Chickpea fritters are an easy and tasty vegetarian recipe for weeknight dinners and meal prep.
Made with canned chickpeas, fresh herbs, spices, and a few other simple ingredients, you can prepare them in a few minutes with a potato masher, fork, or food processor and cook them in an oven, air-fryer, or skillet.
Enjoy chickpea fritters for a delicious and wholesome meal, snack, or appetizer, with pita bread, in a wrap, salads, and bowls, or dip them in a creamy tahini sauce.
Table of Contents
Dietary Note: this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diet. It’s low in cholesterol and saturated fats.
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What are Chickpea Fritters?
Our chickpea fritters are small patties made with canned or cooked chickpeas, fresh herbs, spices, and other simple ingredients mashed with a potato masher, fork, or food processor.
While inspired by falafel, chickpea fritters are easier to make and to cook. They are shaped into small flat patties and then cooked in the oven, air fryer, or skillet until crisp outside and tender inside.
Like our readers’ favorite zucchini fritters, this recipe is developed for everyday meals, and it’s fast and easy to prepare with minimal effort.
And just like our other Mediterranean-inspired recipes – think of our whole roasted cauliflower, hummus, mujadara, and lentil tabbouleh – chickpea fritters are delicious drizzled or dipped in tahini sauce, tzatziki, or yogurt tahini sauce.
Beyond their wonderful mouthwatering taste, chickpea fritters boast an excellent nutrition profile, packed with plant protein and gut-healthy fiber.
Have them for lunch in a Mediterranean bowl or for dinner next to a creamy tahini salad, fatteh, or fattoush.
You can serve them as part of a mezze (appetizer) platter with other small dishes from the Eastern Mediterranean region like smokey baba ganoush, herby tabouli, refreshing shirazi salad, creamy muhammara, and warm pita bread.
You can even serve them as a snack dipped in avocado spread, red pepper hummus, or marinara sauce.
Chickpea fritters video
Ingredients and Substitutions for Chickpea Fritters
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Chickpeas
You can make chickpea fritters with drained and rinsed canned chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) or with dry chickpeas that you previously soaked and cooked in boiling water until tender.
Check out our “How to Cook Chickpeas” guide to learn how to cook dry chickpeas.
Chickpea Flour or All-Purpose Flour
Use chickpea flour or all-purpose flour to bind the patties together.
Chickpea flour adds a nice chickpea flavor and is gluten-free.
All-purpose flour is more of a pantry staple, so you can use that if you don’t have chickpea flour.
We haven’t tested this recipe with almond flour.
Fresh Parsley
Fresh flat-leaf parsley is best as that’s the variety used in the Mediterranean region, and it goes beautifully with the chickpea flavor.
Substitute fresh cilantro (coriander) for parsley, or do half-half for more aromatic chickpea fritters.
Onion
You can use white, yellow, or red onion.
Substitute shallots, scallions, or green onions for regular onions.
Garlic
Fresh garlic is best because it adds a zestier flavor.
Substitute garlic powder for fresh garlic.
Nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
Nutritional yeast or grated parmesan cheese are both excellent for adding flavor.
Pick your favorite.
Spices
We recommend ground coriander and ground cumin for that Eastern Mediterranean spin. Feel free to add or omit the spices as you like.
Other spices that work well with this recipe are paprika, cayenne pepper, and turmeric powder.
Salt and Black Pepper
We recommend sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Olive oil
You’ll also need extra virgin olive oil to cook the patties. If you cook them in the air fryer or oven, you’ll just need to brush the chickpea fritters with a bit of olive oil.
If you cook them in a skillet, you’ll need a bit more oil, about 2 to 3 tablespoons, so they don’t burn.
Note: this recipe does not require eggs.
How to Make Chickpea Fritters
US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
To a large mixing bowl, add drained and rinsed chickpeas, chickpea flour or all-purpose flour, finely chopped parsley, finely chopped onion, pressed garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, nutritional yeast or grated parmesan, water, salt, and black pepper.
Mash the ingredients with a potato masher or a fork until coarsely mashed.
Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of water if you think it’s necessary for the mixture to stick together into patties.
Tip: Alternatively, pulse the ingredients in a food processor for a few seconds. Don’t over-mix, though, or you’ll get hummus instead.
Shape the mixture into 12 small chickpea patties.
Tip: They should be smaller than you think. This way, it’s easier to cook them and serve them.
Arrange the chickpea patties on the prepared baking sheet and, optionally, brush them with olive oil.
Bake at 400°F or 200°C for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Arrange on a serving platter and enjoy with fresh parsley on top, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a dip or sauce of your choice.
Serving Suggestions
Chickpea fritters are inspired by Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern flavors, so they go well with anything from those regions.
Chickpea fritters with a dip.
They are delicious dipped in:
Chickpea fritters added to a salad or bowl
Add them to your favorite salad to boost its protein content. Some salads you could try are:
- Simple side salad drizzled with tahini sauce and quick pickled red onions.
- Creamy tahini salad
- Mediterranean Bowl
- Fattoush salad
- Tabouli or Lentil tabbouleh salad
- Shirazi salad
- Greek salad
Chickpea fritters in a wrap, sandwich, or pita bread
Served like this, they are excellent for a snack or quick lunch!
Stuff them in pita bread with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and a spread and sauce of choice. They are delicious with:
Chickpea Fritters as Appetizer (Mezze)
Mezze is the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern way of enjoying dinner with friends and family.
