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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Vegan Chickpea Parmesan

    LAST UPDATED: January 30, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: January 18, 2016

    Vegan Chickpea Parmesan

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This veganized take on chicken parm is made from chickpea cutlets that are cooked up with a crispy cornmeal crust, drenched in marinara sauce and sprinkled in cashew Parmesan cheese.

    vegan-chicken-parmesan-2

    I almost never would've come up with this one. I don't think I've ever actually even eaten chicken parm. Who needs it when there's eggplant, right? And eggplant parm has always been a weakness. Growing up, it was my dish. What on earth else could a vegetarian order at a normal restaurant in the mid-nineties. Eggplant parm was a long time trusty sidekick. So of course it's been on my list of things to veganize and blog for a while. Then the other day my husband suggested I try veganizing chicken parm, and it got me thinking. While eggplant will always have a place in my heart, this is different, this is vegan chicken Parmesan, and it's pretty darn incredible.

    Normally when I make something like this I coat it in panko to get a nice crispy crust. Lucky for me I got the idea in my head to try making these cutlets gluten free, so I went with cornmeal instead, both in the mixture and the coating. It was way better. Cornmeal on the inside helped give the mixture just the right texture, while cornmeal on the outside crusts up perfectly when pan-fried in a bit of olive oil.

    vegan-chicken-parmesan-3

    I parmefied this dish by simply throwing on some marinara and sprinkling with cashew cheese. Feel free to put your own spin on it though. If you're into store-bought vegan cheese, throw some on top. This would also be nice with some cashew ricotta. I ate my chickpea parm over pasta, but next time I'm definitely shoving it into a sandwich.

    vegan-chicken-parmesan-1
    Vegan Chicken Parmesan
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print

    Vegan Chickpea Parmesan

    This veganized take on chicken parm is made from chickpea cutlets that are cooked up with a crispy cornmeal crust, drenched in marinara sauce and sprinkled in cashew Parmesan cheese.
    Course Entree
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Prep Time 45 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 577 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    For the Chickpea Cutlets

    • 1-14 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • ½ cup cornmeal
    • ¼ cup chickpea flour
    • 1 small onion, quartered
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
    • 2 tbsp. unflavored soy or almond milk
    • 1 tbsp. ground flax seeds
    • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
    • salt and pepper to taste

    For the Batter

    • ½ cup unflavored soy or almond milk
    • ¼ cup cornstarch
    • 2 tbsp. ground flax seeds

    For the Cornmeal Coating

    • ½ cup cornmeal
    • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning blend
    • ¼ tsp. salt
    • ¼ tsp. black pepper

    For Frying

    • about ¼ cup olive oil

    For Serving

    • 2-3 cups marinara sauce, store bought or homemade
    • cashew Parmesan cheese
    • cooked pasta, plus extra marinara sauce (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Place all chickpea cutlet ingredients into food processor. Pulse just until well mixed and chickpeas are finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a container and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
    2. Stir all batter ingredients together in a small bowl. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.
    3. Stir all cornmeal coating ingredients together in a separate bowl.
    4. Remove chickpea cutlet mixture from refrigerator and shape into 4 ovals, about 5 inches long and 3 inches wide.
    5. Generously coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with oil and place over medium heat. When oil is hot, dip each side of a chickpea cutlet into batter, then into cornmeal mixture to coat. Place in skillet. Repeat for as many cutlets will fit in the skillet without overcrowding. Cook until browned and crispy on bottoms, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook another 5 minutes on opposite sides. Repeat until all cutlets are cooked, adding oil to the skillet as needed between batches.
    6. Serve topped with marinara sauce, optionally over pasta and sprinkled with cashew Parmesan.

    Recipe Notes

    Prep time includes chill time for the chickpea cutlet mixture.

    This recipe makes more than enough batter and cornmeal coating.

    Nutrition information does not include pasta.

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Chickpea Parmesan
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 577 Calories from Fat 194
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 21.6g33%
    Saturated Fat 3.5g18%
    Sodium 1290mg54%
    Potassium 910mg26%
    Carbohydrates 83.5g28%
    Fiber 13.7g55%
    Sugar 15.6g17%
    Protein 13.3g27%
    Calcium 120mg12%
    Iron 5.8mg32%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Creamy Chickpea and Kale Soup
    Roasted Sweet Potato Sushi »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sandra says

      January 18, 2016 at 12:01 pm

      Looks AMAZING!!

