Falafelly Good Chickpea and Chorizo Burgers

These scrummy chickpea burgers are easy to make and packed full of sweet, spicy flavour. They are great for a casual summer lunch served with rustic bread rolls or flatbreads, on a layer of hummus and mixed salad.

The burgers can be made with either dried chickpeas (soaked the night before and cooked until they are soft) or the ready cooked, canned variety, so long as you thoroughly sieve the liquid they are stored in, prior to use. This will help give the burgers a firmer texture.

Notes

A can of chickpeas will enable you to make 5 to 6 mini burgers or 3 to 4 larger ones. I find the smaller ones are more tasty and easier to cook.

When making the recipe allow extra time for the mixture to set in the fridge (around 40-45 minutes in total.)

Recipe Variations

  • You can substitute the chorizo with diced pancetta.
  • For a vegetarian/vegan version, leave out the chorizo and simply double the amount of pimentón, and include more of the spices (a teaspoon of ground coriander, 2 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp chilli flakes)

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

Stage 1 -To make burgers

  • 1 can of chickpeas (400g)
  • 1 cooking chorizo sausage (or 2 small ones)
  • 1 small onion (diced finely)
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1/2 tspn sweet or hot pimentón (or paprika)
  • 1/2 tsp tahini
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tspn salt
  • pinch of white pepper

Stage 2 – To coat burgers

  • 3-4 tbspns sesame seeds
  • 1 egg
  • olive oil for frying
  • around 3 tbspns of Gram/chickpea flour (or plain flour )

Method

Stage 1

  1. Drain the chickpeas and blend down into a fairly smooth paste using a food processor. Add the tahini, mix well and set aside.
  2. Remove the outer skin from the chorizo and chop the meat into small pieces.
  3. Heat oil and add the chopped chorizo to the hot pan. Fry for about a minute to allow the spicy juices to melt onto the pan. Then add the diced onion and garlic, followed by the pimentón and cumin. Once softened remove from heat. Drain excess oil from the fried mixture using a sieve and then putting onto some kitchen paper, before adding it to the chickpeas.
  4. Mix well and season with a little salt and ground white pepper. Spread out the mixture onto a shallow container using back of spoon or pallet knife.
  5. Place this in the fridge for 30-40 minutes. This will make the mixture harden a little and enable you to make the burgers.
  6. Roll the mixture into balls and then flatten them gently. Put burgers onto a plate and back in fridge while you prepare the next stage.

Stage 2

  • Get your Mise En Place ready by setting out three bowls. Put the flour in bowl 1, put the egg in bowl 2 and whisk it and put the sesame seeds in bowl 3. ( If you are making the larger burgers you only need 2 bowls ,as it is better to add the sesame seeds to the beaten egg, to stop the burger becoming too soft.)
  • Take each burger and dip first in the flour, then the egg and then in sesame seeds.(if following the 3 bowl method).
  • Heat oil in a non stick frying pan and cook the burgers on both sides around 2 to 3 minutes each side, until they are nicely browned.
  • Remove from oil and place on absorbent kitchen paper to drain.

Recipe for delicious spelt burger buns coming soon!

© (Suzette McDaniel Don’t Burn The Onions) Unauthorized use and /or duplication of this material without express written consent from this blog’s author/and or owner is strictly prohibited

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