Easy chickpea burgers come together quickly, are sturdy while cooking and have delicious flavor! Add your favorite toppings and use these vegetarian burgers for burgers, wraps, on salads or in grain bowls.
Confession time: I eat a veggie burger for lunch almost every single day and have for years. And years. And years.
Friends and family always ask if eating the same thing over and over gets boring. For me, it truly does not.
I also love doing veggie burgers for a meatless Monday dinner with my family.
Previously I've shared these simple veggie burgers, fiesta black bean burgers and butternut squash, black bean and quinoa burgers.
(Check out my vegetarian tacos for another quick and easy vegetarian dinner. Or slow cooker vegetarian curry with chickpeas and sweet potatoes. So flavorful!)
When I’m lazy, I make my veggie burger scramble, but usually, it’s full on burger time.
And today I'm so excited to share these easy chickpea burgers, which are simple but so flavorful.
They come together really quickly because you put most everything in the food processor and let it do the work for you.
Then you form your patties and cook them stove-top in a pan in just 10 minutes.
Burger deliciousness in no time!
Plus, it’s really just a few ingredients and a few seasonings and you’ve got a yummy veggie burger that’s great at lunch or dinner.
Or both, if you’re like me.
(Check out my smashed chickpea salad too, for more chickpea vegetarian deliciousness!)
So let's get cooking!
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make chickpea burgers. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
(Oh and you can also check out my Google Web Story for this recipe.)
Recipe Notes:
- You’ll want to make sure you drain your chickpeas really well. If you are sensitive to sodium, you can rinse them as well.
- When I have time, I like to refrigerate the assembled patties before cooking them. They set up a little more and stay together a little better.
- However, I’ve also cooked these immediately and they still held up great. If you do have one that starts to break apart in the pan, use your spatula to sorta reform it and smush it back together. That always works for me.
- This recipe makes 6 burgers. It can be easily halved if you want fewer burgers, but I love having the extras on hand for a lunch wrap or for freezing for later use.
Now, let’s talk toppings and serving ideas, so you can make the most out of these tasty burgers!
(Feel free to make your own creations as well! This list is just to get you thinking.)
Topping Ideas:
- Tzatziki sauce
- Hummus (plain or flavored)
- Pesto (on its own or mixed with some Greek yogurt for a creamy sauce)
- Avocado slices or a dollop of guacamole
- Cheese (such as cheddar or Monterey Jack)
- Spicy mayo
- Ketchup, mustard, etc.
- And of course add any lettuce, tomato slices, onion slices and other burger fixings you love.
Oh and here’s a pro tip on melting your cheese onto the burger when cooking in a pan. (This works for any cheese you add to a burger really.)
Add your sliced cheese when you flip the burgers in the pan, which is halfway through the cooking time.
They’ll have about 5-6 minutes left of cook time, which should allow the cheese to start to melt.
If yours isn’t melting down quickly enough, which can happen depending on the type of cheese and it’s thickness, cover the pan with a lid for the last minute of cook time. The steam helps melt the cheese perfectly over the burger.
Now let’s get ready to plate these up!
Serving Ideas:
- Build a veggie burger using whole wheat burger buns and your favorite fixings.
- Use these for a wrap or lettuce wrap.
- Use as a vegetarian protein on top of a salad or grain bowl. (Keep them whole or crumble them up slightly)
As for sides to round out the meal, I love serving these burgers with some sweet potato fries and a spicy dipping sauce. You could also make regular fries or roasted potatoes and/or serve these burgers with a side salad.
Last thing, what to do with any leftovers.
Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Or place in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or container and freeze for up to 5 months.
Reheat the veggie burgers in a pan over medium low heat or in the microwave until hot.
Now you are more than ready to eat and I hope you dive right into these burgers!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. You can also check out ALL of my main-dish easy vegetarian recipes. Happy cooking!
Easy Chickpea Burgers
Easy chickpea burgers come together quickly, are sturdy while cooking and have delicious flavor! Add your favorite toppings and use for burgers, wraps, on salads, or in grain bowls.
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (can sub parsley)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs (or flax eggs)
- ⅔ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Canola oil, for cooking
For serving:
- Whole wheat burger buns, lettuce, tomato, etc.
Topping ideas:
- Tzatziki, hummus, pesto, avocado/guac, cheese, spicy mayo, ketchup, etc.
Instructions
- Combine the chickpeas, red onion, cilantro, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper in a large food processor. Pulse until everything is well combined and the chickpeas are broken down (but not mushy; you still want them a little chunky), scraping down the sides as needed.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs and Panko breadcrumbs and lightly mix until well combined.
- Shape into 6 even burger patties. You can cover and refrigerate them for 20+ minutes at this point to help them firm up a bit or if you are prepping them ahead. Otherwise, proceed with the recipe.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil and let it heat up.
- Working in batches, add 3-4 of the burger patties to the pan and cook for 5 minutes on the first side. Carefully flip the burgers and cook for another 5 minutes on the other side. (If any of your burger patties fall apart at all when you flip them, use your spatula to smush them back together.)
- Remove the cooked burgers from the pan and repeat with the remaining burger patties.
- Serve the chickpea burgers on whole wheat buns with desired toppings and burger fixings.
Notes
You’ll want to make sure you drain your chickpeas really well. If you are sensitive to sodium, you can rinse them as well.
When I have time, I like to refrigerate the assembled patties before cooking them. They set up a little more and stay together a little better. However, I’ve also cooked these immediately and they still held up great. If you do have one that starts to break apart in the pan, use your spatula to sorta reform it and smush it back together. That always works for me.
Servings: This recipe makes 6 burgers. It can be easily halved if you want fewer burgers but I love having the extras on hand for a lunch wrap or for freezing for later use.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 5 months. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1 burgerAmount Per Serving: Calories: 451Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 681mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 11gSugar: 5gProtein: 17g
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