Big Breakfast Burgers

Big Breakfast Burgers

Vegan big breakfast burgers are everything you want on a Saturday morning, stacked into one glorious handheld situation. We're talking spiced sausage patties, golden tofu eggs, sticky maple mushrooms, and melted plant-based cheese, all in 40 minutes. The combo of sage, thyme, fennel, and nutmeg in the sausage mix is proper old-school breakfast energy. This is the one you make when you want to seriously impress someone, or just treat yourself like you deserve it. Make it once and it'll be on permanent weekend rotation.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Tofu press (or tea towels & weight)
  • 2x baking trays
  • Mixing bowl
  • Fork
  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Frying pan
  • Press tofu for 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp dried sage
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 6 plant-based sausages
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 4 slices of plant-based American-Style cheese
  • oil for greasing
  • 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 250g chestnut mushrooms
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil - plus extra for frying
  • ½ tbsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • 1 x 280g block of firm tofu
  • 4 tbsp plant-based butter
  • 4 English muffins
  • tomato ketchup or brown sauce optional

Method

1

Prepare the tofu 

  • Press the tofu for 10 minutes using a tofu press or place it between two clean tea towels, lay it on a plate and put a weight on top
2

Make the burger patties 

  • Place the plant-based sausages in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork
  • Peel the garlic and grate it into the bowl
  • Crack the pepper, and add the dried herbs and spices and stir to combine
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed
  • Grease your hands with a little oil and shape the mixture into 4 burger patties that are the same diameter as the muffins
  • Place on one of the baking trays and roast in the hot oven for 18 minutes
  • Remove the tray and place a slice of dairy-free cheese on top of each patty
  • Return to the oven for another 2 minutes
3

Meanwhile, make the ‘bacon’ mushrooms 

  • Slice the mushrooms
  • Mix the soy sauce, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar in a bowl
  • Add the mushrooms and stir to coat in the marinade
  • Spread the mushrooms out over a baking tray, drizzle the oil over the top, then roast for 18–20 minutes
4

Make the tofu ‘egg’ 

  • Put the pressed tofu on its side and cut it into 4 thin slices, then carefully trim the corners to make the slices roughly the same size as the muffins
  • Mix the 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the remaining ingredients together on a plate
  • Move the slices of tofu around in the marinade to coat
  • Put a frying pan over a medium heat and warm a couple of tablespoons of oil
  • Fry the tofu slices for 3 minutes on each side, until the edges are turning golden brown
5

Prepare the muffins 

  • Halve the muffins and toast until golden and crispy
  • Butter the slices 
  • Build the burgers by placing the cheese-topped burger patties on the muffin bases
  • Lay a tofu egg on top of each patty (you may need to trim the corners a little bit to get a nice round burger shape!)
  • Top with the bacon mushrooms, ketchup or brown sauce and the muffin tops
  • Serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Get the tofu right: Press the tofu for at least 10 minutes before you cook it. The drier it is, the better the colour and texture in the pan.
  • Don't skip the fennel: It sounds like a small thing but the fennel seeds in the sausage mix are what gives it that proper breakfast sausage flavour. Toast them lightly in a dry pan first if you have a minute.
  • Mushroom glaze timing: Add the soy, maple, and vinegar to the mushrooms once they've already taken on some colour. If you add it too early they'll steam instead of caramelise.

Why This Works

Squeezing the moisture out of the tofu before frying is the move. It lets the turmeric crust actually form rather than steaming in the pan, and you get that satisfying golden edge that makes it feel like a proper egg. The apple cider vinegar in the mushroom glaze cuts through the sweetness of the maple and keeps the whole thing from feeling heavy.