Juicy and flavourful crispy tofu patties topped with a tangy basil-infused pineapple relish (barely) sandwiched between fluffy burger buns. This Vegan Cripsy Tofu Burger with Pineapple Relish is guaranteed to satisfy your cravings!
I am a burger girl. Burgers over pasta and pizza any day! When I was younger, my family would eat at KFC and I never settled for plain fried chicken. I always ordered a fried chicken burger. I don’t know, there’s just something about the crispy patty layered between soft and fluffy burger buns…
Now, I’ve attempted vegan burgers that involve blending to form a patty but they always fell apart on me and, as a burger girl, I was very very disappointed. What I love about using a whole square of tofu is that it eliminates the possibility of that failure happening, while still tasting amazing!
And can we just talk about this pineapple relish?! It’s tangy, spicy and oh so flavourful. Pineapple and basil is my new favourite flavour combination, it’s such an underrated duo IMO. It’s so good you don’t even have to add any extra sauce (unless you’re like my dad, who drowns literally everything in chili sauce).
Tips to make perfect vegan tofu burgers
- Use thawed traditional/firm tofu. Freezing then defrosting tofu changes texture from tender to meat-like and chewy. It will also soak up the marinade better.
- Poke holes into the tofu before marinating, so that the spices can really seep through the patty.
- Marinate the tofu overnight, or for 24 hours to yield a more flavourful tofu patty. If you’re short on time, marinade it for at least 1 hour.
- Use fresh basil in the relish, it makes a world of a difference!
If you want to up your game, you can even make your own burger buns using my Classic Sandwich Loaf Bread recipe! I’ve written down additional instructions in the recipe notes below.
My food critiques a.k.a my parents LOVE this burger! They eat the pineapple relish by the spoonful, and my dad (who loves meat) agrees that the texture and look of the tofu patty resembles meat itself.
This is the first burger recipe on the blog, with many more to come once I master the art of blending various ingredients to form patties that don’t crumble on me HAHA. But for now, I hope you guys enjoy this easy burger recipe!
If you liked this recipe, here’s a cheesy western dish I know you’ll love:
If you made this recipe, do leave a comment and rating below because I love hearing your feedback. Make sure to tag me on Instagram @eatwkriss so that I can see your recreations!
Vegan Crispy Tofu Burger With Pineapple Relish
Ingredients
- 4 squares (280g) traditional/firm tofu thawed
Spice mixture
- 1½ tsp dried basil
- ¾ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1½ tsp salt
Marinade and Coating
- ⅔ cup (160g) non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ⅔ cup (80g) cornstarch
Pineapple relish
- ½ cup (140g) pineapple diced
- ½ red onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 1 red chili pepper deseeded, minced
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 3 tbsp vegetable stock*/water
- 2 tsp fresh basil leaves chopped finely
- ½ tsp sugar more to taste
- ½ tsp salt more to taste
To serve
- 1 tomato sliced
- lettuce
- 4 burger buns**
Instructions
Marinate tofu
- In a shallow dish, combine the soy milk, lemon juice and 1½ tsp of the spice mixture. Squeeze the tofu with your hands to remove excess water. Poke holes in the tofu with a fork and let marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Cook the relish
- In a small pan over medium heat, cook the red onion, ginger and garlic with some oil until fragrant then add in pineapple and red chili pepper.
- Pour in vinegar and vegetable stock, then let simmer with lid on for 5 minutes. After that, stir in the basil and cook until liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and sugar to taste and set aside.
Pan fry tofu
- In a bowl, combine cornstarch and remaining spice mixture. Coat each square of tofu evenly and let sit on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then coat the tofu back in the marinade and cornstarch again. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- In a large pan over medium heat, pour enough oil to cover the surface of the pan. Once the oil is hot***, fry the tofu for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side and edges. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Serve immediately with burger buns, lettuce and tomato slices. Enjoy!
Notes
- Follow the same instructions, but before the second proof divide the dough into four equal parts and roll them into smooth balls.
- Before baking, brush the tops with some non-dairy milk and sprinkle sesame seeds.
- Bake at 170°C for 20 minutes, then move the tray to a higher rack for another 10 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Let cool before slicing.
this was so so so so good!! the flavours from the basil and black pepper really elevated the tofu and can i just say double dipping in corn starch is SUCH A GENIUS IDEA? really made the tofu so crispy😍 by far the crispiest tofu i’ve ever made! i are the tofu alone with rice and it was already so good ; loved this💛
aww thank you so much! im so glad you enjoyed it hehe ❤️