This vegan chickpea burger recipe is make ahead, and freezer friendly; Spicy Cajun Mushroom and Chickpea Veggie Burgers are packed with texture, flavor and are likely to make your mouth water… just a bit! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free.
Chickpea Veggie Burger Love!
Oh my word, y’all. I’m SO excited to finally be sharing this vegetarian burger recipe with y’all! And I’m so happy to add another recipe to my best veggie burger recipe list! Hooray!
I thought I wasn’t going to make the 4th of July holiday deadline, but finally, the recipe came together. OMGee this veggie burger recipe took some time!
I’m not a fan of fireworks, but what I DO love about the 4th is the food, family, friends, rest.. and did I say FOOD?(!!).
But this spicy veggie burger recipe isn’t just for summer holidays. It’s year round freezer staple food!
Having homemade veggie burgers in the freezer is the ultimate relief for those long weekdays or too short weekends when you just need something post-haste. The ultimate comfort food I say, with a side of crispy oven fries or tater tots!
Key Ingredients in a Veggie Burger
Homemade veggie burgers can be tricky, and I love how they challenge my kitchen prowess, but I’ve found some key ingredients help give eggless veggie burgers structure and loads of flavor. Beans, oats, brown rice, nuts and plenty of veggies like mushrooms, onions and peppers support the structure of the burger. Then, and a most satisfying addition, spices are added to liven up the blank canvas of ingredients.
Two flavor builders I love to include in homemade veggie burger patties are liquid smoke and worcestershire sauce (be sure to look for vegetarian or vegan). I find these are essential for maximum burgery (?) flavor.
At a Glance: How to Make Spicy Chickpea Veggie Burgers
The process to make this vegetarian burger recipe is similar to my Black Bean Walnut Burgers with Saucy Sweet Onions. You’ll want to make sure to have cooked short grain brown rice on hand. It can be stored in the freezer for quite some time, so cooking a little extra goes a long way.
- First: toast the walnuts in a dry pan then toss them in a food processor. Process the walnuts with tomato paste, spices, liquid smoke, and Worcestershire.
- Second: sauté mushrooms, onions and bell peppers and add them to the food process with the other ingredients. Toss in 1/2 the brown rice and 1/2 the chickpeas, and give the processor a few more pulses to bring everything together.
- Third: dump it all into a large mixing bowl with the remaining veggies, rice and chickpeas.
- Fourth: the fun part… dig in with your hands, mushing, turning and mixing everything together!
- Fifth: Shape the patties into portions and gently press them into patties. Allow the patties to rest in the fridge.
- Last: pan fry (or bake) the veggie burgers.
Whip up some fries, slaw and/or baked beans and you’ve an alfresco party!
How to Make Roasted Jalapeño Aioli
Optional, but oh so worth the effort. Roasting the jalapeno tends to tame the heat a bit and it gives the aioli a nice smoky flavor. Here’s how to make it (see recipe card for details):
- Over the flame of a gas range, roast the jalapeño over the flame of a gas range.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add mayo, lemon, garlic, salt and roasted jalapeño. Process until all ingredients are incorporated and only small chunks remain.
Slather this Jalapeño Aioli on the burger buns! It also makes a mouthwatering dipping sauce for tots or fries,
Share These Veggie Burgers With
- Grilled Sweet Potatoes
- Crispy Oven Fries
- Broccoli Slaw with Golden Raisins
- BBQ Baked Baked Beans
- Spicy Potato Salad
- Olive and Egg Potato Salad
Two Ways to Cook the Burgers
Two options: *Pan frying yields a bit of charring and crispy edges on the burgers. It’s quicker then baking. Baking will dry the patties out a bit more than pan frying, but less oil is used. They also take longer to cook.
TO BAKE: Preheat oven to 425F (218C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or use a silpat. Brush a layer of coconut oil on the parchment paper and lay a patty on top of it. Brush the top with more coconut oil. Repeat on the remaining patties. Bake each side for 15 minutes.
TO PAN FRY: Add two to three tablespoons of oil to a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Heat until shimmering. Add three patties. Be sure to give them plenty of room. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side.
Traci’s Tips
- If new to making an eggless veggie burger recipe, take a look at the recipe notes for more details on veggie burger texture.
