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Made with simple ingredients, these super crispy baked chickpea nuggets are packed with protein and fiber. Instead of eggs we’re using aqaufaba from the chickpeas, and instead of chicken we’re using a blend of chickpeas and tofu!
These make a great kid-friendly vegan meal when served with Avocado Fries.
save this recipe!Really good chicken nuggets are one of the things I miss since becoming a vegetarian. They’re convenient and have some protein, making them great for busy days when you’ve got them ready to go in the freezer.
But it turns out, with some food science magic and lots of testing, you can have vegetarian chickpea nuggets that are just as good!
this childhood classic got an upgrade
- Minimal Ingredients: You just need 4 main ingredients plus spices to make these nuggets.
- Hands Off: Once they are in the oven, you’re hands are off! We love a good sheet tray meal, and these use similar principles.
Key ingredients
Canned chickpeas are ideal for this recipe because they add texture, fiber, and protein, and we can use the aquafaba (the liquid in the can) as an egg substitute for the breading. Jump to the recipe card for the quantities.
- Chickpeas: We need to use canned chickpeas because the liquid will help the breading stick.
- Tofu: Grab super firm or extra firm tofu. If you’re using extra firm, plan to press it for 15 minutes or so.
- Nutritional Yeast: This vegan powerhouse adds an umami flavor that meat would otherwise add. You can find it next to seeds like chia seeds and flaxseeds or in the baking aisle.
- Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs: I like to use this kind because it adds lots of flavor without using more ingredients. You can always use plain bread crumbs and play around with the spices to make up for no Italian seasoning.
strain over a bowl
To make sure you get all that liquid from the chickpeas, place the strainer over a large mixing bowl!
How to make chickpea nuggets
The hardest part of this whole recipe is shaping the nuggets, but I’ve developed a trick to make even this super easy! This is an overview of the recipe. Jump to the recipe card for the full printable recipe.
- Blend the everything until a paste is formed.
- Scoop and bread the mixture by dipping it in the breadcrumbs, then the aquafaba, then the bread crumbs again.
- Shape and bake until golden and crispy.
- Enjoy these crispy baked nuggets with your favorite dipping sauce!
shape carefully
Chickpea nuggets can get pretty sticky and messy while trying to shape them. To avoid this issue, I had the best luck with breading them while in a ball, then using 2 forks to shape them once on the sheet tray gently. This limits the amount of handling!
I tested these every way: The oven wins
I tested these nuggets both in the air fryer and pan frying them (in addition to the oven). But, both pan frying and the air fryer cooked too quickly, resulting in burning the outside but leaving the inside undercooked. For this reason, I recommend you bake instead of fry for the best texture.
I dip, you dip, We dip
Whether you’re making these or vegan nuggets with tofu, you need a sauce to pair them with. Here are some of my favorites!
- Romesco Sauce: Like ketchup but elevated and better.
- Chipotle Bitchin’ Sauce Copycat: For some heat, dip the nuggets in this vegan sauce!
- Vegan Ranch Dressing: Keep it all vegan by serving these with ranch.
Oven-Baked Chickpea Nuggets (Crispy!)
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas, 425 g can
- 8 oz super firm or extra firm tofu, half of a 16-oz block, if using extra firm press tofu before using*
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp each smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp oil, 30 mL
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Blend: Drain 1 15-oz can chickpeas over a bowl to collect the juice (save that for later). Use a paper towel to pat dry the chickpeas, then add them to a blender or food processor with 8 oz super firm or extra firm tofu, ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp each smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ¼ tsp salt.Blend into a smooth puree, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Bread: Arrange 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs in a bowl and reserved chickpea juice (aquafaba) in another bowl. Use a spoon to scoop nugget-sized portions of the chickpea dough out of the blender. Working one at a time, coat the nugget in breadcrumbs, dip it in the aquafaba, then coat it once more in breadcrumbs.
