Spicy chickpea veggie burgers with jalapeño and zucchini, topped with a tasty honey-lime slaw and fierySriracha mayo.These are my tastiest veggie burgers yet!
It’s been entirely too long since I’ve graced this little blog of mine with a brand spankin’ new veggie burger recipe. For those of you who are new, they’re kind of athing around here.
I love trying endless combinations using fresh, seasonal ingredients and blogging my favorites.
As an added bonus, they’re a great way to empty out your crisper when it starts to overflow on ya! They also taste really awesome and are gloriously freezer friendly. Game on.
Though it’s a bit laughable, taking veggie burger advice from a carnivore is totally legit.
Trust me. For a food enthusiast I’m pretty darn picky, and the burgers that make the cut for ze blog are the ones that are so tasty we make them a second time. And third. And forth… I can’t wait for you to try them!
Spicy Chickpea Veggie Burgers
These burgers are 100% vegetarian with an easy peasy vegan swap and gluten-free to boot. They’re also dairy-free, though I’ll totally look the other way if you melta slice of Pepper Jack on top of your burger!
Ok now I really want to try that… Time to make another batch!
I’m 100% making another batch to freeze for easy heat-and-scarf lunches, and have it on pretty good authority that they’re fabulouscrumbled over salads too! (Especially with a little drizzle of yellow mustard and Sriracha on top – YUM!)
They’re also really ridiculously delicious topped with some fresh slaw and a hearty dollop of Sriracha aioli.
The heat from the Sriracha paired with the heat from the jalapeños and red pepper flakes was a total winner in my book! I’m pretty sure I forgot to breathe in between bites. I wanted the entire burger in my face, stat!
Veggie Burger TIPS + TRICKS
Thinner patties will yield more delicious crunch, as you’ll be able to sear more of the top and bottom, plus the middle will cook through much easier.
Giving your oats and chickpeas a rough chop in the food processor helps create the magic that helps keep these burgers together. In whole form, chickpeas naturally want to slingshot themselves out of your veggie burger with each bite you take. Roughly chopping them in the food processor is totally the way to go. Additionally, processing the oats helps crush some of the whole oats into powder form while leaving the rest partially whole. Both play a key role in binding the burger and giving it it’s awesome texture.
Spicy Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Jalapeño and Zucchini
Spicy chickpea veggie burgers with jalapeño and zucchini, topped with a tasty honey-lime slaw and fierySriracha mayo.These are my tastiest veggie burgers yet!
4.92 from 23 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Spicy Chickpea Veggie Burgers
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Jenn Laughlin - Peas and Crayons
Ingredients
FOR THE BURGERS:
- 1.5 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
- 15 oz canned chickpeas drained + rinsed
- ⅓ cup finely diced bell pepper (any color)
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1-2 TBSP green onion (white + green portions)
- ½ TBSP avocado oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 4 onion roll buns see post for GF swaps
- leafy green lettuce of choice for topping
FOR THE SLAW:
- 1 heaping cup cabbage finely chopped/shredded
- ½ a fresh jalapeño sliced thin (optional)
- ½ TBSP honey
- ½ TBSP avocado oil
- juice of 1 lime or to taste
- a pinch of salt
- fresh cilantro optional + to taste
FOR THE SRIRACHA AIOLI:
- ⅓ cup quality mayo
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1-2 TBSP Sriracha or to taste
- 1/8-1/4 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Combine ingredients for the aioli and whisk. Set aside.
For the slaw, combine all ingredients and adjust to taste. Set aside.
Combine oats and chickpeas in food processor and pulse a few times to roughly chop the chickpeas and oats. Mixture should look chopped but not be paste-like or wet/mushy.
Set aside and grab those veggies!
Remove the stem from the jalapeño. For spicier burgers, leave the veins and seeds intact. For less spicy burgers remove half or all of the veins/seeds. I left half intact and removed the rest for burgers with a spicy kick and lots of flavor!
If you haven't already, grate the zucchini using the coarse side of a box grater and wrap in a paper towel. Squeeze out excess moisture and set aside.
Sauté bell pepper, jalapeño, zucchini and green onion in avocado oil until peppers are tender.
