Spicy Chickpea Burgers

 

Written by McDonald, T.  |  Date 6th of February 2023

What better way to start Feburgerary than with a chickpea burger?  This is a great burger that is a bit like bubble and squeak if you know what that is.  The crispy coating is delicious and has a soft, tasty centre with a spicy edge.  This burger is particularly good if you are not into the texture of meat substitutes.  

 

 Notes 

• Add a little more flour if the mixture is too wet.  The mixture is going to be a bit wet anyway, so add a little flour to the bottom before placing in the fridge, or it might stick too much to the plate or dish.

• Whether you use a blender or a food processor, you will need to push the sides down when pulsing.

 2 big burgers or 4 small.

About an hour in total.  10 minutes to make, 40 minutes in the fridge and 10 minute or so to cook.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1 tin of chickpeas 400g (drained weight 240g)
  
• 1/2 tsp of ginger 
• 1/4 tsp of white pepper
  
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chilli chopped
• 1 tsp of nutritional yeast with B12
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A few sprigs of fresh rosemary 
• 1 tsp of baking powder
  
• 3 tbsp plain flour

Method 

Step 1

1. Fry the onions with the spices, ginger, and garlic.  When complete, put to one side and allow cooling.
   
2. Add the chickpeas, onion mixture and flour to a food processor.  Pulse until it forms a lump.
3. Remove from processor and divide into two equal parts on a suitable worktop or board, dusted lightly with flour. 
   
4. Make two burgers and place them in the fridge for 40 minutes.  I used a dough scraper to help me shape it and scoop it up to place on the plate.  This allows them to set.
   

Two chickpea burgers after setting in the fridge.

 Step 2 

1. Heat a little oil in a pan on a medium heat.
2. Fry the burgers on each side for about 5 -6 minutes 
3. For a crispy coating, fry on a high heat for another minute on each side.
   
4. Allow to cool for one minute and serve in a bun with some salad.
   

Results

This was much better than I thought it would be.  I will definitely have this again.  Now I have made the recipe, I realised it was a little too wet and so I might use another tablespoon of flour or dry the chickpeas a lot more.  Nonetheless, this was a fantastic dinner and was fine in the bun.  This recipe reminded me of bubble and squeak.  Although it was soft and would squidgy a bit, it did have a nice crispy coating and tasty centre and held together in the bun.  You got to try this!

 

I hope that you liked this blog and if you do try this recipe, please let me know how you got on and what it turned out like. You can leave a comment in the comments below.