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These crispy vegan chickpea patties are flavor-packed and ready in under 30 minutes. They’re made with curry powder, green onions and lots of fresh cilantro. Plus, they can be panfried or baked! Delicious topped with a lime aioli and served over coconut rice, or served as a chickpea burger in a soft brioche bun or a Hawaiian roll.
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Chickpea Patties
These chickpea patties or fritters are flavored with Indian-inspired spices and are deliciously crispy! The addition of curry powder, green onions, and fresh cilantro add a bold and aromatic depth of flavor to the patties, elevating them beyond your standard veggie burger or patty.
Plus, the crispy texture achieved through pan-frying or baking gives such a satisfying crunch with each bite. Here are a few more reasons we love this recipe and you will too:
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Quick and easy to make: Ready in less than 30 minutes, they’re perfect for lunch or a weeknight dinner.
- Delicious and flavorful: Packed with flavor, plant-based protein, and fiber, and can be served in a bun, over coconut rice, or with a salad.
- Versatile: Adjust the spice levels and seasoning based on your preference!
Why this Recipe Works
These chickpea fritters are made with simple ingredients that are pantry friendly. Panko breadcrumbs and cornstarch not only provide a crispy texture, but they also help to hold the patties together.
Both the panko breadcrumbs and cornstarch act as binding agents (or vegan egg substitutes). These two ingredients are essential in creating a sturdy patty that won’t fall apart during cooking.
Ingredients
Ingredient Highlights & Some Swaps
Canned Chickpeas (aka Garbanzo Beans)
I used low sodium cooked, canned chickpeas. You can use homemade dried garbanzo beans too. Just be sure to cook them before making the patties.
BreadCrumbs
I love using Panko breadcrumbs here. But regular breadcrumbs, roughly ground old fashioned or quick oats can be used instead. You can also use gluten-free breadcrumbs to make these chickpea patties gluten-free
Cornstarch
Also called corn flour. This acts as the egg substitute in these patties. A little goes a long way to hold the chickpeas together.
Other starches such as potato starch or tapioca starch can be used instead of cornstarch.
Fresh Herbs & Veggies
This recipe gets tons of flavor from herbs like fresh cilantro. I’ve also added in some green onion. This can be swapped for red onion or yellow onion.
I also love adding some red bell pepper to the patties for color, texture and flavor. You can swap the bell pepper for other vegetables, such as grated carrots, sweet potatoes, or zucchini. Just a few ideas!
Spices & Seasonings
For lots of flavor I added in garlic powder and Madras Curry Powder (or a mild curry powder & cayenne to taste). You can swap out the curry powder for the onion powder, paprika, or even Italian seasoning for different flavor variations.
Lime Aioli
To make a simple lime aioli, I mixed together some dairy-free plain yogurt (or sub vegan mayo), lime juice and salt + black pepper. If you don’t have limes, it can be swapped for lemon juice.
Step-by-step Instructions
🎥 Video tutorial is in the recipe card below!
Mash the drained and rinsed chickpeas in a large bowl with a fork or potato masher. You can also pulse the chickpeas in a food processor until they are roughly mashed.
Add the panko breadcrumbs, cornstarch, green onion, bell pepper, cilantro, salt, garlic powder, and curry powder to the mashed chickpeas. Stir to combine, then add the water.
Mix the ingredients together until well combined and they form a thick dough.
Scoop the the chickpea patty dough.
Use your hands to form the mixture into patties, about 3-4 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.
To fry the uncooked patties, pour 2-3 tbsp of cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the patties to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crispy and golden brown.
Some Serving Ideas
Place the fried chickpea patties on a paper towel lined plate to absorb extra oil.
Once cooked, they’re ready to enjoy. And let me tell you…these flavorful chickpea patties can be served up in so many ways! You can eat them on their own as a snack, with seasoned rice, with bread or a bun as a burger, or with salads. Top them with fresh herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
To take the dish to the next level, top the chickpea patties with a zesty lime aioli (recipe in the card below), which adds a creamy and tangy finish.
