By now you all know I have a thing for veggie burgers (exhibits a, b and c).
Well, it’s time for you to meet my newest creation. It has Mexican-inspired flavors, is super hearty, quick, and seriously satisfying.
Any takers?
This recipe is inspired by my love for Mexican food and all the veggie burgers.
If you’ve never experimented with green chilies before, you must! They’re super flavorful and available in both mild and hot so you control the heat. Plus, you don’t have to do anything besides crack the can and pour them in. Hello simple.
Speaking of simple, this recipe requires just 1 bowl, 30 minutes, and about 10 ingredients (give or take a spice). Hello simple, indeed.
The beauty of this recipe is it’s super versatile when it comes to cooking method.
The burgers can be simply sautéed and served as is for a more tender texture, or popped into the oven and baked for another 20 to 30 minutes to firm up even more. This allows you to control the tenderness and reach the ultimate texture you desire.
These burgers are my new favorite! They’re:
Tender
Flavorful
Simple
Subtly spiced
Savory
& Super hearty
In my opinion, these get taken to the next level with toppings (although totally optional)! I went with cilantro, red onion, salsa, extra green chilies and a whole wheat bun. But to keep these gluten-free you could also wrap them in lettuce, enjoy atop a salad, or use a gluten-free hamburger bun!
If you give these burgers a try, let us know what you think! Leave a comment and rate it – it’s super helpful to us and other readers. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it @minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see. Cheers, friends!
Green Chili Veggie Burgers (Mexican-Inspired)
Ingredients
BURGERS
- 2 medium shallots, minced (2 shallots yield ~2/3 cup or 90 g minced)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed + thoroughly drained
- 1-2 Tbsp avocado oil (plus more for cooking shallot/burgers)
- 1 (4-ounce) can mild green chilis (plus more for topping if desired)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 medium lime, juiced (1 lime yields ~3 Tbsp or 45 ml)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional // plus more for serving // 1 handful yields ~1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup finely crushed yellow corn tortilla chips (plus more as needed // bread crumbs also work beautifully!)
- ~1/4 tsp each sea salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2 tsp coconut or cane sugar (optional // to offset + enhance the heat of the green chilies)
FOR SERVING / TOPPING (optional)
- Salsa or green chilis
- Ripe Avocado
- Red Onion
- Cilantro
- Buns, toasted*
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet (we like cast iron) over medium heat (and preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) for a firmer burger). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or leave bare.
- Once skillet is hot, add 1 Tbsp oil, shallot and garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent – about 2-3 minutes.
- Add garlic and shallot directly to a mixing bowl. Then add drained chickpeas and use a fork or pastry cutter to mash/mix. A little texture is OK, but you only want a few whole chickpeas remaining.
- Add remaining ingredients, including oil, and stir/mash to combine. You want it to form into a moldable “dough.” Add more oil or lime juice if too dry, or more crushed chips if too wet. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Divide into 4 even patties (see photo // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). To help form them, line a 1/2 cup measuring cup with plastic wrap and scoop out 1/2 cup amounts (use a 1/4 cup measuring cup for 8 smaller burgers // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Press to pack, then lift out and slightly flatten with hands.
- Heat the same skillet you used earlier to medium heat. Once hot, add enough oil to form a thin layer on the bottom of your skillet, then add only as many burgers as will fit comfortably. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping gently, and reducing heat if browning too quickly.
- You can either serve your burgers as is, or pop them on a baking sheet and bake in a 375-degree F (190 C) oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or more to dry/crisp them up. However, they’re great as is! The longer you bake them, the drier/firmer they’ll become.
- Let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving (they’ll firm up as they cool). To serve, lay down cilantro on bottom half of a toasted bun. Then top with burger, onion, salsa or green chilies, avocado or any other desired toppings.
- Leftover burgers will keep in the fridge for up to a few days, though best when fresh. See notes for freezing.
