using a small electronic grill like a George Foreman that may work okay.
why you’ll love these tofu burgers
These tofu burgers are easy to make, packed with plant protein, and so delicious! I prefer them much over a veggie burger due to their texture.
They are so delicious and fun for anyone! I also love how many different ways you can incorporate these into the meals, the patties are so versatile.
tofu burger variation
While I do encourage you to enjoy the tofu burger as is, I do always have some fun ideas up my sleeve!
- Add caramelized onions or roasted garlic into the tofu burger.
- Swap the lentils for a different legume like chickpeas, cooked split peas, or beans.
- Add in some fresh herbs like dill, basil, or whatever you like to add in more flavor.
- You can stuff in some vegan cheese to make the tofu burgers cheesy on the inside.
- Add in some sauce like barbecue sauce or buffalo sauce for extra flavor.
- Add in some cooked veggies and vegan mayo for extra fun flavor. Similar to my vegan turkey burger recipe.
So, feel free to have fun and experiment with the recipe!
tofu burger faq
- Is this recipe soy free? Actually, yes! Even though it is a tofu recipe I am using a fava bean tofu. However, you can also use super firm tofu as well. If you decide to use an extra-firm tofu I would press it beforehand.
- Is this recipe nut free? Yes.
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes, as long as you use gluten free oats.
- How long do the patties last? Up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 1 month in the freezer.
- How do I reheat these? If it is coming from the fridge you can reheat it in the microwave, air-fryer, or oven. If you are reheating from frozen, I would thaw beforehand.
- How do I freeze them? After cooking let the cool, then wrap them in foil or cling wrap. Then, place in a container or bag.
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Homemade Tofu Burger
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown lentils, dry
- 12 ounces fava bean tofu or super firm tofu
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Boil lentils in salted water for 30 minutes or until soft. Then, add all the ingredients into a food processor. Pulse for 1 to 2 minutes until it forms a mixture that holds its shape. Taste the mixture and add any extra seasonings to your preference. The chickpea flour does give it a bit of an earthy taste that will go away once cooked.
- Divide the mixture into 4 servings (or as many vegan burgers as you would like to make).
- Use clean hands that are lightly wet to form the mixture into a ball. Then press it onto a square of parchment paper as thick as you like it.
- Heat up the oil in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Cook the patties on each side for 2 to 3 minutes until browned. Then, finish cooking in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the patty looks browned all the way around.
- Now, use your tofu burgers however you like.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on my gram measurements put into Cronometer. Yours may vary, they are to help you get an idea.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- After forming the patties you can sprinkle each side with extra seasonings for more flavor.
- You can also use canned lentils for this recipe.
Will these hold up on the grill?
Hi Jacqui, I have covered this in the blog post under the cooking the burger section:
“I would not recommend grilling these as I am nervous they may stick to the grill. If you would like to try using a small electronic grill like a George Foreman that may work okay.”
Can I use firm tofu? Will I need to make changes? Is there a substitute for chickpea flour?
Hi Deb, my concern with firm tofu is that it will be too mushy. if you want to try pressing it but I would encourage you to at least use pressed extra firm tofu if you cannot find super firm tofu. For the chickpea flour you can use oats or breadcrumbs
Thank you. We are sos free. So can we sub out the soy sauce or omit
sure, i would just add something else in to add flavor. whatever you typically use as a substitute for soy sauce
Well, those were the best burgers i’ve made! I didn’t realize that I needed to wait to put the oil in so I added it into the mix and it did a great job of keeping the burger moist. I did use the grill, but I used a cast-iron pan, instead of just the grill itself. I also put some of my favorite rub on the top after spraying with some Olive oil. Delicious. Will make again!!
Hi Barb, yay I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for tring them!!
Preparé esta receta y nos gustó muchísimo. Además de que es un plato muy nutritivo y sano, saben deliciosos y con una gran consistencia. Es el mejor burger vegano que he preparado. Continuaré probando sus recetas.
Muchas gracias por probar la receta. Me alegra mucho saber que te gustó tanto y gracias por dejar un comentario o reseña. 🙂
I love these! I used lupini flour instead of chickpea flour, it’s higher in protein. I look forward to making them again. I think I’ll add caramelized onions and minced garlic and no salt seasoning.
I am so glad you enjoyed it yay! Yes lupini flour is great. Sure, can definitely can play around with it. Thank you for trying and taking the time to leave a comment/review!!
Could you post a video or a photo of the consistency of the mix before or after it’s processed or made into a patty. I’m thinking I may have over mixed because no matter how long I cooked it they were still mushy in the inside. I’ve tried several of your recipes successfully and enjoyed most of them but this was pretty bad which is why I’m thinking I did something wrong. Also, they were tough to bite into so the tops were tough and inside very mushy. Where did I go wrong?
Hi Wendy, there is a full recipe video right in the recipe card! Hmm so I am wondering if you just actually could’ve needed more chickpea flour or oats. Did you make any substitutions to the recipe?
I made these. I made 5 patties instead of 4. I used a dollar store burger smasher to make identical patties. I skipped cooking it on the stove top and went straight to the oven. The raw patties are an stark white and turn golden brown in the oven if you use fava bean tofu. I used the convention oven setting at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes and that was too long, i over cooked them because they were too dry. I fixed this by adding 1 tbsp of follow your heart mayo per bun with one melted American cheese slice from follow your heart, and grilled onions on top. This made the dryness of the patties no problem. These patties are sturdy, they do not fall apart or break in half. I also added sun-dried tomatoes slices from a bag, not from oil, and fresh basil leaves into the raw mixture before cooking. Can confirm turn out good.
Hi Jane! awesome I am so glad to hear how much you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for trying it out and taking the time to leave a comment/review!!
Did I miss what the green sauce is? I am always looking to substitute since I do not yet mayo. Thank you.
Hi, it is this recipe https://plantifullybasedblog.com/2025/03/19/vegan-green-goddess-dressing-made-with-tofu/ enjoy!
These were FANTASTIC! Absolutely delicious and great consistency. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfect. I will definitely make these again, we loved them.
Hi Leslie! Yay I am so so happy to hear that!!!
Question: Cook time 1 hour and 22 minutes? I’m seeing 30 to cook the lentils, a few minutes of frying and then finishing in the oven for 15 minutes. What am I missing? Thanks!
Hi Suzy, to be honest not sure where it came up with that, yes would be around 50-60 minutes depending on how quickly everything you have cooks.
These were so good – really hearty and filling! I made them for my family – and even my 10 month old daughter enjoyed it!!
Awwww hi Allie!! yay I love that the whole fam enjoyed thank you for trying it xoxoxo
I have T2D so I eat very low NET carbs. Are the carbohydrates you’ve listed considered the NET or ‘TOTAL’ carbohydrates? I noticed you list fiber separately so I just want to know if I need to subtract the fiber amount listed from the total.
Cheers!
I would assume it is total. I just take the information I put into cronometer and put it in the recipe card. I am not a nutritionist or dietitian so i would recommend you inputting it into an app or website you use to make sure it is safe for you.