These BBQ Cauliflower and Chickpea Veggie Burgers are full of delicious BBQ flavor, filling, and vegan. Everyone will enjoy them!
I feel like I sound like a broken record, but things have been busy around here lately! We went on a trip to Iowa to visit my husband’s family, and then a few days after we returned, my 8-month-old son got sick with his first virus. Then, I got ill with a bad cold, and a friend came to visit for a few days. And then my sister and her boyfriend came to visit. Thankfully, both Eli and I were better by then!
My sister hadn’t seen Eli since the day after he was born, when he was in the NICU, so it wasn’t very easy to hold him. She told me that she and her boyfriend had made my BBQ Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos on one of their first dates, so I thought it would be fun to make a variation of that recipe on their first night here.
BBQ Veggie Burger Recipe Ingredients
- Cauliflower – I used one small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets.
- Quinoa
- Chickpeas – For this recipe, I used one (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
- Breadcrumbs – Gluten-free or regular bread crumbs both work, depending on your needs or preference.
- Ketchup
- Olive oil
- Spices – I used ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, chili powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
- Coconut sugar – You can use brown sugar as an alternative.
- Optional topping – Creamy lime slaw
How To Make These Cauliflower and Chickpea BBQ Burgers
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine all the spices. Place the cauliflower florets on a large baking sheet and evenly coat them with four teaspoons of the BBQ rub, then toss with three teaspoons of olive oil. Bake the cauliflower until it is fork-tender, about 25 minutes.
- Add the roasted cauliflower, quinoa, and chickpeas to a food processor and blend for about 1 minute, until the ingredients are broken down. Place the veggie burger mixture into a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, ketchup, and remaining BBQ rub. Mix until everything is evenly combined.
- Form the mixture into patties, you can make them as big or as small as you like. You should get about 6. You can either refrigerate the patties for up to 4 days for a firmer veggie burger or cook immediately.
- To cook, heat a large pan over medium heat and coat with olive oil. Cook veggie burgers for about 5 minutes on each side.
Recipe Tips and Thoughts
- These vegan burgers can be made gluten-free with gluten-free breadcrumbs and buns.
- The weather has been perfect here lately, and we’ve been enjoying sitting out on the porch in the evenings. So, I felt like veggie burgers were the perfect meal for porch-sitting! And they were delicious!
- I highly recommend topping them with this creamy lime slaw and eating them with a side of these oven-baked French fries.
- These veggie burgers can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months, or store leftovers in the fridge for up to four days.
Today is also our April #EatSeasonal recipe roundup! I feel a little lame since I used cauliflower in March as well, but these BBQ Cauliflower and Chickpea Veggie Burgers are so good that I think you’ll forgive me š Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of the page for more delicious recipes using April seasonal produce!
Have a question about this recipe? Ask me in the comments, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
Looking For More Veggie-Based Burger Ideas?
Vegan Beet Burgers with Brown Rice and Chickpeas
Black Bean Fajita Veggie Burgers
Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Veggie Burgers
Green Chili and Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
Smokey Sweet Potato, Black Bean; Brown Rice Veggie Burgers with Curry Cilantro Mayo {gf+v}
Print
BBQ Cauliflower & Chickpea Veggie Burgers
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, gluten free or regular
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika – optional
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional toppings: Creamy Lime Slaw (recipe linked above)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together all of the spices. Place the cauliflower florets on a large baking sheet and evenly coat with 4 teaspoons of the BBQ rub and toss with 3 teaspoons olive oil. Bake cauliflower until fork tender, about 25 minutes.
- Add the roasted cauliflower, quinoa and chickpeas to a food processor and blend for about 1 minute, until everything is broken down. Place veggie burger mixture into a large bowl and add the bread crumbs, ketchup and remaining BBQ rub. Mix until everything is evenly combined.
- Form the mixture into patties, you can make them as big or as small as you like. You should get about 6. You can either refrigerate the patties for up to 4 days for a firmer veggie burger or cook immediately.
- To cook, heat a large pan over medium heat and coat with olive oil. Cook veggie burgers for about 5 minutes on each side.
Notes
Veggie burgers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Dinner, Gluten Free, Vegan
For an entire list of what’s in season in April, check out Becky’s April Eat Seasonal Guide!
