Sushi burgers are popular eye candy on social media—and turning sushi into mini burgers will be a popular party trick! It’s incredibly easy to make the rice buns using cookie molds stuffed with cooked rice, a fun way to use leftover rice. This burger is layered with fresh flavors along with a hit of pungent wasabi and pretty gari (also known as pickled ginger)—it’s guaranteed to be an interesting bite!
Ingredients
For Rice Buns
- 4 cups (744 g) cooked brown or sushi rice (1 cup rice per burger)
- Black sesame seeds, for sprinkling
For Soy and Black Pepper Tofu
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce or tamari
- ½ teaspoon honey or agave syrup
- 1 block (7 ounces, or 200 g) extra firm tofu
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For Topping and Dips
- Wasabi Mayo
- Very thinly sliced gari
- Avocado slices (rounds)
- Thinly sliced radish (use watermelon radishes if you can find them)
- ½ cucumber, cut into thin sticks
- 1 sheet nori, cut into 8 ribbons
- Soy sauce or tamari, for dipping
- Sweet sushi vinegar, for dipping
How to Make It
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To make the Rice Buns
- Fill 8 round mini cookie molds (about 1 inch [30 mm] in diameter) with the rice. Pat the tops flat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to a few hours. To make the Soy and Black Pepper Tofu
- In a wide shallow bowl, stir together the soy sauce and honey. Place the tofu block on a plate lined with paper towels, and place another plate over the tofu. Gently press out any excess liquid by squeezing the plates together, being careful not to break up the tofu. Transfer the tofu to a cutting board and slice crosswise into ¼-inch (6 mm) thick pieces, and then into squares that will be your “patties.”
- Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of vegetable oil. Add the tofu pieces, season with the pepper, and fry for 3 to 5 minutes per side until golden. Transfer the tofu to the sweetened soy sauce and carefully turn to coat both sides. Place the pieces back in the skillet and fry for 1 minute more on each side. Assemble the Burgers
- Placing a nori ribbon under the bottom of each rice bun, layer Wasabi Mayo, tofu, and toppings between the rice buns. Wrap the mini burger on the top rice bun, sealing the nori ribbon by wetting and pressing the ribbon ends together gently. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve with soy sauce and sushi vinegar.
