Impossible Burger
Impossible Burger
Make it easy on yourself! Voted best tasting plant burger by Bon Appetit, you can purchase pre-made patties or a bulk package. Visit this NPR discussion on how to fool your guests who won't think to ask "where's the beef"!
Are they as healthy as beet burgers or Quorn Chiqin patties? No - but way better than beef for you and the planet.
Total Time
10 min
Servings
3 servings
Ingredients
Impossible Burger
- 1 lb plant-based burger
- 1/2 tsp pepper if desired
- 4 slices Violife, Chao, or Wegmans plant cheese if desired. (Or take it slow and use real cheese for a bit - eliminating beef is still great!)
- Sliced tomatoes, ketchup, lettuce, onions, pickles, sautéed mushrooms - whatever floats your boat
- Homemade Thousand Island dressing using plant mayo (see below)
Thousand Island Dressing
- 1/4 cup plant mayo
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp pickle relish
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Raw bulk plant-based meat keeps longest if stored in the freezer until just before you’re ready to use it. For quick thaw, submerge the unopened package in hot water for 15-20 min. (And remember, these are plants - you can refreeze what you don't use, a beautiful thing!)
- Keep meat cool for easiest handling - prior to handling and back into the fridge 15 min prior to cooking.
- Moisten hands frequently with water to prevent sticking while shaping.
- Try a nonstick skillet as patties break apart when you try to flip on a regular frypan. If cooking on a grill (to thoroughly confuse your guests), be sure the grate is cleaned and oiled WELL.
- ATK suggests cooking until it develops a dark, crispy crust that enhances flavor.
- Plant-based meats cook quickly, so caramelize your onions and veggies prior to adding meat, rather than browning it before cooking veggies.
- It's salty, so ATK recommends using 1/4 tsp less salt in recipes.
- Per ATK, "Plant-based meat cooked to medium-rare (125 degrees) is mushy and pasty. On the flip side, cooking plant-based meat until well done (160 degrees) yields meat with an unpleasantly bouncy, chewy texture. We found medium doneness (130 to 135 degrees) to be the sweet spot for tender, juicy meat. Because plant-based meat cooks faster than regular ground beef—thick plant-based burger patties, for example, take just 2 to 3 minutes per side compared with 3 to 5 minutes per side for similarly thick beef patties—be sure to begin checking for doneness on the early end of the time range to guard against overcooking." The Complete Plant Based Cookbook. America's Test Kitchen
- Serve on toasted buns with original Vegenaise or Hellmans Vegan Mayo (I dare you to taste the difference!)
- If you have time, chill patties in the fridge before cooking to make them more firm and easy to handle. Place in a "smoking-hot" pan or grill for a crispy outside and juicy inside. Load with all your favorite toppings.