Sugar Snap Pea and Bacon Salad by Completely Delicious
Roasted Asparagus with SautƩed Shallots and Kumquats by Floating Kitchen
Asparagus Grilled Cheese by Vintage Mixer
Frittata with Ham and Asparagus by Healthy Seasonal Recipes
Easy Homemade Guacamole by Joy Food Sunshine
Sorghum Vegetable Salad with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette by Cafe Johnsonia
Mushroom Rosemary Olive Oil Bread by Cookin’ Canuck
Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic, Gorgonzola and Walnuts by Aggie’s Kitchen
Polenta Cauliflower Torta with Roasted Asparagus by Letty’s Kitchen
Herbed Potato Rƶsti with Peas, Shallots, and Bacon by Food for My Family
Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Walnut-Bacon Crumble by Simple Bites
Creamy Pasta with Salmon and Asparagus by Foodie Crush
Ultimate Veggie Sandwich with Lemon Herb Cream Cheese by Flavor the Moments
Spring Mint & Papaya Batido by Suitcase Foodist
Skillet Shrimp with Lime and Green Curry Compound Butter by Kitchen Confidante
Loaded Guacamole Tacos by Mountain Mama Cooks
So simple and delicious. Thank you for the recipe and will definitely be making again š
I’m so glad you enjoyed these veggie burgers, Evelyn!!
We love these! I really love the texture of quinoa in veggie burgers!! Easy to customize too…. I added some leftover butternut squash last time. Sweet potato is also good in here!
I have riced cauliflower sitting in my fridge… do you think I could use that for these burgers and just spice that up before food processing them or do you think I need the roasted cauliflower for full effect?
I think that should work!
I’m not a fan of bbq. Do you think if I didn’t add bbq sauce that the veggie burgers will be flavorless?
Definitely! You could use ketchup or mustard instead š
Making this recipe right now. Do I cook them first and then freeze or can I freeze them and cook them after?
Hi Lor, I would recommend freezing them before you cook them š I hope you enjoy!
You seem like such a bright spirit, I can not wait to test your recipes, and probably love a lot of them.
Thank you! I hope you find some you enjoy š
These sound and look soo delicious, I have some in the fridge ready to go making them for dinner tomorrow. Any idea on nutrition info for these? Specifically calories, fat, proteins?
Hi Elsa, Unfortunately I don’t have nutrition info for these at this time but I am working on getting more nutrition info on my site!
These look great, but I’d like to avoid frying them. Do you have any suggestions for baking these? I’m sure they won’t be as crispy, but that’s fine as long as they hold together.
Thanks!
You can definitely bake them in the oven. I’d put them on parchment paper and bake at about 375 for maybe 20 minutes, flipping once š
Thanks for the tip. I’ll report back with the great results.
Oh wow, these veggie burgers look amazing! Love the BBQ rub and that you roasted the cauliflower first. Since there’s a small amount of bread crumbs, wonder if ground almonds might work just as well?
I love a good veggie burger, especially when they come out crispy!! These look perfect! Hope your little guy is feeling better… I know my heart hurts when my babies are sick. Take care!!
I don’t know why I don’t ever try and make my own veggie burgers but you’ve inspired me to give it a go. These are gorgeous!
So glad that you and your fam are feeling better!
These burgers look just delicious. I’ve been craving veggies, veggies and more veggies lately – probably in rebellion due to all the comfort food I’ve been eating all winter. This sounds just PERFECT!
I soooo love a good veggie burger and can’t wait to try this one. Pinning it on my veggie burger board.
These look so hearty and flavorful! I have a head of cauliflower in the fridge that I need to use up, so this recipe came at the perfect time…
Oh, sick babies are the worst! It’s so hard to watch them struggle!
These burgers sound (and look!) so delicious!! Totally earmarking them for dinner in the next couple of weeks!
Oh, I am SO making these ASAP. Cauliflower + quinoa + veggie burgers + coleslaw? I’M IN.
They’re so good!! You should totally make them š
I LOVE having veggie burgers like this in the freezer for quick and easy meals! YUM!
You have been busy! I’m loving these veggie burgers and so need to try them — they look so crispy! And that slaw sounds amazing. š
Oh keep the cauliflower coming! I can’t get enough. These burgers sound delicious. And love the BBQ flavoring! I’m dying for nice weather to arrive here. I can’t believe we had snow on April 1! GAH!