It’s a large platter with many small dishes. Chickpea fritters are similar to falafel, and so they go well in a mezze platter with:
- Grilled eggplant and roasted eggplant
- Olives and diced feta
- Roasted red pepper hummus
- Quick pickled red onions or anything pickled
- Mutabal or baba ganoush (eggplant dips)
Variations
You can also cook chickpea fritters in the air fryer and on a skillet with similar results. Here’s a picture that shows the difference between the three cooking methods.
Chickpea Fritters in the Air-Fryer
Brush the bottom of your air fryer with oil to prevent the patties from sticking.
Arrange the patties on a single layer, brush them with a lick of olive oil, and air fry them at 400°F or 200 °C for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Tip: Depending on your air fryer model, you might need to increase or decrease the cooking time by a few minutes.
Chickpea Fritters on a Skillet
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the patties and cook them on medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side.
Turn them gently with a spatula halfway through cooking.
Zucchini fritters
You can make delicious cakes with zucchini, too. They are juicy inside, crisp, caramelized outside, and excellent for an easy and tasty weeknight dinner.
Check out our zucchini fritters recipe.
Questions
Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing. The name chickpeas comes from the Latin “cicer,” while garbanzo is a Spanish-derived word.
Learn more about this nutritious legume in our guide on how to cook chickpeas.
While all falafel are chickpea fritters, not all chickpea fritters are falafel.
Falafel is a traditional recipe from Eastern Mediterranean and Levantine countries. They are made with soaked, uncooked dry chickpeas mixed with spices and fresh herbs, shaped into round patties, and deep fried in oil. If you are interested, this is our falafel recipe.
Chickpea fritters are a nontraditional recipe often made with canned chickpeas, sometimes flour, and sometimes eggs. The recipe is looser than that of falafel. The patties are generally cooked in the oven, air fryers, or on a skillet and are not deep fried. 
Tips
Adjust the water content: start by adding 2 tablespoons of water to the mixture, mash it, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water, if necessary, to form the patties.
You should get a mixture that is not too dry or too wet. You should be able to shape it easily, by hand, without it sticking too much to your hands.
Moderate the salt: canned chickpeas are often stored in a salted liquid. This makes them quite salty, so you won’t need to add much salt to the fritters.
We recommend about 1/2 teaspoon of salt for 2 cans of chickpeas, but you might need a little more or less depending on the brand of chickpeas you are using.
Storage & Make Ahead
Make ahead: Chickpea fritters are excellent for meal prep as you can make them ahead and store them in the fridge for days or in the freezer for months.
Refrigerator: You can store the uncooked mixture in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Store the cooked fritters for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Freeze shaped raw patties on a baking tray lined with parchment paper for 2 hours or until solid, then transfer them into a freezer-friendly bag to save space and store for 3 months. Freeze leftover cooked fritters for up to 3 months in a freezer-friendly bag.
Thaw & Reheat: You can reheat or cook the fritters from frozen in a preheated oven at 400°F or 200°C for about 25 minutes if raw and 10-12 minutes if pre-cooked or in the air fryer at the same temperature for 15 minutes if raw and 5-8 minutes if pre-cooked.
More Chickpea Recipes
Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a nutritious and versatile ingredient to make delicious and easy meals. For example, try our:
- Moroccan chickpea stew
- Chana saag or chickpea spinach curry
- Pasta e ceci or pasta with chickpeas
- Chickpea soup
- Chickpea curry
- Chickpea salad
- Mashed chickpea salad or vegan tuna
For even more ideas, check out our 35+ chickpea recipes list.
More High-Protein Meals
- Stuffed zucchini with ricotta and sun-dried tomatoes
- Lentil loaf
- Mushroom Wellington
- Harira soup with chickpeas and lentils
- Stuffed butternut squash
For more high-protein dinner ideas, check out our 30+ High Protein Vegetarian Meals
Chickpea Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas or 3 cups/460 grams cooked chickpeas
- 4 tablespoons chickpea flour or all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic pressed, minced, or grated
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast or grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 twists black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.To a large mixing bowl, add 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas (drained and rinsed), 4 tablespoons chickpea flour, 3 tablespoons parsley (chopped), 1 medium onion (chopped), 2 cloves garlic (grated), 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 twists black pepper.
- Mash all with a potato masher or a fork until coarsely mashed and pasty.Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of water if you think it’s necessary for the mixture to stick together into patties.Tip: You can also pulse everything together in a food processor to speed things up, without over-blending.
- Shape the mixture into 12 small chickpea patties.
- Arrange the chickpea patties on the prepared baking sheet and, optionally, brush them with olive oil.
- Bake at 400°F or 200°C for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.Serve with a squeeze of lemon and fresh parsley.
MAKE IT A MEAL
- Serve chickpea fritters on your favorite salad leaves with quartered cherry tomatoes, a dollop of tzatziki, quick pickled red onions, pita bread, and a drizzle of tahini sauce.For more ideas, check out our "Serving Suggestions" chapter linked in the notes below.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you liked these chickpea fritters, you might also enjoy:
Great recipe. I’m not much of a cook but these turned out delicious. Served them with your tahini sauce in a Mediterranean bowl with home-made pita-like bread. It made a beautiful meal. Thank you for an easy to follow recipe, spice substitutions, and cooking method variations.