Chickpea Burger

All veggie burgers are not created alike, and this vegan chickpea burger is a champion among contenders. In a world dominated by beans and fake meat burgers, this vegan chickpea burger recipe is in a league of its own.

I love veggie burgers but enjoy unique recipes rather than always eating a typical black bean burger. So, instead, I created a vegan chickpea burger recipe with incredible flavor, texture, and crunch. Tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, this chickpea burger recipe can be baked or air-fried.

Jump to:

• Chickpea Burger Ingredients
• Chickpea Burger Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Chickpea Burgers
• Recipe Variations
• Cooking Options
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Try These Vegan Sandwich Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

One of my biggest pet peeves is a veggie burger that falls apart or crumbles as soon as it's cut or bitten.

My second veggie burger annoyance is a soggy, wet burger that tastes gummy!

Therefore, I experimented until I developed a recipe to withstand the crumble test with a firm, delicate inside.

Chickpea Burger Ingredients

• Chickpeas: Chickpeas are used as the base of this burger. I used canned chickpeas.
• Vegetable Broth: Vegetable broth supplies flavor and moisture for the chickpea burger mixture.
• Soy Sauce: The soy sauce provides an umami flavor to the mixture.
• Vital Wheat Gluten: The vital wheat gluten binds the mixture and gives it elasticity. However, there is a gluten-free option below in the substitutions.
• Breadcrumbs: Plain breadcrumbs are used in the chickpea mixture to create texture.
• Poultry Seasoning: All poultry seasoning is vegan despite the word poultry in the name. The main spices are sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, nutmeg, and onion powder.
• Salt/Pepper: Salt and pepper bring out the natural flavors in the veggie burger mixture.
• Aquafaba: Aquafaba is the liquid inside the can of chickpeas and is used as a binder instead of oil in the recipe.
• Breadcrumb Mixture: The second mixture combines breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, and garlic salt.

Chickpea Burger Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of chickpeas, choose a hearty white bean like lima beans (butter beans) or Great Northern beans.
• Water mixed with Yondu substitutes for vegetable broth in this chickpea burger recipe.
• Tamari or liquid amnios substitute soy sauce in recipes and is also gluten-free.
• Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, or plain pea protein powder replaces vital wheat gluten.
• Make breadcrumbs by toasting bread and crumbling it in a food processor, or purchase breadcrumbs.
• For the best poultry seasoning substitute, swap 1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning for 2 teaspoon sage and 1 teaspoon of either dried thyme or marjoram. You can swap in any number of dried or fresh herbs you have on hand, plus mix and match spices. A basic blend of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme will do the trick.
• Try Flax and chia eggs: 1 tablespoon ground flax or chia mixed with 4 tablespoon water instead of aquafaba.
• You can purchase seasoned breadcrumbs instead of making the breadcrumb mixture.

How to Make Chickpea Burgers

• First, mash the chickpeas in a food processor by pulsing them. Do not over-pulse. Instead, the chickpea mixture appears chunky rather than a paste.
• Or, mash the chickpeas using a fork if you don't have a food processor.

• Transfer the mashed chickpeas and all the other ingredients into a large bowl.
• Then, using a fork, combine the ingredients except for the breadcrumb mixture.
• The breadcrumb mixture is used later to provide a crunchy exterior for the chickpea burger.

• Once mixed, use a burger press to form the burger patties. Or, use your hands to make similar-sized burgers.
• For a firmer textured chickpea mixture, refrigerate until ready to form the chickpea patties, or form the burger patties and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Recipe Variations

• Make the burgers into sliders instead of full-sized burgers. For sliders, reduce the cooking time by one-half.
• To flavor the burger before dredging in the breadcrumbs, dip both sides of the chickpea patties in your favorite sauce and dredge into the breadcrumb mixture. This time, I used buffalo sauce.
• If chickpeas aren't your thing, try a quick and easy tofu burger. Or mushroom burgers are delicious.

• Another idea is to dip the chickpea patties in BBQ sauce. However, the burger is moist enough to dodge the breadcrumbs without sauce.

Cooking Options

I chose to air fry the burgers for this chickpea burger recipe because it was raining outside. But the oven or a grill offer other cooking options.

Air Frying

• Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
• Place the chickpea burger patties in the air fryer in a single layer.
• Cook for 15 minutes, flipping half way through.
• If using a vented air fryer oven, such as a Cuisinart Air Fryer, skip flipping the burgers over.

Oven

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Prepare a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Place burger patties in a single layer on the baking sheet.
• Cook for 30 minutes, flipping the patties over halfway through cooking.

Grilling

• Preheat the grill to 400 degrees.
• Place burgers on the grill.
• Cover the grill and cook for 10 minutes; flip the burgers over and cook for 10 more minutes.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Do not over-pulse or mash the chickpeas.
• If you don't have a food processor, mash chickpeas with a fork.
• Hearty white beans replace chickpeas in this recipe.
• The breadcrumb mixture outside coating provides a crunchy exterior. Skip this step if you don't want a crunchy exterior.
• Prepare this vegan chickpeas burger recipe plain, or add a flavor by dipping the burger patty in a flavored sauce before adding the exterior breadcrumbs.
• Serve chickpea burgers with secret sauce, tomatoes, red onions, lettuce, and your favorite bun.
• Or, serve the vegan chickpea burger between lettuce leaves and skip the bun.
• Another way to enjoy this chickpea burger recipe is to add it to a pita, on top of a salad, or chopped up inside tacos.
• Remember, the thickness of the burger is important in terms of cooking time. Thinner burgers cook quickly, especially in the air fryer.
• Freeze patties uncooked for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before cooking unless grilling.
• Frozen patties grill well but require 5-10 more cooking time.

If you want a great veggie burger, try this vegan chickpea burger recipe! You will love every bite!

Try These Vegan Sandwich Recipes

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