Banana Heart Burger made with shredded banana heart, eggs, flour and oyster sauce. Super moist and tasty, this vegetarian burger is a delicious and nutritious alternative to beef patties.
Today is Memorial Day and G and I will be hosting a small backyard bbq party complete with burgers, hot dogs and all the fixin’s late in the afternoon.
Along with the traditional beef burgers, I am also making this banana heart burger I first published here on Kawaling Pinoy in September 2014. A few of our friends who are joining in the fun are vegetarian and I am sure they’ll enjoy this interesting take on meatless burgers as much as I do.
On a side note, published in 2014! Wow, have I been blogging that long? Time sure flies when we’re having fun. 🙂
Banana heart is one vegetable I love to cook with. Not only is it relatively cheap, it’s also a versatile ingredient you can turn into many mouthwatering dishes such as kilawin or lumpia. Yet, versatile it may be, I was still understandably doubtful when I discovered a burger recipe which uses this tear-shaped vegetable for the patty.
Hamburgers are my kind of comfort food and I can have it for (or two) for lunch and dinner today and still want it for lunch and dinner the next day. But, it has to be meat! Thick, juicy quarter pounder beef patties, yes, please! Salmon, mushroom, and those vegan versions? Just won’t cut it. Or so I thought until this banana heart burger waltzed into my mouth and won my affections.
Super moist and tasty, this delectable banana heart burger just might drive old Macdonald out of the map. 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana heart
- oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
For the Burgers
- 4 hamburger buns
- 4 slices American cheese
- green leaf lettuce, leaves separated
- tomatoes, sliced thinly
- mayonnaise
- ketchup
Instructions
- Peel and discard the outer, fibrous skin layers of banana heart until you reach the lighter, softer core. Trim off the stem and discard. Cut banana core into half and slice thinly.
- In a bowl of cold salted water, place shredded banana heart and soak for about 15 to 20 minutes. Using hands, squeeze to release bitter sap. Rinse with cold water and with hands, squeeze well to dispel liquid.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat about 1 tablespoon oil. Add onions and cook until limp. Add banana heart and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.
- Add oyster sauce and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
- In a bowl, combine sauteed banana heart, flour, and eggs. Mix well. Form into 4 uniform-sized patties.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat about 2 tablespoons oil. Gently Add banana patties in a single layer and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden and firm. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
- Assemble burgers with desired condiments, veggie patty, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Video
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Atching Susan says
GOD a.m. Ms. Lalaine. Di ko pa tinry. Itatry ko pa lang kaya bumili ako yday. Just d same, tnx for a simple recipe and am sure yummy.
Btw, kapampangan kb kc binanggit mo y
mo yng camaro at crickets na well-known Pampango food pati yong frogs, batute.
Tnx I found your web.
Stay safe n GB!
Nelia Bonete says
I have tasted a banana heart burger prepared by my boardmate while in college. I love it. I have been trying to prepare myself but i don’t know how. I’m happy I found your recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
Issa Llave says
Hi, interesting post! Although I will have to sub out the oyster sauce coz it’s not kosher. Di rin po ata vegetarian hehe. Maybe mushroom version of oyster sauce 🙂
Lyka says
hi… ano po life span ng banana patty… at banana blossom siomai….?
Luis says
It’s banana blossom not heart
Please don’t translate litterally
Veronica says
It’s good that old recipes such as this gets circulated. I remember cooking banana blossom burgers as part of our Practical Arts class in the early 80’s. Alternatives to meat have been in vogue before due to economic conditions. Nowadays, it is more because people have realized that we need to get back to healthier culinary options.
Glad you featured this!
Annie says
In the 80’s pa gumagawa na ako ng banana heart burger. Marami sa Pampanga ng puso ng saging kaya you can be creative on what to cook with it. Pinaka favorite ko ang kilawing puso ng saging.
Luis says
Thanks for the recipe
But please don’t translate banana heart literally
Bananas are plants not animals
And thus they don’t have hearts
The correct term is Banana Blossom
We don’t translate good morning as ” mabait na umaga” nor fall in line as ” mahulog ka sa Linya”
Gigi says
Hi! Do you think I can do this in large batches and keep it in the freezer? Parang good idea kasi siya for baon and quick dinner.
