Spicy Chickpea Veggie Burgers
These spicy chickpea veggie burgers are easy to make and always a big hit it. Bonus: they don’t fall apart!
If you’re looking for the best homemade veggie burgers, you’re in luck!
These chickpea burgers have been a reader favourite since 2013. They have the most amazing flavour and most importantly, they don’t fall apart.
The patties are great for building a classic burger but they’re also perfect for a healthy snack or adding to salads and wraps. You can even make them as sliders or nuggets for a party appetizer.
The recipe is easy to make with everyday ingredients you probably already have on hand and they make a great veggie option for BBQ’s and summer get-togethers. From vegans to vegetarians and even meat-lovers, these are always a hit.
Enjoy these delicious veggie burgers any night of the week for a meatless meal the whole family will love.
Recipe Features
- Vegan and can be made gluten-free and nut-free.
- Can be grilled, pan-fried or baked.
- Hundreds of 5-star reviews so you can make these chickpea burgers with confidence!
- Super easy to make with simple ingredients.
- The patties hold together through cooking and eating.
- Make the burgers in advance and stored in fridge or freezer.
- No raw eggs to deal with.
- Enjoy these healthy homemade veggie burgers as an alternative to store-bought veggie burgers.
Ingredient Notes
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
- Chickpeas: The recipe uses 1 19 oz can, or 2 cups of cooked chickpeas. Rinse and drain well if you’re using canned chickpeas.
- Red Onion: Red onion adds the best flavour to the patties. The next best option is shallots, followed by white or yellow onion, or green onion (scallion).
- Zucchini: You’ll need 1 small zucchini or about 1 cup lightly packed. You do not need to drain or peel it.
- Cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro, you can substitute fresh basil or parsley.
- Red Wine Vinegar: I like red wine vinegar best in these but you can substitute balsamic vinegar, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Sriracha: Adds a bit of heat to the patties. They aren’t overly spicy but you can omit this if you’re sensitive to spice. Chili garlic paste or sambal oelek would work as a substitute, otherwise, you can use any hot sauce you enjoy such as Frank’s or buffalo sauce.
- Peanut Butter: Substitute almond butter for a peanut-free recipe. For a nut-free recipe, you can use tahini or sunflower seed butter. I prefer the flavour of sunflower seed butter over tahini in these.
- Spices: You’ll need cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Note it’s a full 2 teaspoons of black pepper which adds quite a quick so considering starting with 1 tsp and adjusting to your preference.
- Oats: Quick oats are used because they’re finer than rolled oats so they help the burgers hold together better. You can also use instant oats. If you only have rolled oats, those work too but I’d suggest letting the raw mixture sit for at least 10 minutes so they have more time to absorb moisture. Note the burgers are naturally gluten-free but be sure to use gluten-free certified oats if needed. Do not use steel cut oats.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the chickpeas. You can either mash them in a bowl with a fork or pulse them a few times in a food processor.
You just want to break them down a bit and create texture, not pulverize them or turn them into a paste.
Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. I’d suggest doing this in a bowl and using your hands, though you can use a food processor if you like.
Just be sure you don’t over mix it. It should have some texture to it and not be totally smooth.
Step 3: Form 6-8 patties using your hands. You can do 6 large burgers, stretch it to 8 smaller patties or even make 12-16 slider or nugget-sized patties.
Step 4: Cook the patties on a BBQ or grill, in the oven or in a pan on the stovetop.
- Pan-Frying: Heat oil or use a little cooking spray in a large skillet or cast-iron pan. Cook the patties for about 5 minutes per side until browned and firm.
- Oven Baked: Preheat oven to 400 F then cook the patties for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- BBQ/Grill: Heat the BBQ then cook the patties for 10-15 minutes, flipping occasionally until browned and crispy.
Serving
- Low-Carb Option: Wrap in lettuce with mustard, onion, tomato and any other burger toppings you enjoy.
- Classic Burger: Stack on a toasted bun and top with ketchup, mustard, onion, lettuce, tomato and any other burger toppings you enjoy.
- Try quick pickled red onion or roasted red peppers for toppings.
- Wraps: Try a patty in a wrap with spinach, avocado and any sauce you enjoy.
- Appetizer Option: For a party appetizer, use the mixture to make nugget-sized patties and serve with honey mustard, sweet chili sauce or plum sauce for dipping. This also works to make sliders.
- This homemade cashew spicy mayo, vegan tzatziki, cheese sauce or chipotle sauce make a yummy sauce for your burger.
- Burgers are always delicious served with a side of fries!
FAQs
The peanut butter acts as a binding agent and adds moisture and flavour. If you can’t use peanut butter, you can substitute it with almond butter to make the recipe peanut-free.
If you have a nut-allergy, use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead for a nut-free recipe.
You can but quick oats are used because they’re finer than rolled oats so they absorb more moisture and help with binding the burgers.
If you’re using rolled oats or old fashioned oats you can either pulse them in a food processor a few times to break them down before use, or let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes before forming the patties to allow the oats to absorb moisture.
You can but I prefer the texture with oil. If you omit it consider adding an addition tablespoon of nut or seed butter to account for the moisture.
Some readers have used aquafaba (chickpea cooking liquid) to replace the oil, so that’s an option as well.
Making Ahead & Storing
- Fridge: Cooked patties can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Cooked patties can be frozen in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw briefly at room temperature or in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat your burgers in a pan or in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 350 F until heated through. They can be reheated in the microwave but get a bit soggy. You can also enjoy them cold.
- Make in Advance: Raw patties can be prepared 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge in a sealed container or covered on a plate until you’re ready to cook them.
