Crispy Chickpea Nuggets are a real dinner winner! With a firm, "meaty" texture, they are made using simple ingredients and can be cooked in your oven or air fryer. Kid and adult-approved!
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Everybody who tries these crispy chickpea nuggets loves them. What can I say - they're truly the BEST chickpea nuggets ever!
What makes this recipe different than all the other chickpea nugget recipes out there? The texture. Honestly, it's FANTASTIC. Firm and almost meaty with a good bite like that of a chicken nugget. And they taste amazing too. Flavourful, crispy, and very moreish!
Chickpea nuggies for dinner = a really awesome meal formula:
- Pile them up on a platter with sliced crunchy veggies and your fave sauce for dipping. I love them with my creamy vegan sriracha sauce, and kids (and my husband) love ketchup or BBQ sauce. Maple mustard would be amazing too!
- Add them to your salads or bowl meals for a tasty protein boost.
- Squish them into a bun with greens and sauce for a delish sandwich/burger type situation.
- Serve alongsidea big scoop of vegan buffalo mac and cheese.
- Cold in lunchboxes or for snacks.
- And of course, we can't forget nuggies and fries!
Mel x
Ingredients At A Glance
Here is what you need at a glance:
Let's Make Chickpea Nuggets!
Can't wait to make them? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen. I recommend watching my recipe video if you're more of a visual learner.
Blend the tofu and seasonings until smooth, then add the chickpeas and oats and blend again.
Shape into nuggets.
Dip in aquafaba, then breadcrumbs.
Spray with oil and bake until supremely golden and crispy!
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend pan-frying these nuggets. They need a longer cook time to firm up enough and get the best texture. Frying means the outsides darken way before this happens.
Panko is a unique Japanese-style breadcrumb with airy, super-crispy, flaky, irregular, jagged, and extremely dry crumbs. You can find it in nearly all grocery stores. The crumbs are far superior to regular breadcrumbs for breading and make an exceptionally crispy, crunchy coating.
I recommend using Panko for the best results. You could use homemade breadcrumbs, but your nuggets won't be nearly as crispy, and the breading will be much denser.
I recommend using gluten-free panko crumbs.
For best results, I recommend following the recipe as written. The oats are there to absorb a little moisture and give some texture. If you absolutely can't use them, you can omit them, but it will change the texture of your nuggets a little.
Recipe
Crispy Chickpea Nuggets
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 packed cup (220 grams or 8oz) extra firm or super firm tofu
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon No Chicken , or a crumbled chicken-style stock cube (veggie flavour will do if you can't get chicken-style)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning , or dried mixed herbs such as thyme, oregano, parsley
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 x 15oz (398ml) can chickpeas KEEP the aquafaba from the can
- ½ cup (45 grams) rolled or old-fashioned oats , certified gluten-free if necessary
- 1½ cups (105 grams) panko breadcrumbs , (for gluten-free use gluten-free panko)
- oil for spraying/drizzling (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Skip if using an air fryer.
- To a food processor, add the tofu, onion powder, garlic powder, Better Than Bouillon, ketchup, nutritional yeast, herbs, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Drain the chickpeas over a small bowl so you can catch and KEEP the aquafaba/liquid for later. Now add the chickpeas and oats to the food processor. Process or pulse until well combined but not completely smooth. You should be able to see some texture (small pieces of oat and little tiny bits of chickpea).
- Remove the blade and shape the mixture into flatish round nugget shapes. About 2 tablespoons of mixture per nugget. I like them about ¼ inch thick for the best texture. Lay the nuggets out on the lined baking tray as you shape them. If using an air fryer, lay them on a lined dinner plate instead.
- Once shaped, dip each nugget into the aquafaba then the panko crumbs before laying back on the lined baking tray or plate.
- The nuggets can be baked without oil, but will be extra golden, crispy and flavourful if you spray, brush, or drizzle them with oil before baking.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (a little quicker if you're using a dark baking tray) until deeply golden brown and crispy. Flip halfway. Don't rush them. The texture really benefits from a longer cook time.
- Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden crispy (you might need to flip halfway depending on the style of your air fryer). They are good when air-fried, but definitely better texture-wise when cooked in an oven.
NOTES
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Polly Warmuth says
I made these tonight and they were GREAT. I halved the recipe cause I live alone and don’t want a lot of leftovers. I’m trying to eat cleaner and not fall back on packaged vegan faux meats. I loved the crunchiness of the panko, the texture, and the taste from the seasonings. One of the condiments you mentioned was maple mustard. Is that a thing in Canada or can I just make it mixing mustard and maple syrup? If so what kind of mustard would work well with the syrup. Thanks
Melanie McDonald says
Glad you enjoyed them Polly, and thank you for coming back to leave a review! Maple mustard is indeed a very delicious thing here in Canada. For dipping my chickpea nuggets though, I tend to make a little mayo-based mustard dip. I mix vegan mayo, whatever mustard I've got on the go (I usually go with a nice wholegrain one or Dijon), and a bit of maple syrup together in a small bowl to taste. I've never measured. I just dollop as much mayo as I think I'll need, then add a few teaspoons of mustard and a few drops of maple to taste to get the potency and sweetness I want. Usually a pinch of black pepper goes in too. A tiny bit of finely minced raw garlic is yummy too if you don't mind garlic breath. Maybe I should do a recipe for it and actually measure!
Lesli says
The flavor is decent, the exterior texture is good but the interior is too soft.
Melanie McDonald says
They definitely shouldn't be really soft inside. Did you drain the chickpeas well and use the correct tofu (extra firm or super firm)? Any other type such as medium, soft, or silken will affect the texture. Also it's important for them not to be too thick so the filling firms up and also so you get a good filling to crunchy exterior ratio in each bite. Hope that helps!
Theresa says
I love chickpeas but this feels closer to vegan prison food than Chef’s Kiss.
Polly Warmuth says
Did you use the refrigerated extra firm tofu and press it or use the shelf stable super firm silken that doesn’t need pressed. Sorry I’m always confused with the tofu options. I haven’t made any of your recipes that I didn’t love. Thanks.
Melanie McDonald says
Hi Polly. You aren't pressing the tofu in this recipe. If you do the mixture will be too dry because it takes the moisture from the tofu into account. A recipe will always say if the tofu needs to be pressed. It will be a step in the recipe. This one doesn't tell you to press it.
For this recipe you need to use extra firm tofu, or super firm tofu, NOT silken tofu. You will find it in the fridge and it will say extra firm tofu or super firm tofu on the package.
Silken tofu is different and although it also comes in firm, extra firm etc, it will always say silken tofu (or sometimes soft tofu) on the package too like the Mori-Nu one that I'm guessing you were referring to in a shelf stable package does. However, silken tofu isn't always shelf stable. It depends on the brand. Sometimes its fresh and refrigerated too (I always buy it fresh from the fridge) so always be sure to read the labels well and use silken in silken tofu recipes only.
Hope that helps and that you enjoy the nuggets!
Mindy Richmond says
What can I use instead of ketchup in the recipe? I don’t like ketchup, so it’s never in my house.
Melanie McDonald says
I've only ever made them with ketchup. It's there for acidity and a touch of sweetness. There is only 2 tablespoons of it though so I think there should still be just enough moisture without it if you were to omit it.
Mindy Richmond says
Hi, these nuggets were perfect! Added to a big green salad. I used 1T tomato paste mixed with 1T water in place of the ketchup. Have you made these burger sized? Just wondering what the baking time would be.
Melanie McDonald says
Glad you enjoyed them! I haven't tried that, although I do plan to make them into cutlets at some point. For burgers I'd try not to make them too thick, and probably reduce the temp to 400°F so they can be cooked a little longer without getting too dark. Maybe 40 to 45 mins? The filling doesn't need much cooking. It just needs to warm through and firm up. Let me know if you try it!
Donna says
Can you just use regular Chicken ' Better Than Bouillon'??
Melanie McDonald says
If you don't mind them not being vegan that's fine.