Satisfy your burger cravings in the best way with these easy, and utterly delicious Masala Chickpea Burgers! The bright, savory spices of chana masala bring bold flavors and a touch of heat to these super satisfying veggie burgers. Stuff a toasted bun with the sizzling-hot chickpea patty, fresh toppings, and spicy sriracha mayo for perfection in every bite!
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Texture is Everything
Whether you use a food processor or mash the canned chickpeas by hand, very little prep is required for this recipe. The trick to achieving the perfect “burger” is to mash the chickpeas enough to bind the ingredients together while leaving enough texture to sink your teeth. I love these Veggie Chickpea Burgers because they are firm enough to pan-fry. That sear gets the edges nicely crisped while the inside stays tender.
So Simple and Satisfying!
These awesome Chickpea Burgers are full of plant-based protein. They’re filling and delicious without leaving you stuffed. The only oil in this recipe is the small amount used to pan-fry the veggie burgers and toast the buns. Making your own veggie burgers means you know exactly what goes into them–simple clean ingredients, vibrant spices, and aromatics. There are no extra hidden calories or preservatives!
Pantry Friendly
At my house, we love a meal that we can pull off super quickly on a weeknight that fits into our busy schedules. BUT that meal has to be nourishing, satisfying, and so good that we would serve it whether we’re crunched for time or not. These Chickpea Masala Burgers rely on simple pantry items we have plenty of such as canned chickpeas, oats, and ground spices. As for the fresh ingredients: carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, lettuce, and tomato–these are kitchen staples we always have on hand.
*Tip: Check out my easy methods for prepping and storing fresh ginger, garlic, and green chilies in the freezer. Take out as much as you need at a time and use in your recipes as you would the fresh versions. Such a time-saver and always comes in handy!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chickpeas - Canned chickpeas are convenient, but you can also cook dried chickpeas, drain the water, and use them in this recipe.
- Rolled Oats - Old-fashioned rolled oats help bind the burgers and you can substitute them with quick oats.
- Carrots, red onion, and cilantro – these vegetables and herbs not only add a burst of color to the burgers but also boost their nutritional value.
- Ginger, Garlic & Green Chillies - Fresh ginger paste, garlic paste, and green chilies add lots of flavor and spice to the burger patties. Substitute Indian green chilies with serrano or jalapenos. For a less spicy burger, you can leave out green chilies.
- Spices - Cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and red chili powder add that perfect chana masala-like flavor to the burgers. I like to use mild Kashmiri red chili powder in this recipe to add a hue of red to the patties, if you are using spicier chili you may want to reduce it.
How to bind the Chickpea Burgers
This Veggie Burger recipe is Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, and Dairy-Free. No eggs or breadcrumbs are needed to bind the ingredients. The mashed chickpeas and oats hold everything together. Just make sure to pat dry the chickpeas well so there is no excess moisture.
How to Make Chickpea Burgers
- Add chickpeas, onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies, cilantro, dry spices, and rolled oats to the food processor bowl. Pulse for 1 to 2 minutes so the mixture is evenly processed. Add the grated carrots to the bowl
- Mix well and then using a spatula divide the burger mixture into 4 parts and form into ¾ inch thick patties.
- Place a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add oil. Place the burger patties in the pan and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Drizzle more oil over the burgers and carefully flip each patty. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes as both sides get crispy and golden brown.
Serving Masala Chickpea Burgers
We love to serve these Indian spiced chickpea burgers on warm toasty brioche buns with sriracha mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions. Here are some more Topping Tips, choose from these favorites to build your burger or add your own: pickles, mustard, ketchup, or Green Chutney for a spicy kick! Serve the burgers topped with your favorite salad or wrapped in lettuce leaves for a low-carb meal idea.
We love to add a side of air-fried masala fries, sweet potato fries, or potato wedges. Serve with a chilled and refreshing homemade ginger lemonade or Aam Panna and complete the meal with homemade brownies or a bowl of melon salad.
Storing
Cooked vegan chickpea burgers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for 1-2 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then heat them in the microwave or on the stovetop.
These Chickpea Veggie Burgers reheat nicely making them a great meal prep recipe. So go ahead and make extra! They are perfect on top of salads, stuffed into wraps, and packed into school lunches.
