These vegan chickpea burgers are the perfect alternative to traditional meat burgers! Easy to make, full of protein and so flavorful.
A good burger doesn't have to be fancy. I took simple whole food ingredients to create this amazing vegan burger recipe that can be paired with anything!
This post was originally published on June 13, 2020.
We make vegan burgers every week! They are so easy, please everyone and can be paired with so many types of sides.
Ingredients
Making a homemade veggie burger is not as hard as you may think. The key is knowing the combination of ingredients to get them to stick. You need moisture but you also need those that suck up the extra wetness for that perfect texture.
The base of these vegan chickpea burgers have the perfect combo of wet to dry. They also have plenty of flavor so that they can stand alone.
Here is what you need for the patties:
- Chickpeas
- Oats
- Onion
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Sauce
- Lemon
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Make Chickpea Burgers
Once you gather all you need for the chickpea veggie burgers, the rest is super easy! Here are the few steps it takes for dinner to be ready:
- Pulse everything in a food processor until crumbly.
- Shape into patties and cook.
- Serve!
Vegan Burger Topping Ideas
There are so many ways to enjoy this vegan chickpea burger recipe, but our favorite is as a classic burger!
Here are some good plant based options:
- Buns of choice - gluten free if needed, or lettuce leaves for low carb version
- Extra sauce
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Grilled onions
- Raw onion slices
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Pickles
- Avocado
- Dairy free cheese
Servings sauces
This burger requires some sort of sauce for the recipe itself, but the trick is to also use that same sauce for serving! Here are some of our favorites:
Mix in ideas
While I love these vegan chickpea patties simple as is, you can definitely switch it up to change the flavor. If adding solid ingredients, just make sure not to add too much as it will affect the ability of it to stick together.
- Sub the parsley for any other herb like cilantro, basil, or even oregano for a greek twist.
- Use lime instead of lemon.
- Switch up the seasoning to match what flavor theme you want. Cumin and chili powder would be great for a Mexican twist.
- Add in some finely chopped veggies. I wouldn't add more than ¼ - ½ a cup.
More Ways to Serve Chickpea Burger Patties
I love serving this veggie burger recipe the traditional way with buns and toppings as mentioned above, but you can also serve them in other ways:
- Lettuce wraps
- Pita bread
- Sandwich bread
- Open faced
- Slider sized
- Nugget sized as dippers
- Over a salad
Tips and Tricks
Here are some of my biggest tips to make sure your chickpea burgers come out perfect:
- Make sure to drain the chickpeas well before adding to the food processor. Extra water will make the burger mixture too wet.
- When blending the filling, you want a medium sized crumble. If they are too large, the mix won't stick. If they are too small, you'll get hummus.
- Check to see if the mixture sticks together before you stop blending. If it doesn't, it needs to be blended more.
- If cooking on the stove top, when ready to flip, if they don't come off easily, they need more time.
- If baking, they are best baked on parchment so they get a nice crisp on both side.
- If grilling, each grill varies so start checking after a few minutes, if they don't come off easily, they aren't ready.
- You don't want to cook on too high of a heat because the outside will be burned and the inside still raw. Stick to medium or medium low heat.
Meal Prep and Storage Tips
This chickpea veggie burger recipe can easily be made ahead of time and cooked when ready.
- Simply make the mixture, then store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to cook up to 3 days in advance.
- You can store the chickpea burger patties shaped or shape before you cook them.
- Refrigerate cooked veggie burgers for up to 3-5 days.
- These can also be frozen.
- Freeze them shaped.
- Once you have shaped the mixture, wrap in plastic or parchment then wrap in foil and store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Common Questions
I use canned chickpeas for this recipe because it was fast and easy. But you could cook dried chickpeas as well. Dried tend to be less soft so you may have to mix longer.
Yes! If you make too much mixture, or want to make the mixture ahead of time, simple store in an airtight container. You want to cook them within 3-4 days for best results. Keep in mind that the mixture does dry out the longer it stays in the fridge so you may need to add a touch of moisture if it seems dry.
Yes! They key is having the right amount of seasoning so that it comes through in the patty. Try this recipe for veggie burgers with chickpeas to see for yourself!
They key is in the combination of ingredients and that perfect moisture balance. You also need to blend the ingredients to the right texture so that the pieces aren't too big.
If you are using frozen homemade burgers, it's best to let them come to room temperature before cooking so that you can shape them back together if need be. If you prefer to cook from frozen, you may need to double the cooking time.
More Plant Based Burger Recipes
Vegan Chickpea Burgers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas , drained and rinsed (about one 15 ounce can)
- ½ cup rolled oats , gluten-free if needed
- ½ cup chopped red or yellow onion
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 garlic cloves , chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons mayo/sour cream/yogurt/sauce of choice , see note
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ -1 teaspoon sea salt , depends on the sauce and how salty it is
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Serving suggestions:
- Buns of choice , or lettuce leaves for low carb version
- Extra sauce that you used above
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Grilled onions
- Raw onion slices
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Pickles
Instructions
- Add everything to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is in small crumbles and sticks together well.
- Form into 4 patties.
- Cook on a preheated griddle or pan for 5-6 minutes on each side or until brown.
- You can also bake them on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 F/ 175 C for about 15 minutes on each side.
- Allow to cool a bit before eating. This will help keep the burgers together without falling apart.
- Serve with toppings of choice!
Notes
- For the sauce, I used a sauce from my site that I also topped the burger with. It can be anything. The amount will depend on how thin or thick the sauce is. Start with 1 tablespoon and if you need more moisture or if your burger mixture is not sticking together well, then add 1 more tablespoon.
- Nutrition facts are for one burger and the main burger only.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Andrea
Yum!!!! Made this tonight and I inhanced the flavor with garlic powder, onion powder, and dehydrated chives ..then I put it a wrap with diced apple, lettuce, pepperchini AND WOW. This is a keeper. The flavor was spot on and I thank you so much for the inspiration. I Very much encourage others to try this. Thanks again!
Sophia DeSantis
Awesome!! Thanks so much Andrea, I'm so happy you loved this recipe!
Diana
What a great recipe! So simple with no weird ingredients, I love that. They look pretty and taste delicious! Keep these awesome recipes coming!
veggiesdontbite
I'm so happy you liked them Diana! Thanks for the great review!
Julie Revelant
Sophia,
I had been looking for more plant-based options for my family so I was so glad to find these. They took 5 minutes to pull together and everyone loved them, including my meat-and-potatoes loving husband. This is a must-try recipe for anyone looking to add more whole-foods, plant-based options into their regular meal rotation and get dinner on the table in minutes flat!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much Julie! So happy you all liked them!
Judi
Looks great and my question is there something I could sub for the oats to make starch free? Thanks 🙂
veggiesdontbite
Hi Judi! The oats give this structure and texture. So there isn't anything you can sub with one for one without redoing the recipe itself. You can try adding almond flour but the texture will not be the same. Let me know if you try it!
Andrea Wiener
Just printed this recipe - it uses stuff i have in my pantry!
veggiesdontbite
Awesome Andrea! Let me know what you think!
Alya
Made them they tasted really good, very filling. I subbed tahini for mayo and the recipe still worked.
veggiesdontbite
Awesome! I'm so happy you liked them. Thank you for the great review!
Cari
Do you think this recipe could be doubled?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Cari! Yes! I would probably pulse it in the food processor in two batches though so it doesn't get too crowded.
Cari
Thank you!
Betty
Do you think these would hold up well as mini meatballs to add to a pasta dish?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Betty! You can definitely do that! But serve them on the pasta, then top with sauce. I also have a great meatball recipe here: https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/kale-lentil-balls/