Vegan Chickpea Veggie Burgers

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/15/21
Tested by
Victoria Heydt
Victoria Heydt
Tested by Victoria Heydt
Victoria Heydt is a food photographer, stylist, and the Editorial Operations Director for The Spruce Eats. An Institute of Culinary Education grad, she also develops and tests recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Many veggie burger recipes include black beans as the main ingredient, but this version combines chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, with some vegetables to make a vegan burger with a slightly different taste. The chickpeas are mashed together with celery, carrot, and onion. The mixture is bound together with flour instead of eggs, making this homemade veggie burger both vegetarian and vegan, and full of protein.

The patties are placed in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up, helping them from falling apart while they're cooked. This recipe calls for either pan-frying or using a stovetop grill, eliminating any worry of the burger falling apart through the grates of an outdoor grill. Serve on your choice of bun (or lettuce leaves) with your favorite toppings and condiments.

Vegan Chickpea Veggie Burgers

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

"If you’re looking for a good recipe to whip up from ingredients you have at home, I recommend these chickpea veggie burgers. I would suggest making four larger patties instead of six and using a binding agent of some sort, as I had a hard time keeping them from falling apart." —Victoria Heydt

Vegan Chickpea Veggie Burgers Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 cups canned chickpeas, plus chickpea liquid

  • 1 stalk celery, diced small

  • 1 small carrot, grated

  • 1/2 medium onion, minced

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, or more to taste

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

For Serving:

  • 4 buns or large lettuce leaves

  • Lettuce, for topping, optional

  • Sliced red onion, for topping, optional

  • Sliced tomato, for topping, optional

  • Sliced avocado, for topping, optional

  • Condiments of choice, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for chickpea burger

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Drain chickpeas and reserve 4 to 5 tablespoons of chickpea liquid.

    Drain chickpeas in a colander

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Using a food processor, pulse chickpeas 3 to 4 times. (Do not pulse for longer as you have the potential of making hummus instead of burgers.) The chickpeas should be crumbly, but not mush.

    chickpeas in a food processor

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Transfer mashed chickpeas to a large bowl. Add celery, carrot, onion, garlic powder, flour, salt, and pepper, then mash together until well combined.

    chickpeas, celery, carrot, onion, garlic powder, flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Add some of the reserved chickpea liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture can create a patty that holds together nicely.

    chickpea mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  6. Form 4 patties, place on a small baking sheet that's been lined with parchment paper, and put in freezer for a few minutes to help them firm up.

    Formed patties on parchment-lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  7. Heat oil in a skillet or lightly grease a grill pan.

    oil in a skillet

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  8. Gently transfer patties to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Be careful as you flip them since the burgers are delicate.

    chickpea patties frying in a skillet

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  9. Serve on buns or lettuce wraps with your choice of toppings and condiments and enjoy.

    Vegan Chickpea Veggie Burgers on a plate

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Tips

  • Make sure your grill or skillet is well heated before you add the chickpea patties as this will help prevent them from sticking to the pan.
  • If you don't have a food processor, you can mash the chickpeas by hand using either a fork or a potato masher. It's a bit more labor intensive and takes time but will still yield a nice veggie burger.
  • If you need a gluten-free veggie burger recipe, kidney bean and mushroom veggie burgers use oats and eggs as a binder instead of the usual flour or breadcrumbs.

How to Freeze Veggie Burgers

These chickpea vegan burgers can be frozen to enjoy at a later date. Whether you freeze before or after cooking, the patties should first be flash-frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet; this may take three hours. Once completely frozen, they can be transferred to a zip-top bag and stored in the freezer for up to three months.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
387 Calories
15g Fat
53g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 387
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 955mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Dietary Fiber 8g 29%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 2mg 10%
Calcium 123mg 9%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 284mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)