This easy Chickpea Fritters recipe is perfect for a vegetarian main dish or appetizer. Made with leftover mashed potatoes, curry, and lots of fresh herbs, these chickpea patties are easy to make and delicious to eat.
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Friends, is there anything more perfect than fritters? And I do mean fritters of any and every kind.
I mean, already delicious ingredients coated in a layer of crumbs and then fried to perfection? Crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside? No offense, but if that doesn't appeal to you I feel like we need to check your priorities.
Today we're making super easy Chickpea Fritters with the help of some very delicious supporting players in the form of mashed potatoes and fragrant curry powder. These babies are simple to make, and are a perfect vegetarian main or side dish.
No flour, no food processor, no nonsense. Let's do this thing!
Ingredients
You'll find detailed quantities for everything you need to make these Chickpea Fritters in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. For now, here's a quick overview:
Chickpeas --> I used my Instant Pot Chickpeas for this recipe, but canned are fine too.
Potatoes --> We're making some skin-on mashed potatoes for these Chickpea Fritters.
Butter --> Because we're worth it.
Eggs --> Optional, for coating.
Breadcrumbs --> For the crisp layer on the outside. You can use gluten free bread crumbs if needed.
Cilantro and chives --> Herby flavour squad.
Curry powder --> Bringing some heat.
Cumin --> For that smokiness.
Chili flakes --> To spice up your life.
Salt --> A little fine-grain sea salt. Because of course.
Oil --> For a shallow pan-fry.
How to make Chickpea Fritters
There are specific instructions for how to make this Chickpea Fritters recipe in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. But let's talk through it step-by-step before you get there.
First up, we're going to cube and boil our potatoes. I like to leave the skin on when I make mashed potatoes (check these Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes) because there are a ton of nutrients concentrated in the skin. If you prefer, you can certainly peel the potatoes first.
Once the potatoes are fork tender you're going to drain them, add the butter, and mash 'em up. I use a potato masher for this job and do it right in the pot.
Add the chickpeas to the same pot, right on top of the potatoes, and give them a little mash as well just to break them up a bit.
Then you're going to add your chopped herbs, spices, and salt, and give everything a good mix. You can taste the mixture at this point, and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Now you'll use your hands to shape the Chickpea Fritters. I find that clean, wet hands are best for this task as the mixture doesn't stick.
Dunk each chickpea patty into beaten egg, before coating it in breadcrumbs. Note - you can skip the egg wash if you want vegan chickpea fritters.
Then the chickpea patties are going into a hot frying pan (I love my cast iron skillet for this) until they're crisp and brown on both sides.
And then, you're done! Hot, crispy, delicious, chickpea fritters. You. Are. Welcome.
How to Serve Chickpea Fritters
These Chickpea Fritters are great as a vegetarian main or side dish - I love them served simply with a dollop of creme fraiche and a green salad on the side. But they're also great stuffed into pita bread, in a sandwich, or even snuggled into a bun as a chickpea burger of sorts. Add your favourite sauce, and you're good to go.
Tips for the best Chickpea Fritters
This recipe is so tasty and simple to make, it's sure to become a regular in your household too. Here are a few tips to make things come together well.
Keep 'em small
When it comes to fritters, size matters. Smaller chickpea fritters will hold together more easily than big ones, so stick with a couple of tablespoons of filling per patty.
Make an Assembly Line
I like to prep and assembly line for forming and coating my chickpea fritters. Line up the pot of chickpea filling, a bowl with beaten egg, and a bowl of breadcrumbs. Then you can quickly move your patties along from one station to the next.
Tip! When you're dunking into beaten egg and then bread crumbs, it is helpful to have one wet hand and one dry hand, rather than two gooey hands.
Mix up the Seasonings
I've used curry powder, cumin, and chili flakes in these chickpea fritters and I love how they taste like the inside of a pakora, but you can definitely change things up depending on what your preferences are or what you've got on hand.
I've got my sights set on some buffalo chickpea fritters with blue cheese sauce, for example. Add a little fresh parsley or dill if that's what you're into. Maybe a squeeze of lemon juice over the top? You do you.
FAQs
Leftover chickpea fritters can be easily reheated in the microwave. If you want to crisp them back up, you can reheat them in the oven on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes, or about 5 minutes in an air fryer.
This chickpea fritter recipe can be made vegan simply by skipping the egg coating. Just roll the chickpea patties in breadcrumbs and proceed to frying.
Yes you can! Rather than frying, arrange the chickpea fritters on a baking sheet that has been sprayed or brushed with oil. Spray or brush the tops with a little more oil (I like olive oil for this recipe) and bake at 350°F until golden and crisp, flipping once during baking.
