This easy vegan chickpea burgers recipe can be made in under 30 minutes. It's a delicious meat free burger that's perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
If you love black bean burgers, you'll love these tasty homemade veggie burgers.
They're crispy on the outside and tender (not mushy) on the inside, and are insanely good with our vegan buttermilk ranch dressing drizzled on top.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
This is a visual cue to help you make the best chickpea burgers.
Exact measurements can be found in the recipe card.
Chickpeas - Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are the base of this recipe. You can used canned or make them fresh. Here's a link to show you how to cook dried garbanzo beans.
Aquafaba - This is the liquid from the can of chickpeas. It's a great binder and works like an egg would.
Breadcrumbs - This is also a binder ingredient. If you want to make these plant-based burgers gluten-free, you can use the same amount of oat flour.
Bell Pepper, Onion, Garlic, Parsley - We love this veggie combination. Feel free to use sun dried tomato or spinach or kale.
Onion Powder - In addition to fresh onions, we add onion powder for even more flavor.
Spices - Cumin and a hint of cayenne pepper work so well with this recipe. You could also add a bit of smoked paprika.
How to Make Them
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you make the burgers.
Step 1
Drain (save the aquafaba for the recipe) and rinse the canned chickpeas and process in a food processor until they're mostly creamy but you can still see solid pieces, like the picture above. It shouldn't be as creamy as hummus.
Step 2
Put the ground chickpeas into a large mixing bowl along with the chopped veggies, spices, breadcrumbs, and aquafaba.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3
Mix the ingredients well until they're fully combined.
Taste the mixture and add more salt if needed.
Step 4
Divide the chickpea batter into four even sections and form each one into patties.
Step 5
Put a thin layer of olive oil in the bottom of a frying pan and cook over medium heat for approximately 7 minutes per side.
Cover with a lid to ensure that the center of the burger is cooked fully.
How to Serve
Serve them on a bun and add any of these delicious toppings.
Lettuce, tomato, red onion, guacamole or our easy homemade vegan BBQ sauce.
They're also great with melted vegan cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions and Pro Tips
Onions and bell peppers contain water, so when you process them they will release the water and make the mixture too wet. It's best to finely chop them and fold them in.
The burgers will set as they chill, making it less likely that they'll fall apart while cooking.
Yes, you can bake them in a 375°F (190°C) oven for approximately 10-12 minutes per side, or until they're golden brown. Spray or brush with a thin film of oil to make them crispy.
To store unbaked patties, stack between parchment paper and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
More Vegan Burger Recipes
Vegan Chickpea Burgers
Equipment
- food processor
- grill or stove
- skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil we use olive oil
- 25 ounces cooked chickpeas drained
- 1 ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 small onion – finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- ½ cup red bell pepper - finely chopped
- ¼ cup minced parsley
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba add more if the mixture needs it.
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain (reserve the aquafaba for the recipe) and rinse the chickpeas and pat dry.
- Process the chickpeas in a food processor until the beans begin to become creamy, but still have texture. You should see solid pieces, not whole beans.
- Scrape the processed chickpeas into a large mixing bowl and add the chopped onion, bell pepper, minced garlic and parsley, 1 ¼ cups breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (more if necessary),1 teaspoon of garlic powder and cumin, ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until fully combined.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal sections and form into patties. You can cook immediately, although they set up better for cooking if refrigerated for at least an hour.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of oil on medium heat in a large frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the patties to the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 7 minutes, and then flip and cook the other side until golden brown.Cover with a lid to ensure that they cook all the way through.
Cindy VandeVere says
What would I use for the Aquafaba liquid if I’m cooking dry beans since that liquid is thinner than what comes in the canned beans?
Linda & Alex says
Hi Cindy,
You can use flax eggs. 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed and 6 to 7 tablespoons of water mixed together until the consistency resembles a whisked egg.
BitOVegan says
I attempted these, omitting onion and garlic. They turned to mush ): I'm guessing the onions help hold the patties together better.
Linda Meyer says
Hi, I'm sorry they didn't turn out, we've never had a problem. The onions and garlic wouldn't be the problem as they aren't binding agents. It sounds like the mixture may have been too wet if they turned to mush. Did you drain the liquid from the chickpeas? I hope I can help you figure out the problem. 🙂
BitOVegan says
I drained all the liquid. Perhaps I over-processed them or didn't add enough carrots?
Linda Meyer says
My guess is that you may have over-processed them. Bean burgers can be tricky, I'd suggest adding a few tablespoons of the liquid from the can of chickpeas if you make them again. It works like an egg substitute, which is a binding agent. 🙂