Chickpea Burgers are a favorite vegetarian option whether your searing them in a pan, air frying them, or cooking them on a grill. These are flavorful and tender on the inside, with a delicious golden-brown crisp on the outside.
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I am not a vegetarian, but I love incorporating plant-based foods into my life. And I love chickpeas.
Plain cooked chickpeas, roasted chickpeas, chickpeas mashed and mixed up with mayo like a vegetarian tuna salad, or chickpeas turned into hummus or falafel.
And of course, I love them pureed with garlic and herbs and transformed into these flavorful chickpea burgers.
This recipe is super simple, with only a handful of ingredients needed to make the burger patties. But the result is a tender and flavorful veggie burger with a crisp outer edge that makes it super delectable.
You can serve these chickpea burgers exactly the way you would meat-based burgers. Top them with cheese, pickles, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, or whatever else you love on a burger.
The key to getting the mix to hold together is to let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before you form the patties. This will help the cornstarch absorb some of the liquid and stiffen the mix.
What ingredients do you need to make these chickpea burgers?
You don’t need many ingredients to make this chickpea burger recipe.
For the burger patties
- Chickpeas
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Scallions
- Shallots
- Parsley
- Paprika
- Salt
- Cornstarch
For serving
- Hamburger buns
- Tomato
- Kale leaves
- Mayonnaise (vegan if needed)
- Avocado
How do you make this recipe?
Making chickpea burgers is super easy using a food processor. Here’s how:
- Saute the garlic, scallions, and shallot in a bit of olive oil.
- Puree the chickpeas, parsley, paprika, and salt, along with the sauteed scallions and garlic, together in a food processor. Add the cornstarch and pulse a few times to mix it in.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Form the mixture into patties.
- To sear the patties in a skillet, heat olive oil in a skillet and cook the patties for about 3 minutes per side, until they are nice and golden brown. To grill the patties, heat the grill to high heat. Brush the patties all over with olive oil, and cook for about 5 minutes per side. To air fry chickpea burgers, brush or spritz the patties all over with oil, and then air fry at 370ºF for about 5 minutes per side.
- Layer the cooked patties on the buns with the toppings and condiments.
Tips for success
Do not skip the chilling step. It is important to chill the chickpea mixture so that it stiffens up. If you skip this step, your patties will be hard to form and they may fall apart when you cook them.
Make sure you drain the chickpeas well. You may want to pat them dry with a clean dish towel or paper towels.
If the mixture still seems to wet after chilling for 30 minutes, you can add a bit of all-purpose flour or a bit more cornstarch, 1 teaspoon at a time. Mix it in and see if it is stiff enough before adding any more.
More serving suggestions
Here are some ideas for how to serve these veggie burgers.
- Top it with Charmoula and Whipped Feta Spread or crumbled feta cheese
- Top it with Creamy Coleslaw and hot wing sauce
- Cheeseburgers made with either vegan cheese or regular dairy cheese if not vegan
- A Mexi-burger with Mexican Pickled Onions, pepper jack cheese, sliced grilled or pickled jalapeno peppers, and guacamole
- Buffalo burger with hot sauce, grilled or caramelized onions, and blue cheese
- California burger on a sprouted wheat bun with avocado and sprouts
- Caprese burger with fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil
- Serve it as written with Creamy Coleslaw and Warm Potato Salad on the side
Chickpea burgers frequently asked questions
It sure is! There are no animal products in the recipe as long as you use vegan mayonnaise.
Yes! In fact, the chickpea burger is already gluten free as written, so all you have to do is substitute gluten-free buns.
They can, but you’ll want to handle them gently to make sure they don’t fall apart.
Yes. You can form the patties and keep them refrigerated (covered) for up to 2 days. Or you can cook the patties according to the recipe instructions and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in a skillet or in the microwave. You can also freeze the cooked patties. Put squares of parchment between them to keep them from sticking. Thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
More vegetarian recipes you’ll love
- Vegetarian Dan Dan Noodles
- Sweet and Sour Tofu
- TikTok’s Crazy Good Baked Feta Pasta
- Crispy Tofu
- Burmese Garlic Noodles
- Palak Paneer
- Instant Pot Mulligatawny
- Instant Pot Falafel
- Instant Pot Hummus
- Bombay Sandwiches
- Instant Pot Turmeric Congee
Chickpea Burgers
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 scallions white part only, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 hamburger buns
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 4 kale leaves tough center ribs removed
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 ripe avocado mashed
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, scallions, and shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Place the chickpeas in a food processor and add the sauteed garlic and scallions, parsley, paprika, and salt. Pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the cornstarch. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Shape the mixture into four burger patties.
- In a skillet: wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and then heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in it over medium-high heat. Add the burger patties and cook, turning once, until the patties are golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes. On the grill: heat the grill to medium-high heat and then cook the burgers for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning gently. In an air fryer: Cook at 375F for about 4 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp.
- Place one burger patty on the bottom half of each bun. Top with tomato slices and kale leaves. Spread the mayonnaise and mashed avocado on the top halves of the buns.
- Serve immediately.
So delicious even my husband ate it and there was no meat in it! haha he loved it too.