Herby Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Turn a couple cans of chickpeas into these flavorful Herby Chickpea Veggie Burgers! A quick blend of pantry ingredients, frozen peas and fresh herbs formed into patties and cooked on the stovetop. Hello meatless Monday!

• chickpeas – This recipe is a great example of how a couple cans of chickpeas can take on flavors and become whatever you want them to be. The combination of fresh herbs and pantry staples gives this recipe a boost!
• green onions – Keeping it mild and easy with scallions/green onions/salad onions, whatever you call them! Both green and white parts are blended into the patties.
• frozen green peas – A hit of green peas adds SO much to this recipe: flavor, protein, fiber. And it’s really easy to stash peas in the freezer and use them as needed.
• cilantro or flat-leaf parsley – A combo of both is the best choice, but I wouldn’t ask you to buy both just for this! I’ve found flat-leaf parsley extremely easy to grow outside, so we always have it around. And cilantro is just the best!
• eggs – The eggs act as the binder in this recipe and keep the burgers from falling apart while you form and cook them.
• panko breadcrumbs – Absorbs moisture, binds with the egg to hold the burgers together, helps form the burgers.
• Worcestershire sauce – A dash of this savory sauce gives a solid flavor needed in a veggie only burger!
• garlic powder – In this case, since we aren’t sautéing the garlic first, it’s easier to just use granulated garlic and mix it right into the patties.
• salt – To bring all the flavors together and help them really come forward in the recipe, a bit of salt is crucial!

Related: Expanding your chickpea recipe library? Browse all of our vegetarian recipes here!

Equipment you’ll need to make Herby Chickpea Veggie Burgers:

There are a few pieces of equipment you’ll need to make these veggie burgers. Here are the items and brands I use at home:

• For any prep you’re going to do, I recommend doing it on a Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!), which is what I use. For example, prep your herbs here, stage the patties before frying, or slice burger toppings.
• For baking the chickpeas, I used a rimmed half sheet pan (affiliate link!). Any sturdy brand will work. I always line them with parchment paper (under 425F) or foil (over 425F) for easy clean up. Plus, the rim makes sure nothing spills off the edges. A quarter sheet pan (affiliate link!) would work too.
• For a food processor, I’ve had my Cuisinart 8-Cup Food Processor for 10 years now. However, I haven’t had any other food processors to compare to!

How and why to bake the chickpeas:

After draining and rinsing both cans of chickpeas, it’s helpful to do everything you can to remove moisture from the chickpeas. Shake dry, pay with a paper towel, etc. This helps the burgers crisp up while cooking, instead of steam.

Any moisture left on the chickpeas will create steam during cooking on the stovetop. Steam = mush, which is the opposite of crispy. This is why it’s important to remove as much moisture as possible when we can.

Get started with the cooking process by preheating the oven and lining a half sheet pan (affiliate link!) with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Spread the chickpeas out on the pan into a single layer. Bake them in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool for a few minutes before moving on.

TIP: Even this small amount of time in the oven will help remove a significant amount of moisture from the chickpeas, leading to crisper burgers after frying.

How to mix and form the patties:

Once the chickpeas have been through the oven, it’s time to blend the burger mixture together. Transfer about half of the baked chickpeas from the sheet pan to the food processor bowl. Add the green onions, thawed peas and fresh herbs. Blend well until you have a smooth, sticky, but still slightly textured mixture.

Dump the blended mixture into a large mixing bowl, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides if you have one (I love using my Rubbermaid High Heat Spoon Scraper (affiliate link!) for stuff like this).

Mix in the rest of the chickpeas, eggs, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and salt. After mixing you should have a nice processed and textured, but sticky mixture.

Using damp hands or gloves, shape the burgers into 4 evenly sized patties and stage them on a plate or cutting board before cooking. This is when I use my bamboo cutting board for staging the formed patties. If it helps, you can press a quick line in the bowl with the spatula to help you divide the patty portions more evenly.

