Spicy Bacon Chickpea Burgers – Secret Recipe Club

It’s time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal! This month, my assignment was The Pajama Chef. Sarah is all about healthy, delicious recipes with a side of indulgence…right up my alley too! Though lately it’s been more indulgence. Sarah lives in Nashville with her husband Ben and their super adorable kitties. She has a great post about Four Things that will give you a little more insight into who Sarah is. I had a list of 5 recipes to make and narrowed it down to this recipe for Spicy Bacon Chickpea Burgers. They were a great change to a traditional burger and I was able to use up some leftover bacon (I know – how has leftover bacon!??!) and 2 cans of chickpeas in the pantry, along with some other staples I always have on hand. They were definitely a different type of burger and I really liked the flavor. I whipped up some a spicy mayo/ketchup dip and ate it with iceberg lettuce and sliced yellow tomatoes. I think next time I make them, I’ll serve them with a tzatziki sauce. The other recipes I was considering were: Southwest Veggie & Taco Rice Casserole, Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Maple Pecan Pear Scones and Ginger Banana Waffles. They’re all going on my list to make this fall!

4 slices of bacon
2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic
1 inch thick slice of onion
3 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 1/2 Tbsp sriracha
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/3 cup mayo

In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to drain the excess fat and save the bacon grease in the skillet. You’ll cook the burgers in it. Once cool, chop the bacon into small pieces.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place one can of chickpeas in the food processor and pulse a few times until they are roughly chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining can of chickpeas to the food processor, along with the garlic, onion, sesame seeds, Sriracha, mustard, cornmeal, egg and Worcestershire sauce. Puree until smooth. Add to the roughly chopped chickpeas and the 1/3 cup of mayo and stir to combine. Fold in the chopped bacon. Form the mixture into eight patties and place on the lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

When you’re ready cook the burgers, heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until they’re golden brown and crispy. Serve in a bun with your favorite toppings or fritter-style like I did.

Be sure to check out all the other great recipes in this week’s reveal in the link below!