Easy Quinoa Chickpea Patties

Crispy chickpea quinoa patties are loaded with plant-based protein and fiber, contain hidden veggies, are super adaptable, and can be pan-fried, baked, or air fried until golden & crisp! A gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan appetizer, side, or main that’s ready in about 20 minutes!

Fiber and Protein-Dense Chickpea Quinoa Patties

These quinoa and chickpea burgers (along with quinoa tater tots and Mediterranean quinoa salad) are must-tries the next time you have leftover quinoa in your fridge. Combining simple, inexpensive, unprocessed ingredients, these chickpea patties are quick to prepare and loaded with nourishing nutrients, protein, fiber, and antioxidants.

Once cooked (in one of three ways with minimal oil!), they’re tender and slightly chewy in the middle while wonderfully crispy outside for super satisfying vegan chickpea burgers even meat eaters will enjoy.

Even better, chickpea quinoa burgers are super forgiving and adaptable. This time around, I’ve made them with a warming Indian-inspired seasoning. However, enjoy playing with your favorite/ available vegetables, herbs, and seasonings.

You can also adapt the size and shape, whether you want to make little vegan nuggets, fritters, small patties, or veggie burgers. Either way, they’re meal prep friendly, freeze and reheat well, and are super portable, too – perfect for BBQs, potlucks, and cookouts!

Want to try more protein-dense vegan patties? Check out our recipes for mega lentil burger patties, kichari lentil patties, and black bean bulgur patties.

The Ingredients

The Chickpea Quinoa Patties

• Chickpeas: Use homecooked or canned chickpeas (regular or reduced sodium).

Other pulses will work wonderfully, too. For example, delicious white bean, kidney bean, green/brown lentils, or black bean quinoa burgers.

• Cooked quinoa: White or tri-color quinoa work best for quinoa cakes. Cook it with your preferred method – stovetop, Instant Pot, etc.
• Flax egg: Combining ground flax meal (or chia seeds) with water makes a simple vegan binding egg replacement in these vegan chickpea patties.
• Vegetables: This chickpea veggie burger recipe is a great way to sneak in veggies. We used kale (or spinach), onion, and carrot. Read the next section for more options.
• Seasonings: For a simple but highly complementary seasoning blend, we used pantry-friendly curry powder, cumin, cayenne pepper (optional for extra heat), sea salt, and black pepper.

For Quinoa Chickpea Burgers

• Burger buns: Use regular or gluten-free.
• Toppings: i.e., lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, pickles, vegan mayo, hot sauce, etc.

Optional Add-ins and Recipe Variations:

• Fresh herbs: Like parsley, cilantro, mint, etc. Choose them based on the seasonings.
• Vegan cheese: Add some vegan shredded cheddar, mozzarella, or parmesan.
• Other seasonings: Experiment with different seasoning blends like Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, za’atar, etc. For a milder seasoning, try combining onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast (optional), and a pinch of cayenne (optional for heat) in this chickpea patty recipe.
• Other vegetables: There are plenty of veggies to choose from to add extra texture, color, and flavor to the chickpea burger recipe, including:
  • Zucchini (shredded and excess liquid squeezed out)
  • Broccoli/cauliflower (blanched and finely shredded)
  • Corn/peas (canned or frozen)
  • Bell pepper (any color)
  • Mushrooms (sauteed and finely chopped – cremini, button, chestnut, etc.)
  • Brussels sprouts (shredded)
• A crust: i.e., with breadcrumbs or sesame seeds to create extra crunch.
• Other mix–ins: Sun-dried tomatoes, chili, chopped olives, pine nuts, lemon zest, etc.

How to Make Quinoa Chickpea Patties

• 1) First, combine the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl, mix thoroughly, and set aside in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

• 2) Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables by finely mincing or shredding them OR roughly chopping then pulsing them in a food processor into a shredded consistency.

• 3) In a large bowl, combine all the quinoa chickpea patties ingredients and mix well until it forms a patty dough you can shape.

Depending on the vegetables, you may need to make adjustments. If the mixture is too wet, add flour (regular, gluten-free, oat, almond, or chickpea flour). If it’s too dry/crumbly, add water – a teaspoon at a time. Mashing some chickpeas is another easy method for easier binding and more tender texture.

• 4) Divide the mixture into ¼ cup scoops, forming them by hand into patties (you should be able to make 6-8 of these easy chickpea patties).

Alternatively, make smaller quinoa chickpea fritters/nuggets. Wet your hands to make the shaping process easier.

• 5) Heat a swirl of cooking oil (or spray) in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a single layer of the quinoa patties and cook for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp. Repeat with the remaining patties.

• 6) To assemble a veggie burger, load a chickpea quinoa veggie burger onto a bun with lettuce, sliced tomato, avocado, a drizzle of hot sauce and/or vegan mayo, etc. Enjoy!

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• To enhance the flavor: Sauté the vegetables first until lightly caramelized and tender.
• Shred the veggies finely: Pulsing them in a food processor (or using a shredding disk) works wonderfully to get the job done in seconds. Alternatively, finely mince them by hand.
• Adjust the size: Make veggie quinoa fritters, nuggets, small patties, or burgers from this one versatile recipe.
• Adjust the dough if needed: If it’s too dry/crumbly, add a teaspoon of water (or liquid from the chickpea can) at a time. If it’s too wet, add breadcrumbs/ flour (regular, gluten-free, chickpea, almond, or oat flour).
• Pack the mixture tightly: When shaping the garbanzo bean burgers, squeeze firmly to pack the dough so it doesn’t fall apart while cooking. Wetting your hands can also help with the shaping process.
• Experiment with flavors: This recipe is super forgiving. Play around with the seasonings, herbs, and vegetables used to create dozens of delicious vegan quinoa burger recipe variations.

What to Serve with Vegan Chickpea Burgers?

You can use this recipe to prepare quinoa chickpea burger patties, smaller patties, or bite-sized fritters ready to enjoy warm or at room temperature:

• As a vegan burger, mini sliders, wrap, or pita
• Shaped into balls to replace meatballs (in subs and over spaghetti)
• Served with sauce (like marinara, spicy vegan mayo, vegan yogurt dill/ raita, chutney, etc.)
• In salads — like adding protein to a rainbow salad or alongside tabbouleh
• With a side of fries – regular, chunky, sweet potato, carrot fries, or zucchini fries

Storage Instructions

Once cooked, allow the chickpea quinoa patties to cool, and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Alternatively, spread them across a parchment-lined baking tray to flash freeze, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container/Ziplock/Stasher for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the refrigerator before reheating or bake straight from frozen.

Reheat the chickpea quinoa burgers in a skillet with a small amount of oil or in an oven/air fryer for just a few minutes until they’re warmed. Avoid the microwave if you want any crispness.

More Vegan Chickpea Recipes

• Mediterranean chickpea lentil salad
• Vegan chickpea tuna salad
• Chickpea bread stew
• Air fryer chickpeas
• Orzo chickpea salad
• Chocolate chickpea bark
• BBQ chickpea wraps

Photos by Alfonso Revilla