- Plan ahead: these vegan burgers need to rest in the fridge for at least an hour for best results. They can be cooked directly after shaping, but they don’t hold together as well.
- Make ahead easy! Whip up these veggie burgers two days ahead of when needed. The jalapeño aioli can be made up to five days in advance!
More Veggie Burger Recipes to Love
Spicy Cajun Chickpea Veggie Burgers
Ingredients
For the Patties:
- 1/4 C (35g) Walnuts
- 1/4 C (30g) Thick Rolled Oats, gluten free if needed
- 1 1/2 Tbs Tomato Paste
- 1 Tbs Tahini
- 2 Tbs Cajun Spice Blend, **see note, gluten free if needed
- 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 3/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce, optional but recommended (vegan and gluten free if needed)
- 1/4 tsp Liquid Smoke, gluten free if needed
- 1 1/2 C (255g) Chickpeas, drained and divided (one can)
- 1/2 C (100g) Cooked Short Grain Brown Rice, divided (be sure to use short grain, it makes a difference - and not instant)
- 2 tsp Coconut Oil, + more for frying or baking the patties
- 2 C (160g) Mushrooms, diced (I use crimini)
- 1 C (115g) Purple or Red Onion, diced (about 1/2 a large onion)
- 1 C (120g) Green Bell Pepper, diced (about 1 medium bell)
- 1 Tbs Minced Garlic
For the Roasted Jalapeño Aioli:
- 1 Fresh Jalapeño, *see note
- 3/4 C (165g) High Quality Mayo, I use just Mayo
- 1/2 Lemon, juiced
- 1/2 Tbs Minced Garlic
- 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
For the Patties:
- In a nonstick pan, dry-toast the walnuts on medium heat, tossing and flipping them for about four minutes. Remove from heat and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the oats, tomato paste, tahini, cajun spice blend, sea salt, worchestershire sauce, and liquid smoke. Process, scraping the bowl down as needed until crumbly but holds together after giving it a squeeze in your fist. Add 1/2 the chickpeas, and 1/2 the rice. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining 1/2 of the chickpeas and rice and mash together using a potato masher just a few times to soften (we still want chunks here). Set aside.
- Heat the coconut oil in a pan on medium. When shimmering, add the diced mushrooms and cook on medium low for about 6 minutes tossing and flipping just a few times - we want a good sear on the mushrooms. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and saute for about 8-9 minutes on medium low heat, flipping and turning occasionally. A bit of charring is okay. Toss the minced garlic in and stir during the last minute of cooking. Remove from heat and spoon 1/2 of the mushroom mixture in the food processor while adding the remaining to the large mixing bowl with the chickpeas and rice. Process the ingredients in the food processor, pulsing, and stopping to scrape down and redistribute the ingredients in the bowl several times. There still should be some chunks, but all the ingredients will be incorporated. Into the large mixing bowl, add the processed bean/spice/mushroom mixture. Using your hands, mix throughly squeezing and pushing the mixture together. Now is a good time to taste test the mixture. If you want more heat, add a douse or two of Tabasco or even more Cajun seasoning!
- Divide the mixture into 5 patties (about 1/2 C or 140g each) or 7 patties (about 1/3 C or 95g each) by shaping them into round balls tucking in any large pieces of veggies that may be hanging out on the sides. Using your hand or the back of a metal measuring cup, press each ball into a patty using gentle pressure to about 1/4"- 1/2" (.6 - 1.2 cm) thick. Gently nudge back into shape if needed.
- Place the patties flat on a parchment lined sheet pan in refrigerator for at least one hour. If freezing, slide the pan in the freezer for one hour then stack them between pieces of parchment paper and into a freezer bag for longer storage.*** Now is a good time to get the jalapeño aioli going (see below).
- FOR COOKING - two options: *Pan frying yields a bit of charring and crispy edges on the burgers. It's quicker then baking. Baking will dry the patties out a bit more than pan frying, but less oil is used. They also take longer to cook. A. TO BAKE: Preheat oven to 425F (218C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or use a silpat. Brush a layer of coconut oil on the parchment paper and lay a patty on top of it. Brush the top with more coconut oil. Repeat on the remaining patties. Bake each side for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt. To keep warm, turn the oven off, prop the door open and rest the patties in the oven.B. TO PAN FRY: Preheat the oven to 200F (95C) and line a sheet-pan with parchment paper. Place the pan in the oven. This will keep the patties warm after they're cooked.Add two to three Tbs of coconut oil to a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Heat until shimmering. Add three patties. Be sure to give them plenty of room. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, being careful when flipping the patty. Slide the patty on the parchment lined sheet pan in the oven. Sprinkle with sea salt. Finish cooking the remaining patties adding more oil as needed.
