For the best and most flavorful chickpea burgers, look no further than these!
They're made with chickpeas, lemon, greens and chives atop a whole grain bun with your favorite toppings and spicy garlic aioi.
They'll disappear off the plate in no-time!
How to make chickpea veggie burgers
Featured Ingredients
- Chickpeas: These little legumes are the perfect pantry staple to keep on hand for quick snacks (crispy baked chickpeas are amazing), meals (hello, falafel!), or as an add-in to soups and stews.
- Also, if you make a big batch from scratch, you can package them into resealable plastic bags in the freezer so you always have them on hand!
- Watercress: If you’re in the mood for nutrient-rich peppery deliciousness, watercress is your newest best friend!
- Also, when it’s described as “nutrient-rich,” that’s no joke.
- It’s a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Oh, and did I mention how incredibly delicious it is?
- If you can’t find watercress at your local market, arugula is a great substitute.
- Panko: This type of breadcrumb is more coarse than regular breadcrumbs and it’s great as a binder for burgers!
- Onions and Garlic: By starting with a base of my favorite alliums, these burgers have a head start toward big and bold flavors.
- Chives: These little flavor bombs are perfect in the chickpea veggie burgers.
- They add a little freshness, spice, and a kiss of extra savory flavor to the burgers.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cast iron skillet or large non-stick skillet to medium heat.
- Add onion and sauté 3-4 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in watercress and garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes, until watercress is wilted and garlic is fragrant.
- Transfer onion and watercress mixture into the bowl of a food processor.
- Add chickpeas, breadcrumbs, eggs, lemon, chives, salt and pepper.
- Process until a smooth paste forms.
- Remove blade from food processor, then form 4 equal-sized patties.
- Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- To make the aioli, whisk together yogurt, mayo, chili garlic sauce, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper in a glass bowl.
- Fit it with a lid and refrigerate.
- To cook burgers, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet to medium-high heat.
- Place burgers in the hot oil and cook 4-5 minutes on each side, until each side has a crispy brown crust.
- Serve burgers on whole grain bun with avocado, tomato, watercress and aioli.
Recipe Substitutions and Storage Tips
- Spicy Add-Ins: If you like your food to light you up, add in some finely diced hot peppers (like jalapeno), hot smoked paprika brings a bright spicy smokiness to the burgers, and of course you could add in a little cayenne.
- Also, sriracha sauce is always welcome to the party!
- Add cheese: A little feta or blue cheese would be delicious in these burgers!
- Roast the garlic: If you love garlic, but aren’t a fan of it raw, you could roast the garlic with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper before adding it to the aioli.
- Skip the bun: If you’d like to skip the buns, these burgers are amazing on a big plate of baby greens, spinach, or even more watercress to really bring those bold flavors home!
- Just drizzle with the spicy garlic aioli, and you’ve got the perfect summer dinner salad!
- Can I bake these? Bake them at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.
- Can I freeze these? After you cook the burgers, let them cool down to room temperature, and then flash freeze them on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes.
- Then stack them between wax paper in an airtight container for up to two months.
- To reheat them, just warm them in the oven.
- Serving tip: Serve these burgers with a big basket of French fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, or fried zucchini.
Other chickpea recipes you'll love:
- Chickpea Coconut Curry
- Kale & Crispy Chickpea Caesar Salad
- Carrot, Chickpea & Raisin Salad
- Mediterranean Chickpea & Tuna Salad
Chickpea Veggie Burgers
Easy veggie burgers made with chickpeas, lemon, greens and chives atop a whole grain bun with spicy garlic aioli.
- Prep Time: 10-15 mins
- Cook Time: 10-15 mins
- Total Time: 20-30 mins
- Yield: Makes 4 burgers 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove-Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Burgers:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cups watercress, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Spicy Garlic Aioli:
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- Coarse salt and ground black pepper, to taste
To Assemble Burgers:
- 4 whole grain buns, toasted
- Sliced avocado, sliced tomato & watercress, for topping
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cast iron skillet or large non-stick skillet to medium heat. Add onion and sauté 3-4 minutes, until soft. Stir in watercress and garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes, until watercress is wilted and garlic is fragrant.
- Transfer onion and watercress mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Add chickpeas, breadcrumbs, egg, lemon, chives, salt and pepper. Process until a smooth paste forms. Remove blade from food processor, then form 4 equal-sized patties. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- To make the aioli, whisk together yogurt, mayo, chili garlic sauce, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper in a glass bowl. Fit it with a lid and refrigerate.
- To cook burgers, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet to medium-high heat. Place burgers in the hot oil and cook 4-5 minutes on each side, until each side has a crispy brown crust.
- Serve burgers on whole grain bun with avocado, tomato, watercress and aioli.
Notes
Cooking Tip: The burgers can also be cooked in the oven at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger
- Calories: 531
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 438mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 68g
- Fiber: 16g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 97mg
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