Notes
*Some readers have reported issues with the burgers crumbling. These burgers are a little tender/fragile, but should hold their shape well. If your burgers are crumbling and the mixture looks dry, add more oil/lime juice. If it looks too wet, add more crushed tortilla chips. Other suggestions would be to mash the chickpeas well, use a cast iron or non-stick skillet, pack the patties firmly into a measuring cup, and wait until the oil is hot before adding the burgers to the skillet.
*To keep these gluten-free, you could also wrap these in lettuce, collard green leaves (similar to this), enjoy atop a salad, or use a gluten-free hamburger bun.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Suzanne H says
Very tasty! But to address the falling apart problem mentioned in the comments: with all veggie burgers I no longer cook them in a pan. Instead, form them, put on parchment on a tray ready for the oven, refrigerate for an hour. Then bake at 350 for about 20-25 min (less if using convection), flipping 1/2 way through. The burgers are formed and don’t fall apart.
Amazing! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your method, Suzanne! xo
Megan says
I liked this! Same issues as other folks – very hard to get it to hold together. I did what some other commenters suggested and baked the chickpeas in the oven first for about 5 minutes (I removed the chickpea skins before baking them, too). I also added an egg to the mix. I think the combo of drying them out in the oven, the egg, and then putting the patties in the oven after browning them in the skillet helped a lot, but I still had to be a bit gingerly with them. Really liked the flavors. I served with vegan mayo, avocado, and a store-bought cilantro-chili spread/sauce that added an extra kick to it.
Thank you for sharing your experience and modifications, Megan! xo
lina says
The flavor was great. I followed the recipe but indeed the burgers were crumbles but everyone enjoyed themselves. I may treat this as a sloppy joe next time or will try baking the chickpeas in the oven.
I don’t think ya’ll can go wrong with flavor! xxoo
Thank you for sharing your experience, Lina. We’re glad you loved the flavor! One tip we learned since creating this recipe is to dehydrate the chickpeas in a 350 degree F oven for 12-14 minutes before mashing into the mix. This should help dry them out more, which may help them hold together better. Hope that helps for next time!
A says
Can you add this extra instructions to the recipe? I make this recipe a few times a year but I forget to do all the extra stuff not written in the actual recipe and then I end up with a crumbled mess. It seems everyone else in the comments has the same experience. I think that would suggest you need to rewrite the recipe. Thanks.
Thank you for the suggestion and sorry for the trouble! We haven’t tested it this way ourselves which is why it’s not included in the recipe instructions. We’ll add the variation to our testing list! xo
Lallie Pillay says
Absolutely delicious and yummy…. A very favourite easy to go recipe.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Lallie. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Desiree says
Hello! I am curious of the spelling of “chile” in this recipe. I am used to seeing it spelled “chile” and not “chili.” Chili to me is something with beans, spices, tomato-based stew, whereas chiles are the amazing vegetables we can eat raw, pickle, roast, etc.
Hi Desiree, you’re correct! This is an older recipe before we learned how to spell it correctly :)
Lee Parker says
I have made several of these incredible recipes. They have greatly helped with my being able to stick to a vegan diet for the last 10 months.
I am happy to report that I have dropped 76 points in my cholesterol reading and do not have to take medication!
Thank you for your help.
Wow, that’s incredible, Lee! We’re so glad our recipes have helped you! xo
Nancy says
Ok, first time this didn’t post. But made these for the second time yesterday. The first time they fell apart, but we loved the taste enough to try it again. Figured we did something wrong. Well we didn’t. Crumble crumble crumble. I don’t see how anyone gets these to stay together following the recipe. We even did the putting in the oven. As much as we like the taste, we won’t be making these again. 🥲
Nancy says
Second time we’ve made these- both times all they do is crumble. Love the taste but very disappointed because we wanted a burger that would hold up better. We even did the oven part too.
Won’t be making these again. 🥲
Bummer! Sorry you didn’t enjoy the texture, Nancy. Did the batter look dry? If dry, adding more oil or lime juice should help! They are a little tender/fragile, but should hold their shape.