- Store cooked patties in a lidded container for up to three days in the refrigerator, or stack the patties between pieces of parchment paper and slide into a freezer bag for longer storage. Freeze for up to two weeks.
For the Roasted Jalapeño Aioli:
- Over the flame of a gas range, roast the jalapeño, turning with tongs as it blackens. You'll hear the pepper pop and smell it's smoky flavor. Once completely black, set it aside to cool while assembling the other ingredients. Cut off the stem and slice it into three chunks.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the mayo, lemon, garlic, salt and jalapeño. Process until all ingredients are incorporated and only small chunks remain. Store in the refrigerator in a lidded container until ready to use or for up to two weeks. Its flavor improves with time.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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I process this recipe until it’s a paste and use it to stuff sausage casings. Whenever I make them, I don’t tell anyone they are vegetarian. EVERYONE LOVES THEM!
Hi Dawn! Oh my gosh, that’s amazing! Can you share where you find the sausage casing? Is it plant based?
YUMMY! My husband and I both loved these and are excited we have more in the freezer!!! They were delicious.
Oh goodness Margaret! I love how you’re whipping up the veggie burgers! Thank you for giving these and the black bean burgers a go…. these are my most favorite of all time and I’m so happy you and your hubs enjoyed them. Freezer burgers are such a relief when you need something fast! Thank you so much for your note!
These are delicious! My favourite recipe of the summer. Going to make these again tonight as the summer’s nearly to an end. Fantastic recipe!
Hey Leah! Thank you so much for your note… I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! I made these this weekend too…. froze 1/2 the batch for the long weekend ahead. Easy peasy dinner plans! Hooray! :D
These are great- very flavorful! I did not have trouble with them staying together. I browned in the skillet and then put the skillet in the hot oven for about ten minutes to firm them up! I did not make the sauce.
Thank you for your note, Angela! Hooray for holding together… and I like your idea of putting the skillet in the hot oven.. I’ll give it a go! I made these this weekend myself – we threw the remaining patties in the freezer! Hooray! So happy you enjoyed the recipe! :D
This was a fun recipe and used what I had on hand. I overprocessed the mixture a bit but it was fine, just less chewy. I cooked the patties on a parchment covered cookie sheet on BBQ and they turned out perfect. The aioli was great on our roasted corn too!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and improvised as needed Rachel! Thank you for your notes for cooking on the BBQ and the aioli on the corn (my mouth is watering!) I’m in!
Thanks, Traci. I am going to try these either today and tomorrow.
I finally made these, and they came out real well. My food processor mixture was a little too mushy, but that’s my food processor :). Also, I doubled the recipe, which worked fine. I made 4 in the oven, and the rest on the pan (I had a total of 12, using a half cup measure.) I preferred the ones from the pan, but SO preferred the baked ones. I used canola oil spray for cooking them in the pan, and a very, very light drizzle of oil, so for anyone looking to cut fat or oil, that might be a good alternative. I didn’t make the jalapeno aioli, but used a sour cream based jalapeno and cilantro sauce I already had. The two went well together, but I cannot wait to try the aioli, coz theroasted jalapenos sound amazing! Thanks for a great recipe! And to anyone who might be intimidated by the recipe – it seems involved, with a lot of ingredients, but after you’ve made it once and understand the method, I think it would be easy to replicate, and it’s well worth the effort for sure!
Hi Sonali! Thank you for your notes and sharing your experience making this recipe! So happy you enjoyed the recipe… ! That sour cream based jalapeno and cilantro sauce made my mouth water – lol! My Ma and I baked ours too and loved them. The main difference in baking vs frying, I find is the almost crispy texture pan frying yields. Almost two different experiences. I’ll be trying these on the grill next! Thank you again Sonali! :D
After having a heart attack 3wks ago, I am looking for better ways to eat and get healthy, your recipes look wonderful and delicious and I am sure it will fit into my diet plans. Thank you.