These low carb satay tofu burgers aren’t quite what you think of when you think burger. Marinated tofu acts as the patty and lettuce leaves act as the bun and you will need a knife and fork, don’t go thinking you’ll be able to pick this up and eat it like a traditional burger, it’ll just get suuuper messy. But then, if you’re up for a challenge…
So this isn’t a traditional burger. However it is still super delicious, plus it’s very low carb at only about 8 grams of carbohydrates per serve. It’s also gluten free. And despite all of this as it’s made with a tofu patty and a peanut satay sauce and tofu and peanuts are both high in protein it’s actually still filling!
My inspiration for these low carb satay tofu burgers was actually eating a similar thing as a kid at home. Even though I wasn’t vegetarian when I was younger we did still have a lot of vegetarian meals growing up. My mum used to make these burgers using tofu as the patty, I’m guessing because it was easy and something different, plus back then there probably wasn’t a heap of ready-made vegetarian burger patties like there is now. We also used to put satay sauce with them, albeit store bought, but it was still good.
I decided to do a twist on the satay tofu burgers I had as a kid in order to make them lower carb by using lettuce in place of a traditional bun and lower sugar by making my own satay sauce and knowing there is no added sugar. I also added more burger toppings, and ones which I think really add to the burger, they give it a bit of an Asian style spin.
The satay sauce is very similar to the satay sauce I use in my Stir Fry Satay Veges recipe, but this one has smaller quantities and added shallot. You can use any type or brand of peanut butter, I prefer to use smooth and I suggest making sure to get one which doesn’t have added sugar. I also use unsweetened coconut milk in the sauce.
You can change up the toppings if you like but I suggest if you can try the ones I’ve used. Kimchi gives it a really nice bit of spice plus it’s great for gut health, crispy shallots add some good texture and they’re tasty, and then tomato and cucumber are just sort of burger staples for me.
Due to the satay sauce and all the toppings the tofu isn’t bland anyway in this “burger” but I like to marinade it to give some extra flavour. I use soy sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic powder and a bit of maple syrup. The tofu soaks it all up really well and absorbs all the flavour. The maple causes the tofu to slightly caramelise as it cooks but you can leave this out if you prefer. In fact if you do omit the maple you literally halve the amount of carbs per serve in this already low carb meal.
This recipe may seem like it has quite a lot of steps or elements but it’s actually still pretty easy. And to save dishes you can reuse the same frying pan for the tofu that you use to fry up the shallots.
To make this recipe gluten free, just use a gluten free soy sauce. I use F. Whitlock & Sons gluten free soy sauce
I also have a video of how to make this recipe up on my YouTube, if you’d prefer to watch this recipe you can do so here
Ingredients
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Tofu Marinade
- Satay Sauce
- Burger Toppings
Instructions
- First make the marinade for the tofu by combining all tofu marinade ingredients together in a bowl.
- Cut the tofu into 4 even slices (these are your burger patties), then put into the marinade. Stir around and spoon marinade onto the top pieces so it’s evenly coated, then put into the fridge.
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Next move onto making the satay sauce. Finely slice the shallot and garlic and add these to a pan on a low-medium heat along with the chilli flakes.
- When shallots and garlic are soft and translucent, add the peanut butter, sesame oil and soy sauce. Stir until peanut butter is melted and everything is mixed together.
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Add the coconut milk and stir until fully combined. Continue cooking, stirring regularly until warm and thickened slightly. Turn off the heat and set aside.
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To prepare the burger toppings, first finely slice the shallot. Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive in a frying pan on medium heat. Once hot add the shallot and sprinkle with salt, cook until browning and going crispy. Take out of the pan and put onto a paper towel to drain.
- Using a vegetable peeler, carefully peel strips of cucumbers so you get really thin pieces. Continue until all of the cucumber is peeled. Slice the tomato.
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Take the marinating tofu out of the fridge. Put a frying pan on medium heat and fry each piece of tofu until browning, then flip and cook for a further couple of minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
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To build each burger, start by laying down a couple leaves of lettuce, top with a big spoonful of kimchi, then a piece of tofu, a dollop of satay sauce, 1-2 slices of tomato, some strips of cucumber, a sprinkling of crispy shallots and finely another lettuce leaf to act as the top bun.
Notes
To make gluten free use a gluten free soy sauce.
As this isn’t quite a real burger and it uses lettuce in place of a bun you will need a knife and fork to eat it.
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