These delicious chickpea fritters are fluffy, slightly spicy, and aromatic. The plant-based fritters with chickpeas abound in the Greek islands and are served here with a tahini lemon yogurt sauce.

Chickpea fritters on a wire rack over a cloth, a lemon wedge and a bowl with yogurt sauce.

Why this recipe sings

These chickpea fritters are very tasty, healthy, and low-calorie. Ideal for any time of the day, they can be a snack, lunch or dinner, or even a delicious appetizer. They are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. They don’t require much frying so the fresh herbs and veggies retain their unique lovely aroma.

For an extra punch of flavor the fritters are served with a terrific yogurt sauce with tahini and lemon.

Here is what you need for the fritters

Ingredients for chickpea fritters on a butcher box.

Chickpeas. I use already cooked chickpeas. You can get canned, rince chickpeas very well, drain and use. You can also use dry chickpeas, soaked for 24 hours. You can find the soaking method in recipe card). I prefer the already cooked version for faster result and better digestion. Chickpeas and other beans can be hard to digest for some people (I am one of them).
Potatoes. Boiled in their skin and then the flesh is mashed and mixed with the ground chickpeas.
Onion and scallions. Using both adds diffrent layers of flavor.
Fresh mint, parsley and sage. Each fresh herb adds freshness and brightness.
Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, chili flakes and ground cumin and . The fisrt three for flavor,and heat . Ground cumin is a favorite for a warm, earthy and slightly citrusy note in this recipe.
All purpose flour for coating the fritters. For a little crunch.
Olive oil. For frying. You can also use sunflower oil.

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Here is what you need for the tahini lemon yogurt sauce

This fantastic yogurt tahini sauce is inspired by a recipe of one of my favorite chefs and cookbook authors Yotam Ottolenghi.

Tahini. Tahini is a smooth, creamy sauce made of toasted sesame seeds, oil and sometimes salt.
Greek yogurt. I prefer a full fat yogurt but 2% works just as well.
Lemon juice.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Garlic.
Sea salt.

Detailed measurements for this sauce can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Step by step chickpea fritters

A bowl with mashed potatoes and a masher.

Wash potatoes very well and add them whole with skin to a stockpot. Fill the stockpot with enough water to cover the potatoes and place on medium-high heat. Boil potatoes until soft. When done, remove potatoes from the water and set them aside to cool a little. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes, add them to a bowl, and mash with a fork or masher.

Ground cooked chickpeas in a blender, some scallions and herbs on a butcher block.

Add the chickpeas to a food processor or blender. Pulse chickpeas a few times. to create a semi fine grain. It’s ok if you have bigger chunks between more refined ground pieces.

Add the chickpeas, mashed potatoes, chopped herbs, cumin, chili flakes, sea salt, and pepper in a large bowl, and mix well.

Add half a cup of all-purpose flour to a plate.

Take a full tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into a small ball, then press it down with your hand to flatten it a bit.

A plate with flour and a fritter, next to a platter with floured fritters. Some lemons and a garlic head, all on a table.

Roll each fritter into the flour. Shake it between your hands to remove the excess flour—place fritters on a separate dish. Repeat the process with the rest of the mixture.

Add oil to a skillet and heat oil in medium-high heat.

Fry the chickpea fritters in hot oil until they turn golden brown on all sides, about 1.5 to 2 minutes per side.

Remove fritters in a wire rack to drain extra oil.

Tips and suggestions

When I am in a hurry, I grind the chickpeas and mash the potatoes as quickly as possible and am not so precise. Sure, the patties might feel looser and less staying together, but the extra thicker pieces that might stay on the sides of the fritters will be crispy and so good when fried. Basically, there is no wrong method when making these. You can shape perfectly round patties or be creative. Flatten them, create irregular shapes or into a football shape. All is good. The whole point is to have fun while creating delicious food.
Serve these with the yogurt tahini sauce and a caramelized onion chutney. It is a great combination that we enjoy often. The sharp, savory, garlicky sauce goes so well with the fritters and a touch of the chutney.