These Beet Chickpea Burgers with a vegan harissa spread are the ULTIMATE veggie burger. Their gorgeous bright pink hue makes them even more mouthwatering.

This post was originally published Feb. 26, 2017 on and updated on Feb. 28, 2019.

How was everyone’s week? I’ve never been more happy to see the weekend. Not that I had a bad week or anything. I’ve been in private chef land for the past five days cooking for a band called Chromeo (plus about 15 other guys who are working with them on their new album).

It has been fun, but at the same time full on cray. Cooking for 17 full grown, hungry men for 5 days in a row has meant 13 hour workdays with literally no time to sit, surviving with the help of copious amounts of coffee, heat patches and Aleve for my aching back, and understandably feeling a little delirious at times. But I live to feed people. There’s really nothing else I’d rather be doing (besides writing about food…and photographing food), so hearing the “mmmmms” around the table makes it all totally worthwhile.

So I haven’t had much time for blogging (or anything else) this week, and even though I’m treating myself to some much needed me time this weekend (naps, manicures and tv time on the couch are so happening),  I still had to share these amazing Beet Chickpea Burgers with you before the week was over.

I’ve been on a veggie burger kick lately, making all kinds of different varieties for myself and my clients, but I’m going to say these Beet Chickpea Burgers have to be the ultimate veggie burgers that I have made recently.

Why you’ll love these plant based burgers

It’s amazing how some grains, beans and vegetables can turn into a burger that is so satisfying and in my opinion way more appealing than a meat based burger. I mean, just look at the bright magenta hue of these beet chickpea burgers- I don’t know any other burger that’s prettier to look at.

How to make Beet Chickpea Burgers

I love using a combination of quinoa and brown rice in the patties for texture, but I’ve also used red rice and a combination of red and brown rice with equally good results.

Also included in these Beet Chickpea Burger patties are sauteed shredded carrot and diced onions, chickpeas, and we can’t forget about those beautiful red beets to give them that stunning color. You can either steam or roast the beets, or buy precooked beets for an alternative shortcut. All the burgers need then is some seasoning and a little bit chickpea flour to act as a binding agent.

I also made a spicy harissa aioli for these Beet Chickpea Burgers because a little spice goes a long way on a veggie burger in my book. If you can’t find harissa paste or ground harissa in the spice section, chipotle would be a good option too. As far as toppings, I opted for caramelized onion, butter lettuce and avocado, but didn’t include them in the recipe because I feel like toppings are a matter of personal preference, so do whatever you please!

Thanks for reading! To keep up with me in the kitchen, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. If you make these Beet Chickpea Burgers, don’t forget to share it using the hashtag #LePetitEats!

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Beet Chickpea Burgers with Harissa Spread (Vegan)

These Beet Chickpea Burgers with a vegan harissa spread are the ULTIMATE veggie burger. Their gorgeous bright pink hue makes them even more mouthwatering.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chickpea patties, easy buger recipe, vegan chickpea burger recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Servings 4 -5

Calories 450 kcal

Author Denisse Salinas

Ingredients

FOR THE BURGER PATTIES:

• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice cooled
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa cooled
• 1 cup onion diced
• 1 large carrot shredded
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus more for cooking burgers
• 1 cup red beets cooked, cooled and roughly chopped (about 3 small beets)
• 1 cup canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

FOR THE HARISSA MAYO:

• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1/2-1 teaspoon harissa paste
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat and add oil. When hot, add onion and carrot and cook until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Add quinoa, rice, onion and carrots, beets, chickpeas, chickpea flour, chili powder, salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse gently until mixture holds together.

3. Transfer to a large bowl and using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, portion mixture out into equal sized mounds, pressing and shaping them into patties with your hands. Depending on the size of your beets and other vegetables, you should end up with 4-5 patties. I ended up with 4 equal patties plus enough leftover to form 1 mini patty.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom of a wide, oven safe skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Add the burger patties and cook until the first side achieves a browned crust, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and repeat on the second side. Reduce the heat if the burger is browning too quickly.
5. Transfer skillet to oven to finish cooking for about 6-8 minutes, or until patties are warmed through. Remove from oven and make the Harissa spread while the patties cool slightly.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together vegan mayonnaise, Harissa paste, salt and pepper. Assemble burgers on toasted buns with desired toppings and Harissa spread.