These Vegan Chickpea Patties are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and packed full of flavor! Easily whip them up for your burgers, sandwiches, salads, and wraps. They are nutritious, filling, and great for a quick meal!
These veggie patties are made with healthy garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and are full of Mediterranean-inspired flavors.
Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and so many vitamins and minerals!
No eggs are needed in this chickpea patty recipe because ground flaxseeds and oat flour work to bind the ingredients together.
They are quite versatile, too. They can be added to many dishes or simply enjoyed on their own!
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You can enjoy these chickpea cakes as a quick lunch or dinner, use them for meal-prep to eat throughout the week, or pop them in the freezer for later!
I love to eat them with sprouts or microgreens and drizzled with a simple lemon herb tahini dressing (recipe below) or Spicy Tahini Sauce.
Another idea, especially for little ones, is to make them smaller and serve them as fritters or nuggets with ketchup.
Make it a big meal by serving them with Mediterranean Couscous Salad, Roasted Tomato Sandwiches, and Vegan Zucchini Banana Bread!
Reasons To Love This Recipe
- No eggs or dairy
- Can be gluten-free
- Full of healthy nutrients
- Quick and easy to make
- Ready in just 35 minutes
- Great as meat replacement
- High in protein, iron, and fiber
- Meal-prep and freezer-friendly
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flax - Flaxseed meal is mixed with broth or water to form an egg-like substance. I like to make the broth with the no-chicken flavor base made by Better Than Bouillon.
- Chickpeas - Canned or 1 ½ cups of home-cooked chickpeas make up the bulk of this recipe.
- Oat Flour - Oat flour helps the structure as it binds the ingredients and absorbs extra moisture. It's simply ground-up oats. If you don't have it on hand, you can pulse rolled oats in a food processor. I use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oat flour.
- Fresh Herbs - Fresh parsley leaves are delicious here! Feel free to add in any other favorites.
- Onion - Red onions or any other variety work.
- Seasoning - We use a mix of salt, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper.
- Oil - A thin layer of oil is used to pan fry these patties. Use whichever one you have on hand. My go-to is olive oil.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.
Mix the ground flaxseeds with broth or water. Set it aside for now to thicken.
Add all of the remaining ingredients to a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse it for a minute or two to combine everything and break it down into smaller pieces.
Pour in the flax “egg” and blend it some more. The mixture should look like a paste with a few chunks of chickpeas left.
Refrigerate the patty mixture for about 15 minutes. Note, it will be pretty wet at this point but a lot of the moisture will be absorbed as it chills and during the cooking process.
Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Scoop ¼ cup-sized portions out and shape them into tightly packed discs. Add the patties to the sizzling hot pan and cook them until they're golden brown and crispy on both sides.
Enjoy them on their own, on salads, or in wraps, burgers, or sandwiches! They are delicious with lemon herb tahini (recipe below) or Spicy Tahini.
Tips For Success
- You can smash the chickpeas and mix everything by hand but it will take a little longer. I've also noticed that some canned chickpeas are much more firm than others. I prefer the texture when the chickpeas are ground up in a food processor and they tend to hold together better this way.
- Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes in the fridge. It will come together during this time and absorb some of the excess moisture. The moisture is a good thing as this is what will keep the patties from drying out in the pan.
- If you feel the mixture is too wet, you can add a little more oat flour. If you feel it's too dry, you can add more broth.
- Shape them into tight discs by first rolling the mixture into a ball and then flattening them between your palms.
- Make sure the oil is sizzling hot before adding them to the pan. You can check by dropping in some leftover chickpea pieces.
- Grilling, baking, or air frying these patties can work, although I find pan frying to produce the best results.
- Although they hold together pretty well, you still want to be gentle when flipping them in the pan. Also, try not to move them while they're cooking for at least several minutes so they can form a crisp crust.
Variation Ideas
- Add in some veggies such as bell peppers, carrots, or mushrooms.
- Make them smaller and enjoy them as appetizer nuggets or finger food.
- Use seasonings such as cayenne, old bay, or cumin to have fun with the flavors.
Storage & Reheating
Store these chickpea patties in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. If frozen, thaw them in the fridge overnight then reheat them in a pan to maintain their crispy exterior.
Make-Ahead
You can prepare them ahead of time and save the cooking until just before you're ready to enjoy them. Or, fully cook the patties and reheat them in a pan when ready.
Serve Them With
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Recipe
Vegan Chickpea Patties
Bonnie - Serene Trail
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- ¼ cup no-chicken broth, or water or veggie broth
- 1 can chickpeas, or 1.5 cups cooked
- ½ cup oat flour
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- olive oil for cooking, ~2 tbsp
For Optional Lemon Herb Tahini
- ½ cup tahini, salted
- 3 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1-2 lemons
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 2-3 tablespoon warm water
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Make the flax egg by stirring ground flax seeds into the broth. Let it sit and thicken for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add them to a food processor along with the oat flour, parsley, onions, and seasoning.
- Pulse it for a minute or two to combine, coat everything with the flour, an so that the parsley and onions are minced into smaller pieces.
- Pour in the flaxseed mixture and blend it until everything is combined. The mixture should look like a wet paste with a few chunks of chickpeas left.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, cover it, and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Heat a thin layer of cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Roll ¼ cup-sized balls then press them down into tightly packed discs. Place them on parchment paper or a nonstick mat until the oil is hot.
- Add a few patties at a time to the sizzling hot pan. Cook them for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they're golden brown and crispy on the outside.
For the Optional Lemon Herb Tahini
- Add everything to a food processor. Pulse until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste it to see if you want to add anymore seasoning. It will thicken as it sits.
Video
Notes
- You can smash the chickpeas and mix everything by hand instead of using a food processor. This will take a bit longer and they may not hold together as well, but still delicious!
- Chilling the mixture allows time for it to come together and extra moisture to be absorbed. We do want some moisture though to prevent them from drying out in the pan.
- If you think the mixture is too wet, you can add a little more oat flour. If it's too dry, you can add more broth.
- Shape them into tight discs by first rolling the mixture into a ball and then flattening them between your hands.
- Make sure the oil is very hot before adding them to the pan. You can check by dropping in some leftover mixture pieces. If it sizzles, the pan is ready.
- Grilling, baking, or air frying these patties can work, but I found pan frying to produce the best results.
- They do hold together pretty well, but you still want to be gentle when flipping them in the pan. Also, try not to move them while they're cooking for a few minutes so they can form a crispy crust.
Nutrition
The nutrition information is estimated and can vary depending on brands and measurements used.
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