These chickpea nuggets are the perfect finger food for the whole family! Pair them with your favorite dip for a tasty combination! These meatless nuggets are great for vegans, vegetarians and omnis alike! Oil-free and gluten-free options included.

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close-up overhead of nuggets on a white plate with small cup of ketchup off center and part of right side of plate cut off

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Why you'll love these chickpea "chicken" nuggets
Ingredients you'll need
How to make chickpea nuggets
Can I make chickpea nuggets in the air fryer?
What to serve with vegan "chicken" nuggets
Best dips for vegan nuggets
Equipment you'll need
Storing and reheating
More vegan chickpea recipes
Chickpea Nuggets

farther away overhead of chickpea nuggets on a white plate with small cup of ketchup

Why you'll love these chickpea "chicken" nuggets

These handheld gems are a delicious meatless alternative to traditional chicken nuggets.
They're perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
They're packed with plant-based protein and good-for-you ingredients.
Because of their neutral flavor, chickpeas make a great base for pairing with other ingredients and serving as a plant-based meat alternative like in these Buffalo chickpea burgers, this chickpea loaf, this chickpea noodle soup and more!
They're easy to make and are great for kids and grown-ups alike.

dipping a nugget into ketchup on a white plate with more nuggets

Ingredients you'll need

Canned chickpeas
Aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid)
Oat Flour (use certified gluten-free if needed)
Nutritional Yast
Sea Salt
Garlic Powder
Paprika
White Pepper
Fine Bread Crumbs (use gluten-free if needed)
Olive Oil Spray (omit for oil-free but note that the nuggets will be less crispy and less browned without using the oil)

See recipe card for quantities.

overhead of nuggets on a white plate with small cup of ketchup to the right of them on the plate

How to make chickpea nuggets

Preheat oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse or process on low speed until the chickpeas are finely chopped and crumbly, but not overprocessed.

chickpeas ground up in the food processor

Transfer to a mixing bowl and add aquafaba, oat flour and seasonings.

Combine until ingredients are well incorporated.

overhead of ingredients in a mixing bowl

overhead of chickpea mixture after all ingredients were combined in mixing bowl

Use your hands to form the chickpea mixture into nugget shapes and place on a plate.

Set up a dipping station by adding aquafaba to a bowl and placing the bread crumbs on a plate next to it.

Dip each nugget into the aquafaba followed by the bread crumbs.

holding up a shaped nugget over the chickpea mixture

overhead of breaded nuggets on a white plate

Place the nuggets in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Spray the tops of the nuggets lightly with the olive oil spray.

breaded nuggets on parchment-lined baking sheet before cooking

You can omit this step for an oil-free option but note that they won't brown as well.

Bake the nuggets for 15 minutes and then flip and spray again with the olive oil spray.

Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.

nuggets on parchment-lined baking sheet after cooking

Can I make chickpea nuggets in the air fryer?

Yes!

To make air fryer chickpea nuggets, first lightly grease the inside of the air fryer basket with non-aerosol, propellant free olive or avocado oil spray (If your brand of air fryer comes with an elevated crisper plate/tray, be sure to insert it into the basket first).

Place the nuggets in the air fryer in a single layer and lightly spray the tops with the oil spray.

Note that you may have to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.

Air fry at 390° F for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway and spraying again with the oil.

I have not tested making them in the air fryer without using oil.

overhead of nuggets on a white plate with ketchup cup off center and kitchen napkin behind the plate

What to serve with vegan "chicken" nuggets

holding a nugget over the rest on a plate below

Best dips for vegan nuggets

Ketchup
Mustard
Buffalo Sauce (check labels for vegan-friendly ingredients if needed)
BBQ Sauce (check labels for vegan-friendly ingredients if needed)
Vegan Honey Mustard Dip (or traditional honey mustard if you're not vegan)
Maple Mustard Dip (vegetarian or vegan version)
Vegan Ranch Dressing or Oil-Free Vegan Ranch Dip

holding nugget that was just dipped in ketchup over the ketchup on a plate with more nuggets

Equipment you'll need

To make this recipe, you will need a food processor in order to get the chickpeas to the right consistency.

Storing and reheating

Leftover nuggets can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nuggets are best reheated in a 350° F oven or a 350° F air fryer until warmed throughout.

More vegan chickpea recipes

close-up overhead of nuggets on a white plate with cup of ketchup on the plate

Print Recipe Save Recipe

5 from 72 votes

Chickpea Nuggets

Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chickpeas, gluten free, nuggets, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings people (makes approximately 20 nuggets)

Calories 288kcal

Author Sherri Hall

Ingredients

2 (15 oz.) cans no salt added chickpeas
10 tablespoons aquafaba, divided (canned chickpea liquid)
¼ cup oat flour (use certified GF if needed)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon white pepper
½ cup fine bread crumbs (use GF if needed)
olive oil spray (*omit for oil-free)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, reserving the liquid from the can (aquafaba).
Add the chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse or process on low speed until the chickpeas are finely chopped and crumbly, but not overprocessed.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and add 6 tablespoons of the aquafaba and the next 7 ingredients. Combine until ingredients are well incorporated.
Use your hands to form the chickpea mixture into nugget shapes and place on a plate. The mixture will yield approximately 18-20 nuggets depending on the size.
Set up a dipping station by adding ¼ cup of the aquafaba to a bowl and placing the bread crumbs on a plate next to it.
Dip each nugget into the aquafaba followed by the bread crumbs.
Place the nuggets in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray the tops of the nuggets lightly with the olive oil spray. You can omit this step for an oil-free option but note that they won't brown as well.
Bake the nuggets for 15 minutes and then flip and spray again with the olive oil spray. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.

(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)

Suggested Equipment/Tools

Food Processor

Notes

*Note that omitting the oil will result in less crispy and less browned nuggets.

If you prefer, you can cook the nuggets in the air fryer instead of the oven. See the post above for air fryer instructions.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Please note the nutrition was calculated without the olive oil spray and does not include the aquafaba since there is limited information regarding its nutritional composition. According to this Healthline article, aquafaba adds approximately 3-5 calories per tablespoon.

Nutrition

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