How to cook the veggie burger patties on the stovetop:

If you’ve got any sides you want to get going, this is a good place to pause the veggie burgers and get those dishes going (in the air fryer or the oven, for example). Then, it’s time to cook the patties as follows:

1. Heat a splash of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the burgers to the pan, carefully!
3. Fry them for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
4. Prepare the burger buns and toppings while the burgers cook.
5. Stage the cooked burgers on the cutting board again until serving time.

Best tips for making Herby Chickpea Veggie Burgers:

Here are my best tips for making this chickpea veggie burger recipe successfully in your own kitchen:

• Remove as much excess moisture as you can! This means:
  • After draining and rinsing, shake off as much water off as you can
  • Pat the chickpeas dry on the sheet pan as well
  • Don’t skip that baking step! It’s critical to drying the chickpeas
  • Be sure to thaw the peas, which will draw out the moisture
  • Set those under a paper towel to absorb moisture as well
• Don’t process all of the chickpeas! You want to leave some whole to create the best texture for the burgers.

How to make these veggie burgers without a food processor:

It will take a bit longer, but it is possible to make this recipe without a food processor. Here are the best steps for making these burgers by hand:

• Bake the chickpeas as directed in Step 1.
• Pour about half the chickpeas (1 can) onto a cutting board or a flat-bottomed bowl and mash. Use a fork, potato masher, or something similar.
• Chop the green onions, thawed peas, and fresh herbs very finely.
• Mash all of these ingredients together before moving on with Step 3 and continuing with the recipe as written.

What to serve with these veggie burgers:

This main dish is versatile in that it can be served with so many different sides dishes, depending on how hungry you are. Here are some of my favorite ideas:

• Air Fryer Jojo Potato Wedges are always a hit if you’re wanting to serve potatoes on the side. Another option is tater tots, also doable in the air fryer. Tons of options for potato lovers!
• Pan Roasted Corn Pasta Salad would be a great make-ahead option in the summer, and would also use up more of the herbs from the burgers. Perfect if you have lots of corn to use up.
• Zesty Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad is packed full of fresh veggies and a zesty dressing that would compliment the veggie burgers really well! Another make-ahead option.

Ways to customize this recipe:

Here are some ideas on ways to customize these burgers for your own tastebuds:

• add your favorite toppings – All your favorite classic burger toppings go really well here. Tomato, lettuce and avocado would be a solid combo with a little crunch!
• make a burger sauce – For a simple burger sauce, combine ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup ketchup, and 2 tablespoons pickle juice. Recipe can be found with these turkey burger bowls!
• add some heat or spices – Feel free to add a couple extra spices to the burger mix if you feel confident. Something like smoked paprika or red chili pepper flakes could easily add some heat with little extra effort.

Ways to meal prep this recipe:

There are a couple ways to save time by preparing all or part of this recipe ahead of time. Here are some options:

• Complete prep: Prepare the recipe from start to finish. Enjoy a portion now if you like, then store your leftover cooked veggie burgers in an airtight container to reheat and eat during the week.
• Prep & freeze: Prepare this recipe through Step 4, then flash freeze the patties for 4 hours to overnight on a sheet pan or freezer-safe flat plate. Once frozen, wrap individually and transfer to a freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 1-2 months for best quality.

How to store leftover Herby Chickpea Veggie Burgers:

To store leftover (or meal prepped) cooked chickpea veggie burgers, lay them flat in a food-safe container with lid, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How to freeze Herby Chickpea Veggie Burgers:

To freeze these patties, prepare this recipe through Step 4, then flash freeze each patty for 4 hours to overnight on a sheet pan. Once frozen, wrap individually and transfer to a freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 1-2 months for best quality.

To thaw, place in the refrigerator on a flat plate or cutting board overnight before proceeding with Step 5 of the recipe.

How to reheat Herby Chickpea Veggie Burgers:

From the fridge, reheat patties:

• in a skillet with a spritz of oil over low heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.
• in the microwave on Medium High for 45-60 seconds. 

From the freezer, thaw patties overnight for best results, then proceed with the recipe from Step 5 on.

Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps. Photography by Christine Ma.