You could also make this recipe into vegan chickpea burgers! Serve them with vegan burger buns and your favorite toppings. If you don’t have burger buns on hand, you can also serve them with pita bread!
How to Store the Patties
- Fridge: Store the leftover chickpea patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Be sure to store the lime aioli separately.
- Reheating: To reheat the patties, you can microwave them for 1-2 minutes or reheat them on the stovetop with a bit of oil (this method will make them crispy again).
Tips for the Best Chickpea Patties
- Drain & rinse the chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas that have been thoroughly drained and rinsed for the best texture.
- Adjust the spices & seasonings to taste: Increase or decrease the amount of curry powder or add cayenne powder. If using normal curry powder (not Madras), I recommend adding 1/8-1/4 tsp of cayenne powder to the patties.
- Use Hot Oil: When you add the patties to the pan, the oil should bubble immediately. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the patties will absorb the oil and have a greasy texture. (Overcrowding the frying pan can also cause them to be soggy and not as crispy.)
- Finely mince the veggies: Large chunks of veggies can cause the patties to break apart easier.
More Chickpea Recipes
Easy Chickpea Patties – Crispy & Vegan!
Rate this RecipeIngredients
- 2 15oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 85g, use GF if gluten-free
- ¼ cup cornstarch, 30g
- ½ cup minced green onion, 50g
- ½ cup minced bell pepper, 70g
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, 20g
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 ½ tbsp Madras curry powder, adjust to taste, see notes
- ½-⅔ cup water, adjust as needed
- Neutral Oil, for frying or baking
Optional: Lime Aioli / Sauce
- ¼ cup dairy free plain yogurt, or sub vegan mayo
- 1 tbsp lime, or lemon juice
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
Instructions
To Make the Patties:
- Mash Chickpeas: Mash the drained and rinsed chickpeas in a large bowl with a fork or potato mashed. You can also pulse the chickpeas in a food processor until they are roughly mashed.2 15oz cans of chickpeas
- Make the Dough: Add the Panko breadcrumbs, cornstarch, green onion, bell pepper, cilantro, salt, garlic powder, and curry powder to the mashed chickpeas. Stir to combine, then add the water, starting with ½ cup. Add more as needed to form a scoop-able, thick dough.1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup cornstarch, ½ cup minced green onion, ½ cup minced bell pepper, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1 ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 ½ tbsp Madras curry powder, ½-⅔ cup water
- Shape the Patties: Mix the ingredients together until well combined and they form a thick dough. Use your hands to form the mixture into patties, about 3-4 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.TIP: To make vegan chickpea burgers, form the chickpea dough into larger patties, about 4-5 inches in diameter.
- Cook the Patties: Pour 2-3 tbsp of cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Make sure there is enough oil to cover the entire bottom of the pan.Add the patties to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crispy and golden brown. Place the cooked patties on a paper towel lined plate to absorb extra oil.Neutral Oil
- Serve: Mix the aioli ingredients together while the patties cook. Serve the patties over coconut rice and top with the lime aioli. They can also be served as a chickpea burger in a bun or with a salad.
To Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush olive oil on both sides of the patties. Bake for 20-23 minutes, flipping halfway.
Video
Recipe notes
- Adjust the spices & seasonings to taste: Feel free to adjust the spice level to your liking by increasing or decreasing the amount of curry powder or adding cayenne powder. If using normal curry powder (not Madras), I recommend adding 1/8-1/4 tsp of cayenne powder to the patties.
- Make sure the oil is hot: Let the oil heat up before adding the patties. The oil should bubble immediately when the patties are added to the pan. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the patties will absorb the oil and have a greasy texture. Overcrowding the frying pan can cause them to steam and become less crispy.
Did You Make This?
Leave a star rating and a comment below to let others know how it turned out for you!
I made these patties and they are yummy!! The flavors are good and my family likes them too,