Flavorful Vegan Chickpea Patties
These flavorful chickpea patties come together in about 30 minutes and need just a handful of pantry staples. You mash canned chickpeas, fold in onion, herbs, nutritional yeast and a binder, then pan-fry the patties until golden. The result is a protein-rich, plant-based bite with a subtle rosemary flavor that turns a simple dinner into something you actually look forward to.
As you probably know by now, veggie patties are a staple meal in my home. I make them at least once a week, and even though red lentils are my favorite, I started using chickpeas more, ever since I discovered I can buy them for just about 1.3 Euros for 3 cans. With the base ingredient already cooked, all you have to do is mix, shape and fry, and you end up with 15 or more patties to enjoy over a salad or your favorite side dish.
Why rosemary is the secret here
This time, I used rosemary as the main flavor in these chickpea patties. I love fresh rosemary, and just a little of this wonderful herb can turn a bland meal into an explosion of flavors. Chickpeas are mild and a touch nutty on their own, so they take herbs beautifully without fighting them. Of course, you can use other herbs as well, if you don’t like rosemary as much as I do. Thyme, oregano or a generous handful of fresh parsley all work, so treat the rosemary as a starting point rather than a rule.
A quick look at the ingredients
The base is 800 grams of canned chickpeas, drained well. Canned chickpeas are already cooked, which is exactly what makes this recipe fast, but draining them properly matters because extra liquid makes the mixture too loose to shape. Diced onion and fresh chopped parsley bring moisture and brightness, while nutritional yeast adds that savory, lightly cheesy depth that plant-based cooks rely on.
For the binder, I use 4 tablespoons of psyllium husks, which absorb moisture and hold everything together as the patties cook. If you are not keeping these vegan, one large egg works as an alternative. Half a cup of flour finishes the job, and I like to use chickpea flour to keep the flavor consistent and the patties naturally gluten-free. Season with sea salt and ground pepper to taste, and keep a little oil ready for frying.
How to get the texture right
Start by mashing the drained chickpeas in a large bowl with a fork or a vertical blender, then add the rest of the ingredients except the oil. You are aiming for a mixture that is sticky and easy to shape but not wet. If it feels too loose, add a little more flour and let it rest a couple of minutes so the psyllium can do its work; if it feels too dry to hold together, a splash of water fixes it.
Spray a non-stick pan with a little oil and fry each patty for about 2 minutes per side. The cue to flip is a deep golden crust on the underside, so resist the urge to move them too early or they will stick and break. A medium heat is your friend here, hot enough to crisp the outside without scorching it before the inside warms through. If you want a hands-off option, the same mixture bakes well too, and you can read more about that in my guide to perfect veggie patties.
Make-ahead, storage and serving
One of the best things about this recipe is that you do not have to cook all the patties at once. Leave the bowl of mixture in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, and it keeps for about 3 days. Anytime you want a fresh chickpea patty, just scoop some out and fry it, which is exactly what I usually do during a busy week. Cooked patties also reheat nicely in a pan to bring back the crisp edges.
Serve them with a big salad or a side dish of choice, or tuck them into a bun for an easy veggie burger. If you fall for the chickpea-patty habit the way I did, try my green chickpea patties with tahini next, or browse all my recipes with chickpeas for more ideas. Hope you’ll like my flavorful chickpea patties recipe. Let me know in the comments below how it turned out for you, and take a photo and tag me on Instagram @gourmandelleblog.
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Flavorful Vegan Chickpea Patties
Ingredients
Instructions
- Drain chickpeas and put them in a large bowl. Start mashing them using a fork or a vertical blender. Add the rest of the ingredients, except oil.
- Start mixing the composition. It has to be sticky and easy to shape.
- Spray a non-stick pan with some oil. Put each patty on the frying pan and let it fry about 2 minutes on each side.
- Serve with a big salad or side dish of choice.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as written they are vegan. The binder is psyllium husks, and every other ingredient (chickpeas, onion, parsley, nutritional yeast, chickpea flour, rosemary) is plant-based. The card lists one large egg only as an optional alternative to the psyllium, so if you choose the egg the recipe becomes vegetarian rather than vegan.
Yes, but you need to cook them first. Canned chickpeas are already cooked, which is what makes this a 30-minute recipe. If you start from dried, soak and boil them until tender, then drain well and measure out roughly 800 grams of cooked chickpeas before mashing.
One large egg works as a binder if you are not keeping the patties vegan. The role of the psyllium is to absorb moisture and hold the mixture together, so the key is a binder that firms up the patty. If the mixture still feels loose, add a little more flour and let it rest a couple of minutes.
Yes, the same mixture bakes well if you prefer a more hands-off, lower-oil method. Frying gives you the crispest crust in about 2 minutes per side, while baking is gentler and lets you cook a whole tray at once. Either way, look for a deep golden color as your doneness cue.
Make sure the chickpeas are drained well and the mixture is sticky and easy to shape rather than wet. Give the binder a couple of minutes to absorb moisture before frying, and do not flip too early. Wait for a golden crust to form on the underside so the patty releases cleanly instead of sticking and breaking.
The uncooked mixture keeps in the fridge for about 3 days. Store it in a covered bowl with plastic wrap, then scoop and fry a fresh patty whenever you want one. Cooked patties also reheat well in a pan to bring back their crisp edges.
What is a serving size for this recipe? O see it makes 15 patties but would that be enough for a family of five?
Hi, Amanda! It depends on your side dish. I usually serve this with mashed potatoes. If you serve them with potatoes or rice 3 patties per person are enough. If you serve them with a light side dish (salad), I’d make 4-5 per person.
FYI this is still labeled as lentil rather than chickpea cutlets. Looking forward to trying!
Auch! Thanks for pointing out my mistake! Corrected!
Tried this today and it came out great. Super easy and quick to make. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, Naama! So happy to hear you liked the recipe! 😀
Hi, If I want to bake these instead of frying them, how long and at what temperature would be best? Thanks. 🙂
Marcella
I usually bake them at 190C for ~20-30 minutes, but make sure you check them to see if they’re ready. If not, leave them 10 minutes more.
I have made this wonderful recipe, was so quick and easy. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it, Carolyn! 🙂
Ruxandra
I love the little dipping bowl. May I ask where to find one for purchase?
Thank you,
Mary
Hi, Mary! I have no idea! It has Eventi TM written on the bottom. Maybe that helps.