Cajun chickpea burgers are perfect for this time of year, with all its outdoor eating and BBQ-ing. This version utilizes canned chickpeas and our favourite veggie, cauliflower. Roasting the cauliflower helps to caramelize the sugars while also reducing the overall water content. This helps prevent a soggy patty and the need for adding too much flour to the finished product, so you get a perfectly crisp burger!
For some more summery vegan burgers, try my easy portobello burgers and white bean quinoa burgers.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: a can of chickpeas is super easy but you can also use home-cooked. See how to cook beans in the oven.
- Chickpea flour: this provides, by far, the best binding capabilities and it should be kept in the mix. Another flour might make for crumbly burgers.
- Yogurt: for the dressing, I recommend using a pretty neutral yogurt like soy. Coconut is a little too strong for this recipe.
Top Tips
- Roast the cauliflower: not only does this reduce the water and make the burger texture way better, it also tastes much nicer. You can roast in advance if preferred.
- Let it rest: the flour needs some time to soak up the liquid and make the burger mixture less gloopy. Set it aside for at least ten minutes, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
- Finish in the oven: while everything is cooked already and there's no real need to bake, it does improve the texture and makes the burgers a lot more solid and less likely to crumble.
How to Store
Storage: chickpea burgers are best served immediately, but can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple days.
Freezing: I don't recommend freezing these, they get too crumbly after thawing.
FAQ
How do you keep chickpea burgers from falling apart?
The trick is to use a good binding agent. For this recipe, chickpea flour adds that good binding power, and roasting the cauliflower helps a lot too.
Can I just bake the burgers?
Yes! If you don't want to fry them, bake for about 25 minutes instead, carefully flipping halfway through.
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Recipe
CAJUN CHICKPEA + CAULIFLOWER BURGER
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Heavy bottom frying pan
- Food processor
Ingredients
Burger Base
- ½ Cauliflower cut into smallish florets (about 3 cups)
- 4 ½ teaspoons Oil plus a little more for cooking the patties
- Sea Salt
- Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- ½ Onion chopped (¾ cup)
- 2 cloves Garlic sliced
- 1 Can Chickpeas rinsed
- 1 Batch Cajun Mix Recipe Below
- 2 tablespoons Chopped Parsley or Cilantro
- 3 tablespoons Chickpea Flour
Cajun Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ Dried Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Lemon Dressing
- ½ cup Yogurt Plant-based or otherwise
- 1 pinch Sea Salt and Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Garlic Grated
- ½ teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Herbs Cilantro, Parsley, or Chive
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 205°C (400°F). Cut the cauliflower up and measure about three cups. Toss it with 3 teaspoons of your favourite cooking oil, a big pinch of sea salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring after 20. You want them nice and crispy and delicious.
- Meanwhile, add the chopped onion to a heavy bottom frying pan over medium-low heat, along with 1 ½ teaspoons of oil. Sweat until it begins to soften, then add the garlic for a few minutes before removing from the heat. You'll have plenty of time now to slice up avocado, tomatoes, make the Garlic Sauce, Cajun mix, or watch some Netflix.
- Once the cauliflower is cooked, you can begin to make the burgers. In a food processor (or in my case the dry container for a Vitamix), add the Cajun Spice Mix, Chickpeas, cilantro, and onions and garlic and puree until it's about halfway smooth but with a few chunky beans remaining. Scrape down the sides if needed then toss in the cauliflower and pulse a little more. You want it fairly uniform in texture with some chunky cauliflower goodness. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and work in the flour. Let it hang out for a few minutes for the flour to absorb the liquid.
- Divide into four burgers and fry in a little oil (I used the pan from the onions) on both sides until crispy and brown. Once cooked I like to pop my burgers in a 190°C (375°F) oven (I used the cauliflower roasting tray...see a theme here), for about 10 minutes.
- Serve on toasted buns with garlic sauce if desired, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, avocado, mustard, or whatever your faves are.
I tried it and love it !! But I had a hard time to keep togheter the mixture. They were too ''mushy''. Maybe I did not put enought flour ? I'll tried again some day, but the taste was really really good 🙂
Where's the Garlic Sauce ingredients?
I’m looking for the same. Just scoured the website for the garlic sauce and CANT find it anywhere. 🙁
It is in the recipe card under Garlic Lemon Dressing 🙂
It is in the recipe card under Garlic Lemon Dressing 🙂
So we made these, I'm so excited for the flavor! However, they didn't firm up at all. Any suggestions?
Hello Shawna! I'm so happy to hear you like the flavour, but that's too bad about the texture. I'm guessing different cauliflowers have different water content and maybe you just got a nice juicy one. I think adding a little more chickpea flower or some ground flax would help bind them together next time. Let me know how it goes 🙂
These look gorgeous! Do they freeze OK too?
Thanks so much, Kirstie! I haven't tried freezing them, but I don't see why not (especially after being cooked)
Looks great! I will try these the next weekend.
I have one question: Is it one whole garlic that you use for the dressing, or just one clove?
Thanks a bunch, Dani! They are the perfect weekend meal. I used one clove (I'll fix that for clarity) but if you love garlic like me, you might want to add a little more. xox Sophie
Wonderful burger recipe, I love how it looks!:) I love your photos. I love the mix of cauli and chickpeas, so yummy!
Oh, you're the sweetest! So happy you love the pics, that makes my day! xox
Thanks for a healthy and yummy burger.2 ? Can you keep cooking in the frypan instead of 10 minutes in the oven and if refer to make my own organic chick peas thanks
Hello Christine! Yes, you can totally use your own chickpeas, no problem. As for baking the patties, that should be fine too. Bake them on parchment paper at 375 F ( 190 C) for maybe 15 minutes before flipping. I'm not sure how long they'll take, but I'm guessing 30 minutes should be a good start.
Sophie! Your cauliflower is gorgeous! And these photos are even more beautiful - I'm in love. Give me that burger on a good day and I'd be happy - but on a day when I really feel like an old lady - ohh yes please! All nighters are far behind us, heck anything after 10pm is a doozy 😉 Ahh to getting old and being wiser, and well fed! xo
I'm gonna save this for later, it looks amazing!!
Jen / Velvet Spring x
Sophie - this is exactly everything I want in this moment of August. I love the combination of chickpea and cauliflower. We're going to have to make these this week! -- PS, it truly is amazing the feats I could wing just about ten years ago with all my zest, candor, and young, over-exuberant lust for life. THESE DAYS - yes please to netflix and sweats. xoxo
I'm kind of freaking out about this recipe right now girl. This flavor combo is sheer brilliance, and the roasting of the cauliflower? Amazing, Sophie, I need this. And as for the "next day recovery" bit, I had a good laugh, we are so the same now! Oh to jump back ten years. xo
This look so good Sophie! I wouldn't mind having one now 🙂 Plus I love how simple the pattie recipe is, as I feel they usually have like 20 ingredients and that just exhausts me. So gonna try this one asap! Have a lovely weekend, sending hugs from Finland! xo
OMG I want this now now now now!! Beautiful story and beautiful recipe. No voluntary all-nighters here but ugh there are so many.. Biggest hug!
Oh, how I wish I could just show up at your door right now with a plate of burgers! Tell those boys they'll have plenty of time for all night parties later, mama needs her sleep <3 Much love to you friend! xox
This cauliflower and chickpea burger looks so hearty! I love plant-based burgers when they are homemade and this one really packs a protein punch 🙂
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Medha! Homemade is def the way to go <3
Might be a typo or play on recipe but it says chicken above ingredient list
lol, I guess thats what I get having my partner proof-read 😉 Thanks Tracy <3