Lalaine says
Hello Gigi,
Unfortunately, I don’t think these banana heart burgers will keep well in the freezer. Although I haven’t tried it myself, I am worried the mixture will change color and darken. 🙁
Aloy says
Can be frozen… Been there done it! 👍
Roeh pepino says
hello po may i ask somthing??? i mean personal talk po(chat), about the product, bcoz, i made my research paper about this food and along with the banana peel burger way back in 2010, i had the idea to make these 2 foods, and after 7 years im surprised to find these… where were you able to get this idea po?
Lalaine says
Hello Roeh,
Matagal ko na ginagawa ang banana burger. May natikman kasi akong mushroom burger so naisip ko gamitin ang banana heart. Ang ginagamit mo ay banana peel? Yung balat? Interesting! Dito kasi sa recipe yung mismong puso nang saging.
Rebecca says
@roeh pepino bata pa lang kami 1990s gumagawa na kami ng banana heart burger patties, it’s not exactly new so I don’t understand why you’re so surprised.
@ms lalaine your blog is fantastic and everything looks great! I’ve tried a couple of your recipes and they all turned out delicious! 🙂
Lalaine says
Thank you, Rebecca!
Roeh Pepino says
I would like to inform you that I was a 9 year old at the time of making it, I made up the idea of 3 groups, the banana heart, the banana peeling and the veggie patty, I made it for a 4th grade research contest (SIP) and let my classmates choose which flavor they loved the most which I then chose to be my final product. My classmates chose the banana peeling patty over the banana heart, and the veggie patty only had a few votes… I didn’t have any access to any sort of internet back then, only city and school libraries, nor is the delicacy known in my town or city… The first time I had access to internet which was way back 2011, a year after I won the contest I tried to search the internet for it but I wasn’t able to find any sources, naturally I would be surprised to see this. I would appreciate you understand that. Thank you.
Sha says
Hello po, natikman ko na po ito made by my classmate noong nutrition month, dito po nya kinuha yung recipe. Ngayon po itatry ko po syang gawin. Ask ko lang po kung pag nicut na po yung banana heart eh yung isang buo po ba na yon pipinuhin na ng cut or may tatanggalin pa po sa gitna? Ghank you po. 🙂
ELlaine Cruz says
Ask ko lang po how many calories ito per 4 servings? Anyways, loved it!
Lalaine says
Hello Ellaine,
I am glad you like the burger. Unfortunately, the calorie count plug in I use is not able to calculate the nutritional info because banana heart is not in their database of ingredients. Masyado exotic 🙂
Mary Eileen Loscos says
Can i freeze this before cooking? How long will the shelf life be if it’s frozen?
Lalaine says
I don’t think this will freeze well as like regular bananas, the banana heart tends to darken, too.
Rio Francisco says
Hi Ms. Lalaine, I’ve been following your blog since I stumbled on it last January.This is the first time na magcocomment po ako. I just love love love your blog. And your recipes? Amazing! So far, pinaka-favorite ko po itong Banana Heart Burger, I’ve made it at sinikreto ko sa mga anak ko na puso n saging ang main ingredient dito. Hehe. Anyway, my picky 9 year old kid na hindi talaga kumakain ng gulay (except for french fries at mashed potato ) naka-dalawang burger. My husband and my youngest loved it too, as for me nakatikim naman ako ng isa o dalawang kagat . It’s really good. Now they are requesting it as baon since pasukan na sa Monday dito. Also, I’m browsing your blog again (and again and again) for more lunch and baon ideas. Thank you so much! Please keep them coming.
Note: Namimiss ko po yung cursive writing style font nyo. I think it looks cool. Hehe!
Lalaine says
Thank you, Rio. Napasaya mo naman ako sobra sa comment mo. I am glad you’re enjoying the recipes. 🙂
edelweiza says
What a coincidence! Just the other day, my friend let me have a taste of her banana heart burger and it was very tasty (and meaty,too). Parang beef din talaga sya! 🙂