Vegan Chickpea Burgers

Name: Vegan Chickpea Burgers
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
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; 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

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A good burger doesn't have to be fancy. I took simple whole food ingredients to create this amazing vegan chickpea burger that can be paired with anything!

Chickpea burger on a bun with lettuce tomato and sauce dripping

I love making burgers. Store bought versions have never wowed me. So I tend to create my own, and mixing it up with flavors and toppings is my idea of fun. This new chickpea version is simple and so good!

Burger Basics

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.

Ingredients

The base of these chickpea burgers have the perfect combo of wet to dry. They also have plenty of flavor so that they can stand alone:

Chickpeas
Oats
Onion
Parsley
Garlic
Sauce
Lemon
Smoked paprika
Salt
Pepper

How to Make Chickpea Burgers

Once you gather all you need, 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 cook.
Serve!

Mix in ideas

While I love these 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.

How to serve

I love these the traditional way with buns and toppings, 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

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:

Tips and Tricks

Here are some of my biggest tips to make sure your 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.

Prepping

These 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. You can store shaped or shape before you cook them.

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.

Common Questions

Are fresh or canned chickpeas better?

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.

Can you keep veggie burgers in the fridge?

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.

Are Chickpea Burgers good?

Yes! They key is having the right amount of seasoning so that it comes through in the patty.

How do you get vegan burgers to stick together?

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.

How long do frozen veggie burgers take to cook?

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.