Chickpea Veggie Burgers
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 burgers
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These easy to make veggie burgers are bursting with flavour and make an excellent alternative to store-bought versions. Try them on the BBQ for a delicious meal perfect for a summer afternoon.
Ingredients
- 1 19 oz can (2 cups) chickpeas, drained, well-rinsed and mashed
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced (50 g, approx. 1/3 cup)
- 1 small zucchini, grated (100 g, approx. 1 cup lightly packed)
- 3 tbsp (15 g) finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) Sriracha sauce
- 2 tbsp (30 g) peanut butter
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup (100 g) quick oats (gluten-free if needed)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- After draining and rinsing the chickpeas, place them in a bowl and mash them with a fork or pulse a few times with an immersion blender.
- Add all the other ingredients to the bowl and use your hands to mix very well.
- Use your hands to shape the mixture into into 6-8 patties.
- Cook on the BBQ at 400 F for approximately 10 minutes per side or heat 1-2 tsp oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat and cook the burgers for about 5 minutes per side until browned and firm. The patties can also be oven-baked at 400 F for 20-30 minutes, flipping half-way through.
- Serve on a toasted bun with your favourite burger toppings like lettuce, onion, tomato, ketchup and mustard.
Notes
Cooked burgers can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days or frozen in a container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Leftovers can be enjoyed cold or reheated in a pan on the stovetop or in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 350 F until heated through.
Please review the post above the recipe for FAQs, tips and substitutions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 5.5 g
- Protein: 7 g
Originally published May 23, 2013.
These were easy to make and they turned out GREAT! I haven’t tried them on the bbq but I’ve been pan frying them and they are delicious. I doubled the recipe and froze a bunch of patties so I could defrost them and fry them up for a quick meal.
Try adding a bit more than 1 tbsp Sriracha and serving on a bun with tahini and fresh spinach.
This is one of my new favorite recipes š
These were amazing. We made some changes (read: mistakes) along the way but everything still turned out fine. Neglected the cumin but threw in every other spice I could find in the cupboard (garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, red chili, Chipotle chili, salt, pepper, Chinese all spice). Ignored (forgot) to add in olive oil. Picked up a cucumber instead of a zucchini. Forgot the avocado. Literally everything went wrong but it still tasted wonderful- mark of a great recipe.
Haha, that’s awesome…love all the accidental changes. I glad they still worked out for you š
I am trying these tonight with some homemade potato chips. any suggestions on what to use on the burger for a sauce?? also it is winter so no bbq. hopefully they stay together in fry pan….. fingers crossed
Hiya! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe!! I’ve tried this recipe twice and it is now on our regular rotation! š My poor tongue can’t handle any spice at all, so I leave out the sriracha sauce – and add a tablespoon of Garam Masala instead to boost the flavour. It tastes amazing – I have been serving it with a generous summer salad (yes, it’s currently summer here in Australia) and some delicious beetroot relish. Very very morish!! Thank you!
I made these last night and ate them today for lunch at work and they were soooo good!! This is a major feat for me because I am brand new to vegan cooking and was feeling discouraged at the mixing stage (but then soon realized I just need to get used to vegan food textures) but once I formed them into patties, they look like salmon patties. This was the perfect recipe and intro to vegan cooking, so glad I found your blog, I’ll definitely be back to try more of your recipes, thank you so much for sharing them!! š
Oh, that is so awesome to hear! One of the reasons I blog is simply to show people how easy and delicious plant-based cooking can be so it makes my day when someone enjoys a recipe š Thanks so much for letting me know!
YUM! Made these tonight. Spot on! We’re also considering making them a bit denser with more oats and making mini versions, turning them into fritters…we feel like they’d be perfect with Ranch dressing!
Oh ya, they’d be delicous with ranch dressing! I have a tahini ranch dressing on the blog that would be really good I think! You can find the recipe for that here: https://runningonrealfood.com/baked-cauliflower-salad-bowls-with-tahini-ranch-dressing/ …maybe thicken it up a little? Or if you have a good vegan ranch dressing recipe, do share! Thanks for the comment, so glad you enjoyed the burgers š
Glad I found these. I think I will give them a try next week!
Wonderful! Let me know how you like them if you give it a try!
Thanks for the inspiration. I made these today and adapted the recipe. Used tarragon vinegar, fresh chilli, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp tahini. After forming the burgers, I put in freezer for 45 mins then shallow fried one side in coconut oil and dry fried other side. Reheated well and served with stir fry veg and cauliflower mash for dinner. These are delicious! Will definitely make them again and perhaps add more spices.
Forgot to mention that I didn’t cook the chickpeas – I used home sprouted chickpeas and put them in my Vitamix with the garlic, vinegar and seasoning and pulsed. Next time, I’ll also add the tahini and peanut butter at this stage.
Awesome! Love the adaptations. I should start with sprouted chickpeas as well. I’m still using canned but I know I should make the switch!
Chickpeas are so easy to sprout – worth making the switch Deryn.
I found your blog online just a couple of days ago as I was preparing for a 30 day plant based challenge. I made these Chickpea Veggie Burgers tonight. They are AMAZING! I put the “patty” on top of a small salad and topped with avocado and more sriracha (bc I’m obsessed). THANK YOU for sharing this recipe. I look forward to trying more from your blog.
Hi Sarah, I am so glad you enjoyed. Best of luck on your plant-based challenge! I love these patties on a salad with avocado, it’s such a great meal! Thanks for the comment!
Your burger looks so good. Every time I try to make one, it never comes out right. I will try your recipe.