Crispy Brown Rice & Chickpea Burger

This burger was born from a fridge cleanout — leftover rice, a can of chickpeas, and some tahini that needed to be used up. What started as a “let us see what happens” experiment became one of my most requested recipes. The rice gives it that satisfying chew, the chickpeas add protein, and the tahini brings everything together with creamy richness. It is Mediterranean comfort food in burger form.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil for cooking

For the Tahini Sauce

• ¼ cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt to taste

For Serving

• Buns or pita bread
• Cucumber slices
• Pickled red onion
• Fresh herbs (mint, parsley)

Instructions

1. Make tahini sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients until smooth. Add more water if too thick. Set aside.
2. Process chickpeas: Add chickpeas to food processor and pulse until roughly mashed (not a paste). Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Combine: Add rice, tahini, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, lemon zest, parsley, salt, and pepper to the chickpeas. Mix well with your hands.
4. Form patties: Divide into 6 portions. Shape into patties. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
5. Cook: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties 4-5 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
6. Serve: Place in buns or pita with tahini sauce, cucumber, pickled onion, and fresh herbs.

Tips

• Day-old rice works best: Freshly cooked rice is too moist. Cold rice from the fridge is perfect.
• Crispy edges: Do not move the patties too soon. Let that crust form.
• Make it a bowl: Crumble the patty over greens for a Mediterranean buddha bowl.