50/50 Quarter- Pound Smash Burgers

This is my creative way of enjoying slightly healthier burgers. The recipe is super simple to put together, but does require 8 hours of resting time to help the tofu and beef meld in flavor and texture (if the process is rushed, you may end up with crumbly patties). It’s very important to use 80/20 beef and nothing leaner than that, since the patties are already half tofu, and you need the fat to prevent dry burgers. The thinly sliced onions caramelize in the beef drippings and add nice sweetness. These don’t (and shouldn’t) taste like 100 percent beef burgers, but once they’re assembled with all the fixin’s, they really can satisfy that burger craving. / Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces 80/20 ground beef

• 8 ounces firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and finely crumbled

  Gather Around My Table: Simple, Flavorful Recipes from My Global Pantry: A Cookbook Kay Chun

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 hamburger buns, split

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil

• 1 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia), very thinly sliced

• 4 slices American or cheddar cheese (optional)

• No-­ Egg Mayo (page 120) or store-bought mayonnaise, iceberg lettuce leaves, sliced tomato, and sliced

• Spicy Half-Sours (page 9) or store- bought dill pickles, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine the beef and tofu and, using your hands, mix until well blended and homogeneous in color (don’t worry about overworking the mixture). Transfer to an airtight container and press a piece of plastic wrap on top of the mixture to prevent discoloring. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

2. Divide the mixture into four equal balls, then press them into patties about 3 inches in diameter. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

3. In a 12-­ inch cast-­ iron skillet, working in two batches, toast the buns, cut side down, over medium heat until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the buns to a plate.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add two small piles of onion, then top each pile with one patty and smash them with a metal spatula until the patties are very thin and about 5 inches in diameter. Cook until the onion and patties are golden brown and nicely charred, about 3 minutes. Flip the patties and onion and cook until the burgers are golden underneath, about 2 minutes longer. (Top them with cheese during the last minute, if using.) Transfer the burgers to a plate, along with any onions that may have fallen off. Repeat with the remaining oil, onion, and patties.

5. Build the burgers: Smear the buns with mayonnaise. Arrange some lettuce on bottom buns and top each with a patty with onions. Finish with tomato and pickles and any remaining raw onion, if preferred. Close the burgers and serve warm.

Credit line: From Gather Around My Table: Simple, Flavorful Recipes from My Global Pantry. © 2026 by Kay Chun. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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