Protein-Packed Spicy Chickpea Patties

Don’t want to talk about me, but I’m obsessed with these incredible vegan protein-packed spicy chickpea patties! This simple chickpea recipe is full of flavor, healthy and great for a family dinner, lunch or appetizer.

You’ll Love These Protein-Packed Spicy Chickpea Patties

Made with cooked chickpeas, spices and garlic these vegan patties taste soooooooo good, you’ll want to have them every week or every day. Very often. Regularly. At least that’s me…And I’m in luck, because the recipe makes 22 small patties, which lasts us a few days.

These chickpea cakes might not be the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen, but they’re:

• scrumptious
• super healthy
• high in protein, fiber and antioxidants
• flavorful
• easy to make
• vegan and gluten-free

The patties aren’t crunchy, but that wasn’t the goal and therefore didn’t bother us at all. When I was creating the recipe for the patties I was going for something like falafel, but spicy and garlicky, more Middle-Eastern-style. That’s exactly how they taste and I couldn’t be happier with the result.

What Are These Chickpea Patties Made Of?

These vegan patties are made with super simple healthy real foods! No protein powders, no tofu (not that it’s bad, I like to use it myself), no flour, just easy to find whole foods:

• Cooked chickpeas. Chickpeas are rich in several minerals and vitamins including iron, zinc, magnesium and folate. They have a very high fiber and protein content which makes them super filling and therefore great for weight loss and weight management! I recently started cooking chickpeas on my own in the pressure cooker (it takes around 45 minutes), but you can also use canned chickpeas.
• Zucchini. Did you know zucchini is actually a good source of vitamin C? I never knew that, but eating just 100 grams will cover more than 20% of your daily needs. Contrary to how we consume zucchini, which is all year round, it naturally actually only grows during summer. Therefore, that’s when it’s best!
• Scallions and garlic. Two of my favorite vegetables to use in pretty much every savory dish I make! Garlic and fresh onions are rich in antioxidants proven to help prevent chronic disease and they bring so much flavor to your meals.
• Herbs and spices. Dried mint, paprika and chili powder provide color and make these patties spicy.
• Olive oil, salt and pepper. Don’t skip on these ingredients, as they make the chickpea patties complete.

How To Make Spicy Chickpea Patties

Start by preparing all your ingredients. Rinse and drain chickpeas, wash and thinly chop zucchini and scallions, peel and mince the garlic.

The Mixture

Place everything except for the olive oil into a large bowl or to a food processor.

Blend using an immersion blender or a food processor. Don’t blend all the way through and make sure to leave about 1/4 or 1/5 of the mixture chunky then bring them together with a fork or a spoon or another utensil you like using.

Use a scoop or a tablespoon to scoop out mixture and to shape the patties. The patties should be smaller, the size of the spatula you’ll be using for flipping as they could fall apart if too big.

On the stove

Grease a pan with olive oil and add patties, leaving space between them, so that it’s easier to flip. Flip in a few minutes once the patties are golden brown. Repeat for all the mixture you have.

Baking

You could also bake the patties if you don’t want to be standing by the stove for a long time. Make sure to add 2-3 tbsp of olive oil to the mixture, cover the baking pan with parchment paper and grease the paper with a little bit of oil. Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350F/180C.

Vegan And High-Protein

As you could tell from the list of ingredients for this recipe, these are plant-based patties and they also happen to be super high in protein thanks to the chickpeas. Each chickpea patty provides 3 grams of protein at just 53 calories.

Make Ahead

These spicy patties are the perfect healthy meal prep recipe! They taste good, make a lot and you can store them in the fridge or even in the freezer.

Appetizer, Lunch Or Dinner

This recipe is pretty versatile and can be used as a full meal with a salad and hummus or for an appetizer with garlicky tahini or yogurt sauce. I usually have mine with my Mediterranean summer salad and sometimes top everything with this garlicky cashew sauce, because it’s so good.

Storing And Reheating

You can store the chickpea patties in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. I think they’re also freezer-friendly, but I don’t freeze food often, so can’t guarantee about it.

To reheat, simply take out as many patties as you’d need and bake in the oven for about 5 minutes or until reheated.

More High-Protein Chickpea Recipes

• One-Pan Mediterranean Chickpea Dinner
• 15-Minute Spicy Chicken and Chickpeas
• Mediterranean Chickpea Tuna Salad