This vegan bao burger is made with a blended burger patty filled with shitake mushrooms, miso, and garlic for a flavor packed burger!
The soft bao buns encases this flavorful burger with fresh pickled veggies, fresh herbs, with a sriracha mayo.
This fusion of Western and Eastern flavors will be the star of your next grill out!
How to Make a Shiitake Mushroom Burger
This is a mushroom burger unlike what you’ve tried before, where the mushrooms are blended into the patty itself with lots of flavorings like miso and black garlic.
This recipe includes directions on making your own bao buns, but you can serve this burger on any kind of bun you have available.
Blended Burger Patty
This vegan shiitake mushroom burger recipe stands out from the rest where the burger patty itself is blended shiitake mushrooms and plant-based burger. It is then seasoned with light miso, toasted sesame oil, and black garlic.
The shiitake is finely minced along with the black garlic and is blended into the burger meat with the miso.
This creates an extra savory, super flavorful burger patty!
Shiitake Mushroom Alternatives
Shiitake mushrooms have a unique flavor that is difficult to fully replicate. But if you don’t have access to fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms, then give oyster mushrooms a try! Oyster mushrooms have a lovely meaty flavor that is incredible inside of burgers. Another alternative is hen of the woods, also called maitake! It is a medicinal mushroom with a rich, meaty flavor that is reminiscent to hen.
If you have no other options, you can use cremini mushrooms, however they don’t have those same rich meaty flavors the other mushrooms have.
Flavoring the Patties
In addition to the minced shiitakes, you will add miso, toasted sesame oil, and black garlic to the burger patties. Yellow, mellow Miso is recommended however a Chickpea Miso also tastes fantastic here. Try to avoid using a more intense Red Miso here so it doesn’t overpower the burgers.
If you do not have access to black garlic instead add 2 tsp of roasted garlic powder. Alternatively, you could grate in 1 large clove of garlic. Consider adding a tsp of black strap molasses when replacing the black garlic to have a deeper flavor. Black garlic has a very deep, molasses like flavor. Adding a small amount of molasses with fresh garlic will give you a similar flavor.
Bao Buns
The savory shiitake mushroom burgers are perfect on soft and fluffy bao buns!
These tender buns are the perfect portal for these savory burgers.
The process to make the buns is pretty simple where you will activate yeast, add your flour, knead, and let rise. Then you’ll break the dough into 4 sections, roll them out, oil them, and then steam them!
To steam the bao buns you will need a steamer basket!
They are inexpensive and are a great staple to have if you are a dumpling lover or enjoy dim sum.
While you can pick up some premade bao buns for these burgers, they will most likely not be large enough. A simple way to get around that is to treat each bao bun like an individual bun and use two for these large burgers.
Otherwise make these extra-large bao buns to stuff your quarter pound burgers into!
Topping The Vegan Shiitake Mushroom Burgers
After the buns are steamed and the burgers are grilled it is time to top it! Pickled Red Onions are fantastic on these burgers- same goes with Đồ Chua .
Đồ Chua is a Vietnamese pickled daikon and carrot, it is commonly served over Bahn Mi. It is also a commonly served over noodles and as a condiment with meats.
Fresh cilantro is another fresh herb that helps brighten this burger. In addition to the cilantro you could try bean sprouts, fresh mint, or basil.
Sriracha mayo is the best sauce to go with this burger as it has the right amount of richness and spice to help round out all the competing savory, sweet, fresh, and sour flavors.
Shitake Bao Burger
Equipment
Ingredients
Meaty Shitake Burger Patty
- 4.5 Ounces Shitake Mushrooms Fresh
- 16 Ounces Plant Based Protein Beyond, Impossible, Litelife, ect
- 3 Cloves Black Garlic
- 3 tbs Egg Replacer Just Egg*
- 1 tbs Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 tbs Light Miso Shiro Miso, Sweet Miso, Chickpea Miso
Bao Buns
- 2 tsp Dry Active Yeast
- 2 tbs Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Warm Water 110 F
- 2 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Sea Salt
- 4 tbs Olive Oil
Sriracha Mayo
- 1/4 cup Plant Based Mayo
- 2 tbs Sriracha
Burger Toppings
- Đồ Chua or Pickled Red Onions, Kimchi,
- Cilantro
Instructions
Bao Buns
- Add the yeast, sugar, and water to a large bowl and stirSet aside for 5-10 minutes until it is foamy on top
- Add the oil, then the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix it until it's a shaggy dough then transfer it to a clean surface.Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (about 5-7 minutes)
- Brush the inside of a bowl with a little oil and place the dough inside. Cover and set it aside in a warm place for 45 minutes
- Divide dough into 4 sections, roll into ballsRoll the dough balls out to 1/4 inch thick ovals
- Top each oval of dough with olive oil, and then fold in half
- Place folded dough onto a steamer basket lined with parchment paper
- Steam each bun for 8-10 minutes on medium high heat
- Set aside
Meaty Shitake Burger Pattys
- Finely chop all the mushrooms and garlicIn a large bowl combine the chopped mushrooms with the garlic, Egg Replacer, Vegan Beef, Miso, and Sesame OilMix well together and form into four large patties
- Grill the patties for about 6 minutes on each side or until golden brown and caramelized
Assemble
- Make the sriracha mayo by mixing them together in a small bowl
- Brush on the sriracha mayo onto the bao buns, then add the grilled burger, the cilantro, and your pickled veggies
Video
@jess.flowers Flavored burger patties is where it’s at! These burgers are made vegan and are mouthwateringly good. Ive been growing shiitake mushrooms and this is one of my favorite ways to cook with them! #BeUnbxd #veganrecipes #veganfood #vegan #shiitake #mushroomburger ♬ Countless – Official Sound Studio
Notes
To make 1 flax egg add 1 tbs ground flax seed powder to 3 tbs of water
To make 1 chia egg add 1 tbs ground flax seed powder to 3 tbs of water
Nutrition
Ready to see More Recipes?
Here’s the latest:
- Cultured Vegan Butter
- Black Garlic Sourdough
- Instant Pot Vegan Yogurt
- Pumpkin Gnocchi Soup
- Vegan Labneh
