Enjoy these healthy vegan chickpea burgers on a bun, in a wrap, or crumbled on top of salads and grain bowls. They're even delicious straight from the fridge as a quick savory snack! This recipe includes options for gluten-free, nut-free, and oil-free.
There are about a million-and-one ways to make a chickpea burger, and this lightly smoky, Tex-Mex version is my current favorite!
They're flavorful without being spicy, although you can definitely add jalapeño or cayenne if you like!
They're baked, nicely crisp on the outside, sturdy enough for a bun, and pretty darn easy to make. I'll show you how!
Ingredients
Feel free to play around with the additions and spices and make these burgers your own.
This is a summary to give you a quick glance of the ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions.
- 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
- 1 small roasted red pepper (from a jar), optional
- 1 ½ tsp chile powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp 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 kernels
- salt and pepper
How To Make The Patties
- Sauté 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.
3. In a food processor pulse the walnuts into coarse crumbs.
4. Add all remaining ingredients except corn and green onion, and process until combined but not smooth or pureed.
5. 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.
6. Using ½ cup mixture per patty, form the chickpea burgers. Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping the patties at the 15-minute mark.
Your tasty Tex-Mex 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 burger, pan-fry these 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 patties more sturdy 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.
I hope you enjoy these healthy 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!
More vegan burgers and Tex-Mex recipes:
Mushroom Barley Burgers
Sausage-Flavored Black Bean Tempeh Burgers
Tabbouleh-Inspired Bean Burgers
Baked Taquitos
Warm Taco Bowls
Tortilla Pie
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Tex-Mex Vegan Chickpea Burgers
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
- 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
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, 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.
