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These chickpea fritters are golden and crisp on the outside, soft and savoury in the middle, and packed with garlic, lemon, cumin, paprika and Parmesan. They’re the kind of recipe I love for a quick lunch, a meat-free dinner, or a “what can I make with tins from the cupboard?” moment. They’re inexpensive, filling, and properly tasty with a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce and something crunchy on the side.
Nicky’s Notes
I always think chickpeas are one of those ingredients that quietly sit in the cupboard waiting to save dinner. Mash them up with a few punchy flavours and they turn into these lovely little fritters that are much more exciting than the sum of their parts.
The Parmesan gives them a salty, savoury edge, the lemon zest wakes everything up, and the cumin and paprika add warmth without making them spicy. They’re also brilliant for dipping, which automatically makes food more fun in our house.
I like them best served straight from the pan while the edges are still crisp. That first bite with sweet chilli sauce? Very easy to go back for “just one more”.
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients for Chickpea Fritters
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
Canned Chickpeas
Canned chickpeas are the hero here. They’re inexpensive, easy to store, and already soft enough to mash straight into the fritter mixture.
Drain and rinse them well before using. Too much extra liquid can make the mixture softer and harder to shape.
Make them vegetarian
Parmesan is traditionally made with animal rennet, so swap it for a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese.
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Mash drained canned chickpeas until mostly broken down, then mix with flour, seasoning, cumin, paprika, garlic, lemon zest, Parmesan, parsley and egg. Shape into 12 small patties and fry in olive oil in two batches for 5–6 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Keep the first batch warm in a low oven while cooking the second, then serve.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t over-blitz the chickpeas. You want the mixture broken down enough to hold together, but not turned into hummus. A few little lumps give the fritters a much better texture.
Make Them Into Burgers
Also these chickpea fritters make great burgers! To make 4 burgers, halve all the quantities and make into 4 patties instead.
Fry for an extra minute. Serve on toasted buns with lettuce, red onion and sweet chilli sauce.
Crisp, golden edges give way to a soft, savoury chickpea middle with warm spices, garlicky flavour, fresh parsley and a little zing from the lemon zest.
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Pin ItLeftovers Guide
- These chickpea fritters are best served freshly cooked, when the outside is at its crispiest.
- Leftovers can be cooled, covered and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a frying pan over a medium heat with a tiny drizzle of oil until hot throughout and crisp again on the outside.
- You can also reheat them in the oven or air fryer to bring back some of the crispness. I wouldn’t recommend microwaving unless you’re in a rush, as they’ll soften.
📺 Watch how to make it
Watch the video tutorial to see the texture of the chickpea mixture before shaping and how golden the fritters should be before turning.
Chickpea Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 x 400g (14oz) tins chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 60 g (1/2 cup) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 75 g (3/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
To Serve
- Sweet chilli sauce
- Crispy salad and/or coleslaw
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to a very low setting – to keep the fritters warm (they will need to be cooked in batches). Put a baking tray to one side for the fritters.
- Place the drained chickpeas in a bowl and mash with a potato masher until the chickpeas are well broken down (it’s fine if the mixture is a little lumpy). Alternatively, you can place in a food processor and blitz a few times, until the chickpeas are broken down.
- Add the flour, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, garlic, lemon zest, parmesan, parsley and egg and mix together using a fork or your hands until combined.
- Form into 12 patties.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat.
- Add six of the patties and fry for 5-6 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.
- Remove from the pan, place on the baking tray and place in the oven to keep warm.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and fry the remaining 6 patties in the same way.
- Once cooked, serve 3-per-person, drizzled with sweet chilli sauce. I liked to serve mine alongside a crispy salad or with crunchy coleslaw.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Chickpea fritters recipe was first posted in July 2026.
🍽️ What to serve it with
The Parmesan adds a salty richness that makes these feel extra moreish especially with that sweet chilli drizzle.
I love these with a crisp salad or crunchy coleslaw for lunch. They’re also fab as part of a picky bits-style dinner with dips, flatbreads and extra salad.
Try them with:
- Homemade Creamy Coleslaw, lovely and crunchy next to the golden fritters.
- Sweet Chilli Sauce, sticky, sweet and just the right amount of spicy.
- Moroccan Couscous Salad, a colourful, filling side if you want to turn the fritters into a bigger meal.
🍲 More meat-free recipes
Quick & Easy Book
These chickpea fritters are featured in my book Quick & Easy.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
