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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Main Dishes

    Smoky Vegan Chickpea Burgers

    Updated Oct 7, 2022 by Lori · THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS.

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    These healthy vegan chickpea burgers are great on a bun, in a wrap, or on top of salads and grain bowls. They're even delicious straight from the fridge as a quick, savory snack! This recipe includes gluten-free, nut-free, and oil-free options.

    two vegan chickpea burgers stacked on a bun and topped with guacamole.

    There are about a hundred-and-one ways to make a chickpea burger, and this lightly smoky, Tex-Mex-inspired version is our current favorite! They're flavorful without being spicy, although you can definitely add jalapeño or cayenne if you like.

    We also love that these chickpea burgers are baked and easy to prepare. They're nicely crisp on the outside, sturdy enough for a bun, and great for meal prep.

    What You'll Need

    Feel free to play around with the additions and spices and make these burgers your own. Here's a quick look at the ingredients you'll need.

    ingredients laid out on a board.
    • 1 ¾ cups cooked chickpeas or 1 (15 oz) can
    • ½ cup raw walnut halves - sub ⅓ cup raw sunflower seeds to make it nut-free
    • 1 small onion
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1 green onion, optional
    • 1 small roasted red pepper (from a jar), optional
    • 1 ½ tsp chile powder
    • 1 tsp each cumin and smoked paprika
    • 1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
    • 1 tsp liquid smoke
    • 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
    • ¼ cup flour of choice such as whole wheat or a gluten-free all-purpose blend
    • ⅓ cup corn

    How To Make Chickpea Burgers

    2 photos showing sautéing of onion, garlic, and spices.
    1. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute or two.
    2. Add the spices, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
    2 photos showing stages of pulsing ingredients in food processor
    1. In a food processor pulse the walnuts into coarse crumbs.
    2. Add all remaining ingredients except corn and green onion, and process until combined but not smooth or pureed.
    processing and forming mixture into patties
    1. Stop to check the consistency a few times. You don't want to turn the mixture into a puree. A few larger pieces of chickpea and walnut are okay. Fold in the corn and green onion.
    2. Using ½ cup mixture per patty, form the chickpea burgers. Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping the patties at the 15-minute mark.

    The chickpea burgers are done when both sides are a deep golden color, and the outsides are crisp.

    Tips and Substitutions

    • For nut-free vegan burgers use raw sunflower seeds instead of walnuts.
    • For extra flavor and a spicy kick, sauté one diced jalapeño with the onion. Yum!
    • If you include oil in your diet and prefer a rich, charred chickpea burger, pan-fry in a small amount of oil after baking for 15 minutes (10 minutes on one side, 5 on the other). This pre-bake makes the burgers sturdier and easier to handle in the skillet.
    • This recipe makes 5 burgers, so if you're cooking for a larger family or want leftovers for the week, you may want to double the recipe.
    • If serving as a snack or on top of a salad, leftover patties can be enjoyed straight from the fridge. For hot dishes, warm the chickpea burgers briefly in the microwave or in a skillet.
    close up photo showing the crisp exterior of the patties.

    More Vegan Burgers and Tex-Mex:

    • mushroom barley burgers
    • quick air fryer veggie burgers
    • sausage-spiced tempeh burgers
    • tabbouleh-inspired bean burgers
    • lentil taco meat
    • baked taquitos
    • warm taco bowls
    • vegan tortilla pie

    I hope you enjoy these vegan chickpea burgers. If you try the recipe I would love to hear from you. Drop a note in the comments below to let us know how they turned out!

    close up of chickpea burgers with fixings

    Smoky Vegan Chickpea Burgers

    Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen
    Healthy vegan chickpea patties with Tex-Mex flair! These taste great on a bun or crumbled on salads. They're even delicious straight out of the fridge as a quick, savory snack! Oil-free, gluten-free, and nut-free options.
    Servings: 5 patties
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 35 mins
    Total Time: 50 mins

    Equipment

    • food processor
    • baking sheet
    • parchment paper

    Ingredients 

    • 1 small onion, chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 teaspoons oil, optional
    • 1 ½ teaspoons chile powder
    • 1 ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons smoked paprika
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ cup raw walnut halves - Sub ⅓ cup raw sunflower seeds for nut-free.
    • 1 (15 oz) can cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • ¼ cup whole wheat flour or a gluten-free blend
    • 1 small roasted red pepper, chopped (about 2 tablespoons), optional
    • 1 tablespoon tamari
    • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
    • 1 green onion, chopped
    • ⅓ cup corn kernels, thawed if using frozen

    Serving suggestions, optional:

    • avocado or guacamole
    • lime wedges
    • 5 burger buns - Or serve on top of a salad or in a grain/nourish bowl.
    • green leaf or romaine lettuce
    • sliced tomato
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 C), and line a baking sheet with a parchment paper or a silicone mat. Also, preheat a saute pan over medium heat.
    • Add oil to the saute pan, if using. Once hot, saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. If cooking without oil, add a small splash of water to the pan only if needed. Add the garlic, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chile powder, cumin, paprika, and black pepper to the pan. Stir constantly, and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat, and set aside.
    • Add walnuts to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 7 or 8 times or until coarsely chopped. Add the chickpeas, onion mixture, salt, nutritional yeast, flour, red pepper, tamari, and liquid smoke. Process until well mixed but not smooth/pureed. It's okay to have some larger pieces of chickpea and walnut for texture.
    • Remove the blade from the bowl of the food processor, and fold in the green onion and corn. Scoop up ½ cup of the mixture per burger (you should get 5 patties, each about 3 ½ inches in diameter). Use your hands to form them into patties. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
    • Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, flipping the patties at the 15-minute mark. The chickpea burgers are done when both sides are golden. Serve with avocado or guacamole and a squeeze of lime.

    Notes

    Store leftover chickpea patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    Chickpea burgers can also be frozen for up to 1 month.

    Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

    Calories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 10gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 0.7gSodium: 564mgFiber: 7g

    Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.

    Tried the recipe?I love hearing from you! Share your feedback below!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kavita

      December 28, 2021 at 10:00 am

      These are fantastic! The flavors dance in your mouth -- this is the recipe that will spoil me from any purchased varieties, so I guess I'll just have to make these often :). I used pinto beans for the chickpeas, picked jalapenos for the red pepper, and I did use fire roasted corn. I also added in some chopped cilantro, then served these slider style with avocado alongside some homemade bread. I ate the leftovers with roasted potatoes, which is equally fantastic. Lori, you hit it out of the park with this one!

      Reply
    2. Donna Williams

      February 26, 2021 at 9:19 am

      Two days ago I made this recipe using just the single amounts. Today I'm making it & will be trippling the recipe. We both loved them. Today I'm going to add some aqufaba, not much, just enough to hold them together a wee bit better.
      We went vegan 6 months ago & I'm always trying new recipes. Keep up the good work. I love your site.

      Reply
      • Lori

        February 28, 2021 at 9:08 am

        Thank you so much, Donna. 😀

        Reply

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    Lori Rasmussen, Owner/Creator

    Hi, I'm Lori. Welcome to My Quiet Kitchen where I share easy vegan recipes with a healthier twist. Many are special diet-friendly or easily adapted. I also have a passion for veganizing classic desserts, and sometimes even those get a healthy-ish makeover.

    Learn more about me →

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