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BEST Chickpea Burger

This delicious Chickpea Burger is hearty and packed with flavor. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and a dollop of my homemade vegan mayo.

chickpea burger with lettuce, onions, vegan mayo and chickpea patties stacked in background

With warm spices like cumin, curry, smoked paprika, bulgur, and a ton of veggies, these chickpea patties will not disappoint! If you are a big fan of chickpeas, check out this list of 12 Fabulous Chickpea Recipes.

You’ll love these chickpea burgers because they’re…

  • Insanely satisfying
  • Full of flavor
  • Loaded with healthy ingredients
  • Easy to make
close up of 3 chickpea patties with red onions and lettuce in background

How to make chickpea burgers

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

Begin making these veggie burgers by first cooking the bulgur that will make these chickpeas nice and thick along with helping them bind together.

Cooking the bulgur

Bulgur is a quick-cooking form of whole wheat that cooks on the stovetop or in the microwave in minutes.

For this recipe, I add the dry bulgur with water in a microwave-safe bowl and allow it to cook for approximately 3-minutes.

bulgur grain in white bowl with water ready to microwave

Once it’s cooked, set it to the side to cool and allow it to thicken up.

What I love the most about bulgur is that it has a crumbly, ground beef texture–that can be used in dishes like tacos, lasagna, and spaghetti–and it soaks up the flavors of whatever spices you happen to be cooking with.

pan with sesame seeds browning

Next, toast the sesame seeds in a dry non-stick skillet until they begin to pop and become brown and fragrant. Once done, set aside in a medium bowl.

In a blender or food processor, chop the chickpeas slightly. I use a low-profile 64 oz canister on my Vitamix blender to get a nice consistency.

vitamix with ground chickpeas

Remove the chickpeas and add them to the bowl with the toasted sesame seeds.

Place the veggies–garlic, carrots, onions, and celery–into your blender or food processer. Pulse to dice the vegetables, and be careful not to over-process. You want to retain some of the chunkiness.

vitamix with chopped carrots, onions, celery

I use a Vitamix blender for all of my recipes because no matter what I’m making, this high-powered blender will produce the exact result I’m looking for.

Transfer veggies to the bowl with chopped chickpeas and toasted sesame seeds. Now, the cooked bulgur should be added, along with all the other ingredients.

mixing bowl with chickpeas, veggies, bulgur, and spices

Mix all of the ingredients well. I find that using my hands to knead everything works best.

Form into patties and place on a baking sheet. I like to line my pans with parchment paper sheets to keep them from sticking and to make clean up a breeze.

chickpea patties on baking sheet

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until nice and browned. They should be slightly crunchy on the outside.

Served on a whole grain bun with fresh spinach leaves, onion, and Low-Fat Eggless Mayo, these chickpea veggie burgers make a great meal. For side dishes try corn on the cob, baked potato, or fresh garden salad.

2 chickpea burgers on cutting board

Another delicious sauce to top these burgers with is my Tzatziki Sauce because they taste a bit like falafels.

Recipe adapted from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s Cancer Project.

*Originally published December 2015.

Your chickpea burger questions answered:

  • Q: How do you bind chickpea burgers? The binder for these veggie burgers is flour, and I also add bulgur to help thicken them up as well.
  • Q: Is gluten-free flour okay to use? Yes, gluten-free flour should work fine as a binder.
  • Q: Can I use canned chickpeas? Yes. Canned beans work well, or make your own chickpeas from dry.
  • Q: What other kinds of veggie burgers are there? We love black bean burgers, mushroom burgers, and even lentil burgers. I’ll link my favorites below.
close up of a chickpea burger with chickpea patties in background

Other vegan burger recipes:

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

chickpea burger with lettuce, onions, vegan mayo and chickpea patties stacked in background

BEST Chickpea Burgers

Yield: 4 patties
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

This delicious Chickpea Burger is hearty and packed with flavor. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and a dollop of my homemade vegan mayo.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup onion
  • 1/2 cup carrot
  • 1/2 cup celery
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas, or 1.5 cup cooked beans
  • 1/4 cup dry bulgur
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1.5 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander or cardamom (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup flour of choice

Instructions

  1. Begin making these veggie burgers by first cooking the bulgur that will make these chickpeas nice and thick along with helping them bind together. For this recipe, I add the dry bulgur with 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl and allow it to cook for approximately 3-minutes. Once it's cooked, set it to the side to cool and allow it to thicken up.
  2. What I love the most about bulgur is that it has a crumbly, ground beef texture–that can be used in dishes like tacos, lasagna, and spaghetti–and it soaks up the flavors of whatever spices you happen to be cooking with.
  3. Next, toast the sesame seeds in a dry non-stick skillet until they begin to pop and become brown and fragrant. Once done, set aside in a medium bowl.
  4. In a blender or food processor, chop the chickpeas slightly. I use a low-profile 64 oz canister on my Vitamix blender to get a nice consistency.
  5. Remove the chickpeas and add them to the bowl with the toasted sesame seeds.
  6. Place the veggies--garlic, carrots, onions, and celery--into your blender or food processer. Pulse to dice the vegetables, and be careful not to over-process. You want to retain some of the chunkiness.
  7. Transfer veggies to the bowl with chopped chickpeas and toasted sesame seeds. Now, the cooked bulgur should be added, along with all the other ingredients.
  8. Mix all of the ingredients well. I find that using my hands to knead everything works best.
  9. Form into patties and place on a baking sheet. I like to line my pans with parchment paper sheets to keep them from sticking and to make clean up a breeze.
  10. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until nice and browned. They should be slightly crunchy on the outside.
  11. Served on a whole grain bun with fresh spinach leaves, onion, and Low-Fat Eggless Mayo, these chickpea veggie burgers make a great meal. For side dishes try corn on the cob, baked potato, or fresh garden salad.

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 309mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 8gSugar: .5gProtein: 7g

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

Did you make this recipe?

Please rate and leave a comment because I love hearing from you. Remember SHARING IS CARING!

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Jo

Sunday 29th of August 2021

Hi...These look delish! However, can you please tell me what I can substitute the bulgar wheat with? I need something gluten free.

Terri Edwards

Monday 30th of August 2021

Hi Jo- Quinoa or buckwheat groats make a good gluten-free substitute for the bulgur.

Judy

Friday 5th of March 2021

So good, I'm eating an open faced sandwich right now. I made some meatball shaped "meat" for spaghetti tomorrow~ Thank you Terrie!

Terri Edwards

Friday 5th of March 2021

Hi Judy- What a great idea to make an open-faced sandwich. I love the idea of making meatballs for spaghetti too. Love that you are finding so many uses for this recipe. :D

Sheri

Friday 30th of September 2016

Hi Terri! I trust your opinion on recipes... just curious about this one. I want a firm delicious veggie burger... should I try this one or what is your favorite veggie burger you have ever eaten? Usually I make veggie burgers and when they mush in the bun .... ??! Thanks so much for your input on this!

EatPlant-Based.com

Friday 30th of September 2016

Hi Sheri, I like this recipe, but it is not very firm, in my opinion. My favorite veggie burger is my black bean burger. It gets lots of good reviews from other people too. I suggest giving it a try! https://eatplant-based.com/recipe/black-bean-burger/

Bernard Hudson

Monday 21st of March 2016

Your link for the low fat eggless mayo does not work. Would you please forward the recipe to me.

Thank you

EatPlant-Based.com

Monday 21st of March 2016

Thank you so much for letting me know the link was down. It is fixed now and I will send it to you as well.

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