Recipe Zone: Plant-based barbecue smash burgers

You won’t miss meat with this flavour-packed plant-based dish.

“Ian’s dad Neil used to make rissoles for tea every now and again and they were delicious. These barbecue smash burgers are loosely based on Neil’s rissoles but we’ve tweaked them a little by lacing them with barbecue sauce for a smoky-sweet twist,” say the brains behind BOSH!, Henry Firth and Ian Theasby.

“These burgers will put a smile on your face over and over again. Brioche buns stacked high with homemade patties, sliced tomato, barbecue mayo, crispy fried onions, chopped lettuce and melted plant-based cheese for the ultimate burger experience.”

Barbecue smash burger

Ingredients:

(Makes 4 mega burgers or 8 regular burgers)

For the patties:

4 echalion shallots

2tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing your hands

1tbsp brown sugar

600g plant-based mince

50克面包屑

50g BBQ sauce

Sea salt and black pepper

For the burgers:

4-8 plant-based brioche buns

4tbsp olive oil

1 romaine lettuce

1 beef tomato (or large tomato)

4tbsp plant-based mayonnaise

4tbsp BBQ sauce

4-8 plant-based cheese slices

Crispy fried onions

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Make the patties. Peel and finely dice the shallots. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Once warm, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for three to four minutes until soft. Add the brown sugar to the pan and cook for a further three to four minutes until the shallots have caramelised. Once cooked, take the pan off the heat, spoon the shallots into a bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes. To the bowl, add the plant-based mince, breadcrumbs, BBQ sauce and season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.

3. Shape the patties. Lightly oil your hands and shape the mixture into four plump patties or eight smaller patties. Set the patties out on a lined baking tray and ‘smash’ them with the base of a wide, flat-bottomed glass – if needed you can shape the sides neatly using your hands.

Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

4. Prepare the remaining ingredients. Halve the brioche buns. Drizzle the cut sides with the olive oil and toast in the frying pan over a high heat until golden brown. Remove the core of the lettuce and shred the leaves. Thinly slice the tomato. In a small bowl, mix together the plant-based mayo and BBQ sauce until smooth.

5. Finish the burgers. After 25 minutes, remove the tray from the oven. Place the plant-based cheese slices on top of the burger patties and return the tray to the oven for one minute to melt the cheese.

6. Time to serve. Cover one half of the burger buns with the BBQ mayo. Take the patties out of the oven and transfer to the burger buns. Dress the burgers with sliced lettuce, tomato and crispy fried onions. Close the burgers and serve immediately.

BOSH! Meat: Over 100 Outrageously Tasty Recipes by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby is published by HQ, priced £22. Photography by Lizzie Mayson.