More Indian Spiced Burger Recipes You’ll Love
Recipe
Veggie Chickpea Burgers with Indian Spices
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup carrot peeled and grated
- 1 15 oz canned chickpeas rinsed, drained, and dried well with paper towels
- ½ small red onion rough chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 inch ginger rough chopped
- 2 green chilies or ½ jalapeno
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
To serve
- 4 burger buns Brioche Buns work really well
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- lettuce rinsed, patted dry, and leaves separated
- 1 tomato thinly sliced
- red onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
Instructions
- Place the chopping blade inside the food processor bowl. Add chickpeas, onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies, cilantro, dry spices, and rolled oats to the food processor bowl. Pulse for 1 to 2 minutes or until all the mixture is evenly processed. Carefully remove the chopping blade.
- Add the grated carrots into the bowl and mix well. Using a spatula divide the burger mixture into 4 parts and form into ¾ inch thick patties.
- Place a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add half of the oil. Once the oil is hot, place the four burger patties in the pan and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes side.
- Pour the remaining oil over the burgers and carefully flip each patty with a silicone spatula. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes as both sides get crispy and golden brown in color. Remove the Burgers from the skillet and place them on a platter.
- Wipe down the skillet and heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Place 4 bun halves with the middle side on the skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes as the buns get a bit toasty and warm.
- Make the Sriracha Mayo by combining the mayonnaise with sriracha.
- Place the bottom side of the burger on a platter. Spread 1 tablespoon of sriracha mayonnaise over it. Place the chickpea burger on the bun along with a slice of onion, tomato, and lettuce. Put the top lid of the bun over it and enjoy.
Notes
- The mashed chickpeas and oats hold everything together. Make sure to pat dry the chickpeas really well so there is no excess moisture.
- Refrigerating uncooked patties for 20 minutes can firm them up a bit more and will be easy to cook
- Use a silicone spatula to carefully flip the patties, as they will be delicate
- Cooked burger patties can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for 1-2 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then heat them in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Katie says
Oh my goodness! This was so easy and oh, so flavourful! You have to make this! I'll definitely make these again. I may try cooking it up kind of like a hash and then using it as a tortilla wrap filling. Thanks for a delish recipe.
Archana says
You are most welcome! Thank you for your feedback
Mindy T. says
Delicious! Really easy to prepare, very satisfying, and quite tasty! Definitely putting this one on rotation.
Archana says
Thank you, Mindy!
Chris Clark says
What a great meal this was! The meal prep was super easy, the spices I already had and the taste was superb!
I loved the fact that I threw everything in the food processor minus the carrot and fried the patty up. I will be making triple batches of these to freeze ahead of time. I did not make the sauce since I prefer mustard. The patty was enough by itself.
Thank you - you rocked this recipe!
Archana says
Thank you SO much!
Tania says
Hi, can you tell me please the chickpea amount in grams?
Archana says
250 grams of canned chickpeas after draining out all the water
Tania says
Thank you Archana. Your recipe is awesome and the burgers turned out very well and tasty. Even my kids loved it.
Archana says
Thank you, Tania!
Gillian says
Very quick and easy to make. Tasty burgers.
Archana says
Thank you!
Kevin says
Can you use this recipe for falafel?
Archana says
Although I have not tried it, I think it will make flavorful falafel.
Katie says
So easy and, oh, so flavourful! I'll definitely make this again, except, next time, I'll double it so that I can put some in the freezer. Thanks for a quck, easy and super delish recipe!
Archana says
Great idea to double the recipe!!
Spencer says
I made this for my family and everyone loved it! So good, I'm definitely going to be making it a lot.
Preeti Sebastian says
I tried it today for my daughters back to school lunch., came out very good. Thanks.
Anushka Das says
Ma'am I've been making this recipe since January 2023. At first I was a bit skeptical regarding the structure of patty due to the absence of bread crumbs but I was amazed to see the wonder Oats does . You really helped me indulging in an another scrumptious recipe made of oats.
The only problem i faced was that my processor is not the able to grind all the ingredients altogether hence I've to add water which jeopardizes the construction but for the solution to it I stir the final mixture on the pan to get rid of the excess moisture , after that becomes good to go .
Looking forward to more such plant based recipe of yours, Thank you
AAD says
Sounds amazing! Unfortunately, I am allergic to carrots, what can I use instead? Thank you!
Archana says
You can simply skip carrots and add grated zucchini or cabbage instead if you like. Make sure to squeeze out any excess moisture.
Pooja says
Can I use over night soaked chick peas
Archana Mundhe says
Yes. You will have to pressure cook them for about 30 minutes before using in this recipe.