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A hearty veggie burger full of flavor and texture. Put it on a bun and top it off with your favorite burger toppings or eat just the patty with a knife and fork and some BBQ sauce for dipping. You’re going to love this delicious Chickpea Veggie Burger!
My new favorite veggie burger!
Lots of flavor. Lots of texture.
Make some today and take a big bite!
Ingredients
Most veggie burgers start off with some kind of beans and grains. You can get away with just using beans, but grains bring another level of texture and flavor. I think they are best used together.
In this recipe, I use chickpeas and farro. I talk more about farro in my Italian Peppers and Chickpeas recipe post. If you don’t have or can’t find farro, barley would be a great replacement. Brown rice would also work.
No one likes a mushy burger, so adding texture is key. Besides adding grains to the beans, I love adding nuts and crunchy veggies, like carrots or peppers. You’ll find walnuts and carrots in this homemade veggie burger recipe.
After that, we add lots of flavor by way of condiments, herbs, and/or spices.
How to make the recipe
Veggie burgers are easy to make once you get the hang of it.
Be sure your dry ingredients are just that…dry! After rinsing the chickpeas, drain them well and then dry them by rolling them between a couple layers of paper towels or clean dish cloths.
I prefer to use store-bought shredded carrots, rather than shredding my own, because they tend to be already quite dry. If you shred your own, wrap them in a clean dish cloth or paper towels and squeeze out as much water as possible.
Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor a few times just to bring it all together. Don’t over-process! You want some texture to remain.
These burgers can be oven-baked or pan-fried. Baking them will make for a sturdier burger.
Pro tips for success
The biggest problem with most homemade vegan burgers is that they tend to fall apart. The addition of binding ingredients is very important. I use a flax egg and breadcrumbs to help achieve a burger that stays together. The almond butter helps as well.
I also find that using a burger mold and press to really pack the mixture together is very helpful in creating a solid burger. If you don’t have a burger mold and press, you can use any round mold, like a plastic container or even the lid of a jar. To press the mixture into your make-shift mold, place a small piece of parchment on top and press down with the bottom of a glass. See photos above.
You could form these burgers by hand and they’ll turn out just fine, but a bit more delicate.
Veggie Burger Toppings
Feel free to top off these burgers with whatever your heart desires. We usually go for the standard lettuce, tomato, pickles, and red onion. I like BBQ sauce with these as opposed to ketchup and mustard, but either will work. I did add Fresh Peach Salsa one night as a topper and it was phenomenal! The photo above was hand formed and baked and then topped with BBQ sauce and peach salsa. Yum!
FAQs
Burgers made without meat or dairy are naturally cholesterol free. They almost always contain more vitamins and minerals with the addition of so many plant based ingredients. And, in general, veggie burgers are lower in calories and fat.
Not all veggie burgers are vegan. Many contain eggs, especially store bought or those served in restaurants. So, if you are buying one, be sure to read the label or ask the waiter to be sure you know what you’re getting.
I have found that The Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger both closely resemble the taste and texture of meat. It’s very hard to replicate that with homemade plant based ingredients, however, and most veggie burgers are not meant to taste like meat. Enjoy them for the delicious, nutritious food that they are without preconceived notions of what they should taste like.
If done right, veggie burgers taste amazing! Be sure to add flavorful ingredients to the burger mixture and then garnish it with flavorful sauces and toppings, too. For these Chickpea Veggie Burgers, I use aromatics, like onion and garlic, a hefty dose of chili powder, and almond butter and BBQ sauce for depth of flavor. This meatless burger recipe is mouthwatering! Seriously, my favorite one yet!
More veggie burger recipes
- Falafel Burger with Cucumber Peanut Relish
- BBQ Kidney Bean and Kale Burger
- Spinach Artichoke Brugers
- Tofu Hemp Burgers
- Black Bean Salsa Burgers
- Autumn Burger
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.
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For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Chickpea Veggie Burger
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon flaxmeal
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas rinsed, drained, and dried well
- 1 ½ cups cooked farro use brown rice for a gluten free option
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- 2 tablespoons raw almond butter
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce your favorite
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs gluten free, if desired
- 6 burger buns
Toppings (optional, use what you like)
- lettuce
- tomatoes
- red onion
- BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Stir the flaxmeal and water together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and chili powder and sauté for 1 minute.
- To the bowl of a food processor add the chickpeas, farro, carrots, walnuts, and sautéed onion mixture. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Add the almond butter, BBQ sauce, salt, pepper, flax mixture, and breadcrumbs. Pulse several times to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. The mixture should be well mixed, but still a bit chunky. Do NOT purée completely. It should come together easily when pressed into a ball in your hand.
- Divide the mixture into 6 equal parts. Press the mixture into a burger mold and press to compact. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Alternately, you can form these patties by hand, but they will be more delicate.
- Bake the burgers for 12 minutes, gently flip them over, and bake another 10 to 12 minutes. Spritzing each side of the burger before baking with cooking spray will help to darken the color, but is not necessary. Alternately, you can pan fry these burgers on medium for about 10 to 15 minutes each side, but they will be more delicate.
- Let the burgers sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes after baking to help them stay together.
- Serve on burger buns with the toppings of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Diana Weber says
I haven’t made them yet, but would like to try, I still haven’t given up on vegan burgers yet. I don’t like how soft they are but believe there is this perfect combination of ingredients out there just waiting to be found, haha. Anyway, would you think the “almond butter” is necessary to add? Is this added for flavor or as a binding agent? Thanks
Jenn Sebestyen says
It adds flavor, but you won’t be able to pick it out in the burger, and it does help the binding as well. Is it 100% necessary? No, you could sub it for a different nut or seed butter if you prefer. Or just leave it out. If the mixture is too dry without it, add a bit more bbq sauce. All that being said, veggie burgers are always softer than traditional burgers, but shouldn’t be mushy. Be careful not to over processes the ingredients. Enjoy!
Nancy Nurse says
Do these get mushy when you try to eat them? Every time I’ve ever made one or ordered one in a restaurant, they are just all gooey and squeeze out of the bun like thick goo!!! These sure LOOK good; but are they nice and textured and strong? If you know what I mean?
Jenn Sebestyen says
Hi, Nancy. I definitely know what you mean. Veggie burgers are never going to have as strong of a hold as a traditional meat burger. That being said, I give lots of tips in the post for getting them to stay together. These burgers have lots of texture and will hold together well if you follow those tips. On nights when I’m in more of a hurry and just want to throw them together quickly and pan-fry, I eat them as a patty only with a fork instead of trying to make them stay on a bun…that goes for most any veggie burger recipes, not just these. Let me know if you give them a try!
Michelle L Caporali says
These look really good. Thanks for posting. Do these freeze well? Should they be cooked some before freezing? Thank you.
Jenn Sebestyen says
Thanks, Michelle! I haven’t personally tried freezing them, but I would think it would work great. I would suggest freezing them after cooking. Make sure to let them cool completely first. Enjoy!