Classic Plant-Based Burgers
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 31, 2022
Time
35 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Dress the burgers with all your favorite toppings, or, for the purest you'll-never-believe-this-is-plant-based burger experience, just slide a patty onto a bun and dig in. This recipe will also work with four 4-ounce store-bought plant-based burger patties.
Instructions
- Using your moistened hands, divide ground meat into 4 equal portions, then gently shape each portion into 3½-inch-wide patty. Transfer patties to plate and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. Sprinkle patties with pepper and salt.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Transfer patties to skillet and cook until well browned on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip patties; top with cheese, if using; and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 130 to 135 degrees, about 2 minutes longer. Serve burgers on buns.
- Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place patties on grill and cook until well browned on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip patties; top with cheese, if using; and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 130 to 135 degrees, about 2 minutes longer. Serve burgers on buns.
- Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place patties on grill and cook until well browned on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip patties; top with cheese, if using; and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 130 to 135 degrees, about 2 minutes longer. Serve burgers on buns.
for a skillet
for a charcoal grill
for a gas grill
Time
35 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
When working with beef, we like to press an indentation into the burger patties to help them cook up flat, as heat causes the meat's proteins to shrink and tighten. Plant-based meat undergoes no such shrinkage, so there's no need to indent these patties. However, we do give the shaped patties a chill in the fridge before cooking to firm them up and make them easier to handle. Starting the patties in a smoking-hot pan (or grill) yields burgers with crispy browned exteriors and juicy interiors.
Before You Begin
Dress the burgers with all your favorite toppings, or, for the purest you'll-never-believe-this-is-plant-based burger experience, just slide a patty onto a bun and dig in. This recipe will also work with four 4-ounce store-bought plant-based burger patties.
Instructions
- Using your moistened hands, divide ground meat into 4 equal portions, then gently shape each portion into 3½-inch-wide patty. Transfer patties to plate and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. Sprinkle patties with pepper and salt.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Transfer patties to skillet and cook until well browned on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip patties; top with cheese, if using; and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 130 to 135 degrees, about 2 minutes longer. Serve burgers on buns.
- Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place patties on grill and cook until well browned on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip patties; top with cheese, if using; and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 130 to 135 degrees, about 2 minutes longer. Serve burgers on buns.
- Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place patties on grill and cook until well browned on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip patties; top with cheese, if using; and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 130 to 135 degrees, about 2 minutes longer. Serve burgers on buns.
for a skillet
for a charcoal grill
for a gas grill
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