The One Thing You Absolutely Need To Make A Vegan Copycat Whopper At Home

It can be challenging for those who follow a plant-based diet to find options at a fast food spot. That's part of what makes the plant-based Burger King menu hack of swapping out the meat with an Impossible Burger patty in most of the chain's sandwiches such an appealing option — although vegans will also need to ensure they get their meal without cheese or mayo. If you're interested in making a homemade version of Burger King's Impossible Whopper, we have you covered. Recently, Mashed spoke with Pinky Cole Hayes, CEO and founder of Slutty Vegan, who revealed the key factor in creating a vegan copycat that truly tastes like the real thing; It's all about the fire — and we don't mean spice.

Cole Hayes says that cooking your vegan patty of choice over a fiery grill is "the only way that you can mimic that classic flame-grilled style burger." And Hayes certainly knows her way around a burger. The vegan chef will be tantalizing taste buds in Las Vegas as she serves up her signature Fussy Hussy burger from now until October 18 as part of the Pepsi Dig In Restaurant Royalty Residency. For those looking for a bit more guidance on the whole process, check out our copycat Burger King Impossible Whopper recipe, which walks you through all the steps needed to recreate the burger at home.

According to Pinky Cole Hayes, it's not quite enough to swap out your stovetop for an outdoor grill and call it a day. "You must have that open flame grill, and fire needs to be up under it so that it can hit the patty and give it a charred taste," she explains. Whether you have a particular brand of vegan burgers you love or you prefer to make your own, Cole Hayes asserts that "it's not even so much about the patty you use." Pick your favorite, get that fire roaring, and you'll be enjoying your vegan copycat fast food burger in no time.

If grilling your vegan patty over a fire doesn't quite do the trick, you might also consider adding some strategic seasoning. Liquid smoke can bring in some of that slightly charred, smoky taste you get by grilling a burger over an open fire, so adding a bit to the sauce atop your burger (or into the patty mixture itself) can help amplify those flavors. However, when cooking with liquid smoke, you always want to ensure you're not being too heavy-handed. A tiny amount (think ¼ of a teaspoon) goes a long way.