Another bean burger. I KNOW.
Is it getting old? I’m getting old.
I keep making them! I’m on a bean burger journey. Each new version improves on the last, but every past recipe still has its place. These chickpea burgers are special because we don’t fully cook the beans ahead of time — we soak them overnight so they keep a firm, pleasant chew.
Soaked chickpeas give great texture. I also fold in cooked quinoa for extra body and bite — I’ve used quinoa in sliders and burgers before, and it works beautifully here.
Fun fact: I actually taught these crispy chickpea burgers at a private cooking class for a bachelorette party. Yes — a bach party with party straws and all the energy. It was a blast.
Here’s the deal: this recipe makes thick, substantial patties. It’s important to leave about half of the chickpeas coarsely chopped so the burgers keep texture and chew. If you prefer a milder introduction to veggie burgers, make slightly thinner patties or form smaller fritter-style rounds — they also work as little falafel-like bites.
These burgers are extremely crispy. That’s because they’re nearly half-deep fried: use enough oil in the skillet so it comes up about halfway up the sides of the patties. This crisps the edges as well as the top and bottom, giving a crunchy exterior all the way around.
I tried a similar technique with autumn vegetable burgers before and still found the edges a little soft. These chickpea burgers achieve the crunch I wanted.
If you don’t want to use that much oil, you can pan-fry them in a tablespoon or so of olive oil. They’ll crisp primarily on the top and bottom, so make the patties thinner and handle them gently — they may be a little more fragile. Another option is to make the full recipe, crumble the cooked patties over a salad, and enjoy the crunchy bits that way.
This is an indulgent chickpea burger. I’ve made lighter bean burger versions, and they’re good — but this one is rich and satisfying. I’m a burger fiend, and right now I might choose this over beef. Add bacon if you must.
I also made a spicy chipotle ketchup to go with these, because creamy or tangy sauce brightens the patties and keeps them from feeling dry if they’re slightly overcooked. Chipotle mayo, grainy mustard, or another bold sauce would work too.
Can you hear the crunch? GAH.
Cheesy Crunchy Crispy Chickpea Burgers
8
THICK burgers
1 hr
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Ingredients
- 3 cups dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans, soaked overnight
- 1/3 cup diced onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ tablespoons grainy mustard
- ¼ cup torn fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2/3 cup cooked quinoa
- 8 ounces fontina cheese, sliced
- 8 whole grain buns
- lettuce for topping
- canola or grapeseed oil for frying
spicy ketchup
- 1/2 cup tomato ketchup
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotles in adobo
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Instructions
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Note: soak the beans overnight, or at least 10 to 12 hours. Place them in a large pot and cover with water by a few inches. You may have leftovers; they’re great for hummus. Do not use canned beans — you need the coarse texture from soaked, not fully cooked, chickpeas.
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Add 3 cups of the soaked chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until very coarsely chopped. Place the chopped chickpeas in a large bowl. Add the remaining 3 cups of chickpeas to the food processor with onion, garlic, eggs, mustard, basil, oregano, dill, salt, pepper and paprika. Blend until the mixture becomes a sticky puree. Combine that paste with the coarse chickpeas and the cooked quinoa. Mix well and form into 8 thick patties (about 1 inch thick and 2.5 inches in diameter), pressing so they hold together. Chill the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 30 to 60 minutes.
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To make the spicy ketchup, whisk the ketchup, adobo sauce and chipotle powder together in a bowl until smooth.
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Heat a large skillet over medium and add about ½ inch of oil so it reaches roughly halfway up the burgers. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the patties in batches and cook about 4 minutes per side, until very crispy. Flip gently with a large spatula. Just before a burger is done, top with a slice of fontina so it melts; if there’s excess oil, drain briefly on paper towels and add the cheese immediately so it melts from the residual heat.
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Serve the burgers on buns with romaine and a generous spoonful of spicy ketchup.
Notes
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