Chickpea Fritters
Updated Apr 04, 2026
Easy chickpea fritters made with canned chickpeas, Parmesan, parsley, and cumin. Pan-fried until crisp and served with tahini sauce.
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Chickpea fritters are soo good!
These chickpea fritters are really, really good. I’ve made a lot of fritter recipes, and this is one of my favorites. I really love the crispy outside and the soft middle, and they’re just easy to throw together without needing much.
This recipe makes 6 chickpea fritters from one can, and I usually figure 2 per person, so about 3 servings. It’s also really easy to double or triple if I’m making them for more people or putting them out as an appetizer. I love serving them with a tahini sauce as a snack or appetizer, but also serve them as a main with Air Fried Sweet Potato Fries and roasted broccolini.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Chickpea Fritters Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Rinse and drain them well so the mixture does not start out too wet. You do not need to puree them smooth. A fork or potato masher is enough. Leave some texture so the fritters do not turn pasty.
- Flour, Parmesan, and water: The flour, grated Parmesan, and water are what bring the mixture together. Start with the 2 tablespoons of water in the recipe and stop there unless the mixture still feels dry and crumbly. If it gets too wet, the fritters will be harder to shape and flip. Finely grated Parmesan works best, so it mixes in evenly.
- Parsley and seasoning: The parsley, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper all go straight into the chickpea mixture. Chop the parsley fairly small, so you do not get bigger leafy pieces throughout. If your Parmesan is on the saltier side, you can be a little lighter with the salt and taste the cooked fritters first.
- Canola oil and tahini sauce: Use enough canola oil to coat the pan so the outside gets browned and crisp. Another neutral oil works too. Tahini sauce is what I’d serve with these first, but yogurt sauce or even a simple garlic sauce would also work.
How to Make Chickpea Fritters
Chickpea Fritters Recipe
Crispy chickpea fritters served with tahini sauce and made with pantry ingredients like canned chickpeas, flour, Parmesan, and parsley.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas rinsed, drained
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup Grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- tahini sauce for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, all purpose flour, parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add two tablespoons of water and use a fork or masher to combine the ingredients until they are well blended.
- Divide the mixture into 6 equal parts and form into thin patties.
- In a large pan, heat the oil until it's shimmering. Then add the chickpea fritters and cook until browned and fully cooked through, about 2-4 minutes per side.
- Place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil, then serve with tahini sauce or any other sauce of choice.
Notes
My Top Tip: Let your oil heat up before you fry your fritters. Look for a shimmer on the oil, but make sure it’s not smoking. The hot oil will help them get brown and crispy on the outside.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave, in a skillet with a little olive oil, or in an air fryer before serving.
Freezing: You can freeze these fritters before or after cooking them. To freeze them prior to cooking, lay them on a flat baking dish in the freezer for at least 4 hours. When frozen, place them in an airtight bag. When you’re ready to eat, thaw your fritters in the fridge overnight and cook per the above instructions. To freeze them after cooking, simply store them in an airtight bag after they’ve cooled. To re-heat, thaw them in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 fritters, Calories: 285kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 930mg, Potassium: 258mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 215IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 135mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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Recipe Tips
- Let your oil heat up before you fry your fritters. Look for a shimmer on the oil, but make sure it’s not smoking. The hot oil will help them get brown and crispy on the outside!
- Drain and rinse your canned chickpeas. The liquid that chickpeas are stored in can be quite salty, so be sure to rinse them in a sieve or colander to remove excess sodium. You’ll need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to help them bind, but it’s best to use fresh water for that.
- Make sure your fritters are uniform in size. That way, they’ll all cook at the same rate!
Serving Ideas
- Top a salad. I love adding these chickpea fritters to my salads for extra protein and crunch. Try my Lebanese fattoush salad, my Mediterranean chopped salad, or my lentil tabbouleh.
- Add dipping sauces. I always eat my chickpea fritters with dipping sauces like tahini sauce, cucumber yogurt sauce, or baba ghanoush.
FAQs
Can you make these vegan?
Yes! Because these chickpea fritters contain cheese, they’re not vegan, but you can easily swap the cheese for a vegan alternative or a little nutritional yeast.
Comments
These are so freaking good! I already loved chickpeas, but these are especially indulgent and delicious. I added paprika and used swiss instead because that’s what I had. I swear, these Chickpea Fritters taste exactly like Wendy’s Chicken Nuggets / Burger King Chicken Fries!! It sounds crazy, but I really don’t think it would be possible to tell the difference if you were blindfolded. Or actually, if you crumble up the fritters, it’s exactly like popcorn chicken in taste and texture, and even looks like it! 10/10 These are going to be a regular mainstay for my family.
Amazing!! Aww, so glad you loved them! Thank you so much, Libby!
Absolutely loved these! My boyfriend and I smashed them a wee bit more so they’d be like pancakes and we crisped them up real nicely.
We decided to get a little crazy with sauces to try with them instead, we did: gold bbq sauce, Texas Pete hot sauce, ketchup + mayo mix (fry sauce), and balsamic reduction – which surprisingly was our favorite to dip these fritters in! 10/10 recommend!
Yay!! So happy you both enjoyed the recipe! Love that you tried so many dips too; thank you for sharing your favorite!!
Absolutely loved these fritters !
Yay, so happy you loved them! Thanks!!
I absolutely LOVED these. I’ve never had chickpeas other than in hummus so I was a bit unsure, but these exceeded my expectations and chickpeas might be my new favorite food lol.
Aww, that makes me so happy!! So glad you loved them, Zada! Thank you!!
Loved these! I riffed on the herbs and spices, and used garam masala and cilantro. I also omitted the Parmesan cheese. Cooked them in grapeseed oil, and they turned out crispy and perfect. Served with a side of sweet potato fries and dipped everything in curry mayo. These are definitely becoming a regular dinner staple!
Yum, that sounds amazing!! So happy you liked them! Thanks, Stephanie!!
Hiya, I don’t have any cheese. Can they be made without cheese? Thanks
Hi there! Yes, I think the recipe will work just fine without cheese. Enjoy!!
Can you use a food blender for this recipe? Thanks
I don’t recommend using a blender for this recipe because you don’t want the mixture to become too liquid. You can absolutely use a food processor though if you’d like to save time!
OMG these are so goood!! I highly recommend trying them. These will replace the store-bought mock chicken fingers for me!
Yay! So happy you like them!! Thank you, Krisztina!!
Has anyone tried these in an air fryer?
I have yet to try it but others have had success air frying these! I would air fry at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes. You’ll want to flip them after about 7 minutes. You may have to adjust the cook time, so keep an eye on them. Hope that helps!!
Can you bake these instead? If so, what temp and how long? Thanks
You can bake at 400ºF for 12-15 minutes on each side until golden brown. To keep them from sticking, line your baking sheet with parchment paper and do a light spray of cooking oil. Enjoy!
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