      Reply
    2. Maureen Cram says

      January 19, 2016 at 2:51 am

      How fine is the cornmeal you used? Over here in South Africa I can get very fine cornmeal (not like cornstarch but very fine) then something a bit coarser and then polenta. Which would you recommend for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 23, 2016 at 11:44 am

        I'd say go with the middle option. The variety I used was a bit finer than polenta, and definitely much coarser than cornstarch.

        Reply
    3. Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

      January 19, 2016 at 7:20 am

      Alissa you are seriously a genius. This looks amazing! So creative.

      Reply
    4. Una says

      January 20, 2016 at 5:07 pm

      OMG! I have to make this. It looks absolutely delicious.

      Reply
    5. meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles says

      January 23, 2016 at 5:51 am

      I must make this!

      Reply
    6. Gus says

      January 23, 2016 at 3:26 pm

      Ridiculous question...but is the 1/4 cup oil listed with the coating ingredients part of the coating or is it the oil to fry them in?????

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 24, 2016 at 10:56 am

        For frying. Thank you for catching that!

        Reply
    7. valentina | sweet kabocha says

      February 01, 2016 at 8:53 pm

      I HAVE to try this recipe!!!

      Reply
    8. Vicki says

      February 02, 2016 at 11:59 am

      Hi,

      Could you use arrow root instead of corn starch? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 03, 2016 at 9:54 pm

        I've never had a problem swapping arrowroot for cornstarch, so I think it should work. Enjoy!

        Reply
    9. Maria says

      February 03, 2016 at 7:39 am

      Hello I am from Germany and I want to try this recepy. I am a bit confuses about the 1-14 oz can of chickpeas. Could you tell me what this is in gr or ml? Or if it is a big or small can? Because I coulndt really find a answer :D

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 03, 2016 at 10:00 pm

        It's about 415 milliliters. Enjoy!

        Reply
    10. Babs says

      February 05, 2016 at 8:23 am

      Sorry, but the oil and frying are too many wasted calories and nutrient poor. Isn't there a way to bake these and still be flavorful?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 09, 2016 at 10:43 pm

        I haven't tried baking them, so I don't know. Feel free to try any variation you like.

        Reply
    11. Codi Leitenr says

      February 08, 2016 at 9:17 pm

      Okay Waowwww I wan't to make this

      Reply
    12. Kim P says

      March 28, 2016 at 9:39 am

      Alissa, we really enjoyed this recipe! The cutlets were crispy in the outside, creamy texture on the inside with a delightfully subtle flavor. Thank you.

      Reply
    13. Kathryn says

      April 19, 2016 at 5:55 pm

      Tried this recipe tonight. I know it will be a keeper. I've never cooked with corn meal so when I picked it up I didn't notice the texture of it. I happened to buy a medium coarse and I found that it made it too gritty. Next time I'll go with a finer corn meal for the cutlets and I might just use panko breadcrumbs for the coating. I think I made my patties too thick as it was soft in the middle, unless it's supposed to be? Flavor was great and I will be making it again :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 24, 2016 at 9:40 pm

        Ah, I'll have to check out some different types of cornmeal to see how they work out. I think the one I was using was relatively fine. Glad you enjoyed them though! Thanks for popping in to let me know. :)

        Reply
    14. Joy says

      February 08, 2017 at 4:22 pm

      What is the maximum amount of time I should chill the chickpea mixture? I was wondering if I could mix it up the night before and use the mixture the following evening for dinner- just wondering if it will end up being too dry?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 09, 2017 at 9:59 am

        I think you'd be fine making it up do a day in advance, and it shouldn't dry out too much as long as you store it in a tightly sealed container.

        Reply
    15. MyMy says

      March 31, 2017 at 3:09 pm

      Hi! This looks amazing and I've been thinking about making chickpea burgers like this. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to corn so I'm wondering what I can replace the corn meal and corn starch with? Thanks in advance!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 02, 2017 at 8:39 pm

        I think panko breadcrumbs and arrowroot powder would be your best bets!