Brittney says
So happy with how these turned out! Delicious recipe and easy to make.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Brittney! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
hilary says
Lover of chickpeas and roast them as a salty snack regularly! continued with the recipe and yes mine fell apart but I went with it and turned the whole dinner into a taco salad tossing the “burger” crumble on top and fed it to my meat loving boys and they loved it! So much so I didn’t make enough for seconds! I wouldn’t complain about it falling apart, use your imagination! We are not vegan therefore next time I will add an egg to bind and we also covered our salads in cheddar! coexisting❤️
Thanks for sharing your experience, Hilary!
Matteo says
Only a fool believes that the burger needs 30 minutes only.
Otherways its awesome!
Vera says
I loved it! I actually made this for Christmas as I am the only vegetarian (/aspiring vegan) in the family and I wanted to make something I was really going to like.
I did make a lot of modifications as I am not exactly one to precisely follow instructions, so here goes:
1. I substituted the green chili’s for jalapeño’s (as we don’t really have green chili’s where I live), the coconut oil for olive oil (for the same reason) and substituted the chili powder for ground coriander (personal preference). I did use the same amounts of everything.
2. I did dry the chickpeas in the oven for 10 minutes, as recommended in another comment, which worked great!
3. I had quite some trouble with shaping the burger as it kept falling apart. Next time I’m making this (because there will be a next time!), I think I’m going to leave out the tortilla/breadcrumbs and only add a little bit if the mixture is really wet.
4. Some general advice would be to flip them only once when they’re baking. They really do break easily, but that way the damage can be minimized.
Overall, great recipe! Even with all my modifications :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Vera! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Rena says
They are still in the skillet and falling apart 😢 Not sure if they will end up on a bun or in the trash. So disappointed.
Oh no! So sorry to hear they aren’t holding together well. We hope the flavor is still delicious! Did you make any modifications? Did the texture feel too dry or too wet?
Rena says
The only modification was the avocado oil I used olive oil because it’s what I had.I decided I might use a little less oil next time Yes there will be a next time because they taste awesome. I browned them in the cast iron skillet then moved them…still in the skillet to the oven and that helped dry them out a bit. Still a little crumbly but I made do. Topped with sliced avocado, red onion, sliced tomato and a little cilantro. So, so good!
Glad to hear you enjoyed them with some modifications, Rena! A newer technique we’ve used to remove moisture is to bake the chickpeas before making the burgers. Similar to this recipe. Hope that’s helpful!
Tiffany says
How do you cook the chickpeas? Drain them from the can and then on a baking sheet I’m guessing? What temp and how long?
Yes! 350 degrees F (176 C) for ~10 minutes.
Jennifer says
These are delicious! I made these burgers for Memorial Day and they were so flavorful and satisfying! I pretty much followed the recipe but I cooked my chickpeas from scratch and crushed up 2 organic blue corn taco shells for the chips which worked just fine. Thank you for another quick and easy yummy recipe :-)
Yumm! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your experience, Jennifer! xo
sara says
I want to make these but grill them on the grill. Any specific instructions for that? Like do I have to bake them, etc?
Definitely ensure they’re firmly packed and prepare the night before so they have time to rest in the fridge! And flip gently :D
Stella says
I just made these for the second time in 2 days! They are a huge hit, even with the kids! I served them with cashew queso and the trimmings on GF rolls. This is by far one of the best recipes I have tried in years. Thank you!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed them. Thanks so much for sharing, Stella! xo
Kelly says
I was pleasantly surprised by this burger. It was a good Friday dinner meal. I have been eating veggie burgers from the grocery store freezer session, I had no idea. I topped it with green chiles and Guacamole. Great burger will make it again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kelly! xo
Samantha says
Delicious! I didn’t have any chilis on hand so added a lot of the Trader Joes spicy Green Dragon sauce. I also baked the chickpeas for 10 minutes beforehand! Thanks for the recipe
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Samantha! xo
Maline says
Can you freeze the uncooked burgers (patty)?
