Tofu burger recipe made with sweet potatoes is the perfect healthy summer vegan lunch. Soft, and tender on the inside while lightly crispy on the outside, and full 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 burger or 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 burgers and 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 use super 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.
This vegan sweet potato tofu burger makes for a simple yet delicious vegan veggie burger. They’re soft and tender, just perfect wrapped up in some crispy romaine leaves and topped off with fresh avocados, vegan basil pesto, red onions and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Best of all they stay quite firm and hold up well after cooking ! No mushy veggie burgers here!
A perfect 30 minute meal. For more 30 minute meal ideas be sure to check out my recipe collection of 30 minute meals!
Let me know what you think of my sweet potato tofu burger recipe in the comments below!
- 5 ounces firm tofu with the excess water squeezed out with a paper towel
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled, cubed, cooked and mashed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
- salt/pepper to taste
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup gluten free breadcrumbs or more if needed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Top with your favorite burger toppings I used avocado, red onions, sesame seeds, and vegan basil pesto
-
Crumble tofu with your hands into a bowl. Add in the cooked sweet potato and with a fork mash them together. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil. Mix until combined.
-
Form patties with your hands.
-
Heat pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Cook patties for a few minutes on each side until browned. (Can bake these in the oven instead)
-
Serve in burger buns or in lettuce wraps.
Recipe Adapted from Love and Lemons
Catherine McCord says
This is perfect for meatless Monday! And so healthy!
Vicky says
Thanks so much! Thinking about making these tonight myself for meatless Monday!
Andrea says
Mmm, this looks amaaazing! I have been wanting to do more meatless meals, so I will definitely pin and try this in the future! Thanks for sharing on Natural Living Monday!
Vicky says
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the recipe! I too am trying to include more meatless meals in my diet and this summer I’m really loving creating different veggie burger recipes : )
Kara @ Home With Purpose says
My family loves most anything with sweet potato! I’m going to have to try a version of this! Thanks for linking up with Simple Lives Thursday! 🙂
Vicky says
Sweet potatoes have really grown on me too and now I’m on the lookout for more recipes including them : )) Thanks for stopping by!
Miz Helen says
I will just love this Burger! Thank you so much for sharing your post with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Vicky says
Thanks! Always trying to test out new veggie burger recipes!
Valerie says
Please specify either the size of the sweet potato or measurement (in cups). Sweet potatoes vary greatly in size!
Vicky says
I used an average medium sized sweet potato (next time I make the recipe I will update it with exact cup measurements) Sorry about that!
Valerie says
Thank you 🙂
Vicky says
Hope you enjoy these veggie burgers!
Inês says
Wow, these look amazing! Can you tell me the weight of the sweet potatos? I have some, but they are small, so it would be better to know the approximate weight.
Thank you! 🙂
Vicky says
Hi Ines, Unfortunately I didn’t weigh the sweet potato last time or properly measure it out – next time I make this recipe I will be sure to update it. A medium sized sweet potato (or 2 small ones) will be fine.
Katie says
hi, do you think you could use oats instead of bread crumbs?
Vicky says
I am sure you could try using oats. Probably best to break the oats up a bit in the food processor/blender, just so that they are closer to breadcrumbs in texture. If you don’t have breadcrumbs you could use flour — for gf flour you could use quinoa or chickpea flour, or just regular flour if gluten isn’t an issue. Hope that helps!
Ellie says
Hey. Do you cook the tofu at all before you mix it in. Or just when it’s all cooked together?
Thanks. It’s sounds like a real good and simple recepie.
Vicky says
I do not cook the tofu first. I mix it up with regular uncooked extra firm tofu. Hope you enjoy the recipe! The tofu gets cooked when it’s all mashed up and mixed in with the other ingredients for the veggie burger patties.
kirstie says
this is my first time trying tofu and i love it!!!!! definatley using it again 🙂
Vicky says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe : )
Eric says
Katie- I always use quick cooking oats instead of breadcrumbs, all kinds of vegan substitutes were online and I hit this one by accident with a recipe (not being a vegan substitute). I always bake instead of fry, so any suggestions would be appreciated for the oven.
Vicky says
I am sure you could bake these in a 350-375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, lightly sprayed with a bit of cooking oil. Thanks for the oats tip!
Vanessa says
Hi love these patties! Was wondering if they’d be alright to cook and then eat the next day as a lunch? Would that be safe? 🙂
Vicky says
Definitely!
myrna says
Hello there, these taste great but mine fell apart when cooking. I was wondering how they are supposed to come out.
Vicky says
They are more like patties than super firm burgers. I am happy with them that way, but I know some people prefer veggie burgers to be more firm. Problem could have been if the tofu was too moist – I made sure to use extra firm tofu and press the liquid out of it several times. Also freezing them for a bit after forming them helps them stay together.
Chef Smokin Steve says
Sounds like a winner Vicky!
I’m looking forward to giving this a try for the vegans and vegetarians at our next party. But why peel the sweet potato first? It’s even easier after it’s cooked! Just quarter your sweet spud and simmer until tender. The skin will pull off easily!!
Vicky says
Thanks for the tip Steve! Will try it your way next time : ))
Monica says
Thank you thank you thank you for this very tasty recipe! I’m trying to adapt to veganism as much as poss and I loved this!! I added tbs or so of Dijon mustard and a tbs of Tamari and a tsp of Tumeric- my roasted sweet potatoe was left overs which included cloves of roasted garlic – this recipe is the vegan bomb! I topped my burger with bbq sauce and dairy free mayo, Avo, beetroot, kaleslaw and baby spinach, and it was better than ANY meat burger!
Vicky says
Thanks for commenting to let me know how the recipe turned out Monica! Love your additions to the dish!
Arja Liisa Nuotio-Dian says
Tasted wonderful..but definately needed a binding agent..Burger kind of just crumbled to bits..Tried baking first..then frying..neither method seemed to work…
Vicky says
Sorry to hear the burger did not hold well together! I did not have this problem when I made it, so perhaps you might not have pressed the tofu well enough. You really need to get all of the moisture out of the tofu for these to hold up well. And it must be firm or extra firm tofu, as well. Adding more bread crumbs could also help hold it together or a chia/flax egg.
Chelsea says
Would it not work well at all with soft tofu? What would happen if I tried?
Vicky says
No with soft tofu it will not form into a proper burger patty – it will fall apart.