- Bake: Arrange nuggets on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the nuggets with 2 Tbsp oil, then bake for about 30 minutes, or until browned and crispy.
- Serve warm with your favorite nugget sauce!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!P.S. Love nuggets? Try my almond-coated tofu nuggets!
This sounds delicious! I can’t wait to make it but I’ll likely use panko with Italian seasonings added since I have that on hand.
Just a quick note: if you’re on a low-salt diet or wish to avoid high sodium intake, please remember to purchase chickpeas that are stored with kombu seaweed in the liquid instead of salt (like Eden brand; kombu also helps breakdown gas)) or stored in water only. Canned beans generally have a lot of salt in the liquid which is why the bean consortium has historically suggested throwing out the liquid and rinsing the beans thoroughly. I know us vegans tend to go ga-ga over aquafaba but somewhere along the way, we’ve forgotten about this aspect. If all you have on hand are beans in salt-laden liquid, you may be able to use plant milk, JUST or even plain water instead of the aquafaba if you’re sensitive to high sodium. YMMV
Thanks so much for the tip Rebecca, can’t wait for you to try the recipe!
What are the nutritional facts for the chickpea nuggets please?
Sorry for the delay, Heidi! I just added in the nutrition info 🙂
Can these be made without oil?
Yep! They just won’t have that same golden brown color (they’ll look a bit more dry, but should still be tasty!)
These were tasty! Since most flavored breadcrumbs include cheese as an ingredient, we used panko and mixed in different flavorings for three distinct batches: bagel seasoning mix, truffle salt, and lemon pepper seasoning. I’m not sure how this only calls for 1 C of breadcrumbs bc we used at least 4-5 cups of panko between the dip-then-redip, but maybe bc panko is fluffier? We’ll def make this again!
So glad you liked them—and I love that you made three flavor variations (bagel seasoning sounds especially fun)! And yep, you’re totally right—panko is much fluffier and less dense than regular breadcrumbs, so it tends to require more for good coverage, especially with double-dipping. Thanks for the tip for fellow panko users—and so happy they’re a repeat recipe for you!
Hi! These look delicious! Can they be made without tofu? I can’t have it. Is it in the recipe just to add more protein? Thank you.
Hi! Yes, you can make them without tofu–it’s mainly there for protein and texture. You can try swapping in mashed white beans or extra chickpeas instead to keep the mixture moist and still hold together well. Let me know how they turn out!
Do you have a nutrition breakdown of this? I see some of the recipes have it and this one does not. (Unless I didn’t see it)
Thanks for pointing out that this was missing, Kris! I’ve just added it 🙂
Recipe came out delicious and super crispy. I was confused with the calorie count though which says 605 kcal since I think that is 605,000 calories..lol. Is each serving actually 605 calories which is pretty hefty? I would like to give them more texture inside though. I might try experimenting with some shredded frozen tofu our seitan too.
Haha yes—thankfully it’s 605 kilocalories, which is just nutrition speak for regular ol’ calories (so not 605,000 😅). And love the idea of shredded tofu or seitan for texture—let me know how that turns out!
I made the chickpea and tofu nuggets tonight and they were delicious! We don’t do oil and honestly I don’t think these needed it. They were super crispy without it! Love this recipe and will definitely use it again! Thank you!
Love hearing this, thanks for being here!
These nuggets were simple to prep and a really nice, whole foods alternative to a frozen pre-made vegan nugget. Shaping was easy and honestly fun to just let them turn out a little misshapen! I used Panko and while I had to be a bit firm in making sure the first coating stuck, it wasn’t a problem. Everything else was a breeze! My husband requested that this recipe be saved as a new fave make again!
Thanks for making my day with your comment!
Finally found a nugget recipe worth adding to the rotation! I have a lot of food allergies so couldn’t use nutritional yeast but oh my these nuggets are good and love the texture. Thank you so much!!
So glad these nuggets hit the spot Sheri, thanks for sharing!