Yes
Catherine says
Amazing recipe! Just as “involved” as any other burger/patty recipe, but very worth it, especially if you double it up and make some to refrigerate/freeze.
I modified by: doubling the ingredients, throwing in 1 whole fresh jalapeño, and adding 1 egg to help the patties form. Topped with mayo, queso fresco, and avocados. Sooo good. I also threw mine into the oven and didn’t feel the need to pan fry. Great on a burger bun or wrapped in a tortilla!
Love that this lets me customize my go-to quick meal (veggie burger) that I would normally buy at the store and keep in the freezer.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Catherine!
Elena Levy says
I made these and can say these will be my go to veggie burger from here on out! They were the perfect spicy, and had a great crunch. I added sautéed onion, red pepper and spinach for color. Once everything was combined it was still slightly watery. I added a few tbsp of cooked quinoa I had on hand and it made the burgers stay together perfectly. If anyone thinks the mixture is a little moist, I advise adding more chips or something like rice or quinoa. Thank you so much MB, delicious!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Elena!
Rebecca Bernat says
I was really curious to try these because of the unusual ingredients. Wow, they were good! With so many frozen vegy burgers available, these are still worth making. Very simple and much fresher tasting. I didn’t like the idea of salsa on a burger so made some sriracha mayo with a little of the lime juice I had leftover (not vegan – getting there….), and added arugula, red onion and avocado for the toppings. Yum! They were a little difficult to keep together – I patted the burger together on top of waxed paper and then flipped that onto the pan. Still had to push it back together but in the end it held up. Thanks for the great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Rebecca! Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
Geeves says
These were fantastic!! I fried them in my air fryer and put a little cheddar cheese on top, and some Trader Joe’s guilt free guacamole on the buns. Excellent!!! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!
naomi oliver says
these are super delicious. I’ve never been a fan of burgers as they conjoure up images of Big Mac so I’d prefer to call them patties!!! But name aside they are really really yummy. I forgot the chilli (lol) and might add that next time. I’d also add an egg and maybe more breadcrumbs as mine def didn’t look as beautiful as the pict but no matter. I ate it with garlic bread, salad with the red onion and the salsa – mmmm and I have left overs for tonight :-) (made double quantities)
thank you for sharing. Its a def repeat.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Naomi. We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Natalie G says
This burger recipe has been a staple in our house for a few years, so I figured I should probably take a minute to leave a review! We LOVE this bean burger recipe. It’s so easy to throw together with simple ingredients we regularly cook with and have on hand, and it is SO SO SO delicious and unlike any other bean burger recipe we’ve tried! My almost 2 year old also loves this bean burger and has been eating it regularly since she started solids.
THANK YOU Minimalist Baker for another amazing recipe!
Natalie G says
Also wanted to add that we’ve always followed the recipe as it is written, except we always double it. We’ve never baked them. We always just cook up enough burgers in a pan each night before dinner. They have a mushy texture, but we like them that way. We top with tons of avocado and some salsa verde.
Soooo tasty! MAKE THESE NOW!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Natalie. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Bianca says
I loved these! I followed people’s advice and dehydrated the chick peas a bit by throwing them in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes. I added a seeded Serrano pepper for more heat because the canned Green chilies weren’t spicy at all. Subbed chili powder for ancho chili powder bc I like the smokiness. I doubled the recipe but not completely bc it seemed like a lot of lime juice and cilantro and green chilies if I doubled the entire recipe. So I basically just doubled the chips and chickpeas and onions/garlic. They only made 5 and a half 1/2 cup patties but probably would have made more if I did 1/3 cup and had smaller buns lol. I baked them at 375 for 30 minutes, flipped half way, and then pan fried them for a little more color. They had a hard time staying together when I would flip them and then kind of fell apart when eating them so next time I’ll just deal with a wetter dough by adding in a flax egg. Otherwise a great recipe ❤️
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Bianca!