You sure can! Freeze a batch of chickpea patties in a single layer and then transfer to a freezer bag once they're frozen solid. They'll safely last for 1-3 months in your freezer.
Chickpea Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups chickpeas equivalent to one 14 ounce can
- 1 ½ pounds potatoes diced
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped chives or green onion
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes optional
- 1 ½ cups bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs beaten
- oil for pan frying
Instructions
- Place diced potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the potatoes are just barely tender - you should be able to pierce them easily with a fork.1 ½ pounds potatoes
- Drain the potatoes, add the butter, and mash the potatoes. You should have about 2 cups of mashed potatoes.2 Tablespoons butter
- Add chickpeas to the potatoes, and give them a bit of a mash as well so there are some that are mashed into a rough paste, and others that are still intact.1 ¾ cups chickpeas
- Add chives, cilantro, salt, curry powder, and cumin, and stir to combine. Taste the mixture at this point, and adjust the seasonings if necessary.2 Tablespoons fresh chopped chives or green onion, 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, 1 Tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, 1 teaspoon salt
- Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Using clean hands, form the chickpea mixture into patties, using a couple of tablespoons of the mixture per patty. Set the formed patty on the parchment paper, and repeat until you have used up all of the mixture. *At this point you could refrigerate the patties for up to 24 hours.
- Set up an assembly station. You'll need two bowls - one for the beaten eggs, and the other for the bread crumbs.2 large eggs, 1 ½ cups bread crumbs
- Pre-heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet with enough oil to thinly coat the bottom.oil for pan frying
- Try to keep a dry hand and a wet hand for the breading part. Using your wet hand (or a pair of forks), place a patty into the egg bowl, and turn over to coat. Lift up and allow excess egg to drip off, then transfer into the bowl of breadcrumbs. Using your dry hand, toss breadcrumbs over the patty and turn to coat. Lift it out of the bowl and shake off excess, and then transfer either into the waiting skillet, or onto a fresh sheet of parchment.
- Pan fry the chickpea fritters for a few minutes on each side, until the outsides are golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published November 2, 2010. It was re-tested, edited, and updated with new photos and a video on February 1, 2023.
Hazel
These are SO GOOD!! Very, very easy and quick to put together and so delicious. I used half of the mix the first night in their fritter form and kept the other half in the fridge until a few days later. I decided to try and make the rest into samosa filling using rice paper wrappers and then shallow pan frying for someone who is GF, and that too was a huge success. I cant wait to make these again. Another Hey Nutrition Lady winner, as always! Thanks, Katie! 🤗
Kristin
In the case of an egg allergy, any suggestions on substitutions for the egg wash at the end? I love everything about this recipe and can't wait to try but I'm always trying to work around some food allergies in my family (myself included).
Katie Trant
You can just skip the egg wash! The mixture is plenty moist and the breadcrumbs will stick to the patties without the egg.
Allison
Just made these for a potluck - so easy to make (i formed the patties the night before and fried day of) and they were totally a hit! Served them with chutney. Will def be making these again soon
themuffinmyth
Yum! That sounds like a great potluck idea!
Tom
I made these tonight and I can't wait to have them again. I did add a few items, a bit of ginger, garlic, and some cumin seeds sautéed for a minute before adding to the potato mixture and a little finely chopped red pepper. Served with a bit of tamarind chutney - yum!
themuffinmyth
Yum! Those additions sound great. I'll have to try them next time I make these.
Kevin
Made these beauties to spec and they were absolutely delish!
I thought I'd try a little taste test while I was forming the patties and it was so good that I took several additional tastes... just to be sure, right? As a result I ended up with 9 patties. I should have seen it coming, but this eventually led to a fierce battle with my wife for the last one (which of course I lost).
These will be a new regular on the home menu, but will make sure that from now on I always make an even number of them. Thanks for the recipe!
themuffinmyth
You know what they say, Kevin, happy wife, happy life. Glad you liked them!
adam
i made these last night for dinner ... some with yam, some with russet potato ... some breaded, some sans crispy deliciousness. DELICIOUS in all forms! the yams are considerably softer, so require less boiling time and are a bit stickier to work with (i think i'll try dredging them in flour before the egg/crumb crusting next time). i also used panko bread crumbs for an extra crispy crunch. the sweetness of these orange spuds is a perfect pairing to the spices and heat of the chilies!
i think the next time i make these, i may serve them as a base for braised short-ribs (blasphemy i know, but i can't help myself!). they would also be delish served alongside many vegetarian indian dishes. mmmmmmmm
thanks katie!
Tara
These look delicious Katie....going to try them with beans:)