        Reply
    16. Gayle Boesch says

      October 07, 2017 at 12:25 am

      A delicious and easy to make recipe. Will definitely make it again.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 07, 2017 at 11:09 am

        I'm glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks Gayle!

        Reply
    17. Audrey Bohler says

      November 06, 2017 at 7:51 pm

      Mine turned out crunchy on the outside but mushy on the inside. Any thoughts as to what I did wrong?

      Otherwise it was delicious.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 09, 2017 at 8:53 am

        The only thing I can think of is overdoing it with the food processor. Make sure the mixture stays chunky so you've got some texture on the inside! :)

        Reply
    18. Ashley Wall says

      December 08, 2017 at 3:14 pm

      Can't find chickpea flour at my grocery store...any suggestions for an alternative?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 08, 2017 at 3:50 pm

        I think wheat flour would work, but I haven't tried it so I'm not 100% sure!

        Reply
      • Erika says

        January 09, 2018 at 4:24 pm

        Did you look for "garbanzo bean flour"? I wasn't finding it eother until I changed what I was looking for LOL

        Reply
    19. Macy says

      January 11, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      I think I’m going to attempt this without oil in the air fryer!! Looks delish!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 12, 2018 at 9:40 am

        I hope you enjoy it!!

        Reply
    20. Melanie says

      August 26, 2018 at 10:59 am

      5 stars
      I made this recipe last night but shaped them into tenders, instead. Plus, I used peeled (skin-removed) chickpeas and mashed it all by hand. I think this helped make a chunky texture easier. Anyway, they were so yummy and as reminiscent of chicken as I have gotten in a long time. I love that they are soy-free and gluten-free. Thank you for this recipe--I will tinker around with the spices in the future to try making different chicken flavor combos :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 26, 2018 at 8:29 pm

        Yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Melanie!

        Reply
    21. Sue cupola says

      September 23, 2018 at 4:43 pm

      My patties fell apart when I tried to shape them

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 23, 2018 at 5:44 pm

        Sorry to hear that! You could try adding a splash of water if the mixture seems too dry (some brands of canned chickpeas are dryer than others). Otherwise, try chilling the mixture for a bit.

        Reply
    22. Zahava says

      October 24, 2019 at 11:38 am

      how long in advance can they be made? can they be reheated in the oven? frozen and reheated?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 27, 2019 at 1:58 pm

        I think they'd keep just fine in the fridge for about 2 days and about 3 months in the freezer.

        Reply
    23. Pauline says

      November 16, 2019 at 3:13 am

      4 stars
      Made this yesterday. The recipe is simple enough to make but I found when coating them they were difficult to handle, I made two and put the rest of the mixture into a small dish put a layer of batter on top then the cornmeal mixture, a few blobs of vegan butter and put it in the oven. It worked. I put the two cutlets in the fridge before cooking but when fried they turned out really well and were really yummy, as was the marinara sauce. I topped mine with nutritional yeast too. Another tasty recipe looking forward to putting the leftover cutlet in a sandwich. Thanks

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 17, 2019 at 11:26 am

        They can be a little tricky! Did it seem like the cutlets needed to be firmer for dipping? Adding a little extra chickpea flour might help with that. I'm glad you found a work around and glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    24. Em says

      July 25, 2020 at 9:06 am

      5 stars
      This looked like a really unique recipe that I was super excited to try. They turned out pretty good! Much simpler to make than I had anticipated. I did find that they were lacking a little in flavour, so next time I will throw in some more spices and see what I can come up with.

      I've been looking for a yummy chicken replacement since I went vegan in January, and this has definitely won me over! Even my omni boyfriend enjoyed it, and he's insanely picky. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    25. Stacy says

      November 23, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      5 stars
      This is my main for thanksgiving this year, except with homestyle gravy, mashed potatoes and southern cornbread dressing. I am so excited. Thank you for an awesome recipe! I do make tweaks and add vegan chikn boullion and nutritional yeast in the cutlets. Perfect everytime!

      Reply
    26. Kendra says

      December 28, 2020 at 7:08 pm

      What about using a air fryer instead?

      Reply

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