Season with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt.
Add the freshly sauteed veggies to your bean mixture, then add your egg.
Stir to fully incorporate and roll mixture into four balls.
To shape your burgers, cup each ball in your hands and squeeze tightly, rotating as you gently, but firmly, press it into a disc using your thumb. I like mine on the thiner side so middles cook all the way through, but not so thin that they won't hold their shape.
To help the burgers set, cover and refrigerate as you prep your buns or (lettuce wraps!) and toppings. This will give them a little while to set. You can even leave them overnight and cook them up the following day. I often make one after 15-30 minutes of chill time and cook up the rest the following day.
READY TO EAT?
Pour a tablespoon or two of oil in a skillet and heat to medium-high, so the burgers sizzle when you add them to the pan!
Cook for a few minutes on each side until you're left with a golden crust. and a warm center. Repeat for each burger, or cook two at once if you have a big enough pan! I'd skip crowding all four together just because they're a pain to flip when all up in eachother's business.
A tip for perfectly shaped veggie burgers: While sizzling away in the skillet, I nudge the burgers with the backside of my spatula to gently help form the sides into a perfect disc. Works like a charm!
Slather your buns with sriracha mayo, pile them high with lettuce, and top each burger with honey-lime slaw or your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Have some red onion handy? Feel free to slice it thin + add to the slaw!
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: Simply cook the burgers via instructions above, allow to cool a bit, and then freeze (spaced) on a plate or cookie sheet. Once they've had a chance to partially freeze you can wrap them individually and pile them in baggies or your favorite airtight container for fast food without the freaky ingredients. To re-heat, simply pop on a baking sheet in the oven for about 18-20 minutes at 400 F. Enjoy!
Nutrition stats estimated below are for the patties by themselves, since everyone adds different buns/toppings/etc... Adjust as needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1patty, Calories: 147kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 4g
Did you make this recipe?I want to see! Tag @peasandcrayons on Instagram and Facebook!
special diets and swaps
Vegan option
Simply use a flax egg for these spicy chickpea veggie burgers and either usevegan mayo for the aioli or whip up some tasty homemade sriracha ketchup instead! Simply add as much Sriracha as your heart desires to your favorite ketchup and dig in!
GLUTEN-FREE CHEFS:
Snag a gluten-free bun or swap the bun for a lettuce wrap. You can also serve these atop a big green salad or crumbled over a fluffy baked sweet potato (with melted cheese – YUM!) Have fun with it!
If you’re going to use a non-GF bun, by all means you have GOT to trya bakery-fresh onion roll/bun! The flavor totally compliments the burger and just adds that little something extra! We move around a LOT but I can always seem to find these babies in the bakery section of our local grocery stores.
Hunt them down if you can! They’re such a great pairing for these spicy chickpea veggie burgers.
You’ll also want to get your hands on some avocado oil! I’ve been having quite the love affair with it lately. It’s delicate enough to be whisked into salad dressings and sauces and versatile enough to withstand high heat cooking, making it hands-down my favorite pan-frying and sautéing oil. It’s super tasty and high inhealthy monounsaturated fats + vitamin E. Love it!
No food processor? No problem!
Use a chef’s knife to give your chickpeas a rough chop or use a fork to partially fork-mash the chickpeas. You don’t want them mashed into a paste-like texture because you’ll lose all the awesome texture, but break them up enough that they’re not all whole. As for the oats, you can roughly chop your oats with a knife *or* use your rolled oats as is. They may crumble a wee bit easier than if you used a food processor but they should still hold together enough to be flipped and taste delicious!
Looking for a few more veggie burgers?
- Butternut Black Bean Burgers
- Chipotle Pumpkin Burgers
- Quinoa Black Bean Veggie Burgers
If you get a chance to try these Spicy Chickpea Veggie Burgers, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
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About The Author:
Jenn Laughlin
Hi! I’m Jenn and I’m here to help you eat your veggies! It'll be fun, painless, and pretty darn delicious as I teach you to plan your meals around fresh, seasonal produce with a little help from healthy freezer and pantry staples.
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