Lemony Lamb Chickpea Patties

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated May 29, 2026

  • Andrew Bui for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 2
Ready In
25 min
Rating
5(84)
Comments
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With only five ingredients, these easy patties are tender with olive oil and frizzled scallion and pleasantly nubbly with mashed chickpeas. The recipe uses a whole bunch of scallions, so there aren’t any stragglers left to languish in the fridge, and it also calls for both the zest and the juice of a lemon. The earthy savoriness of lamb is delicious with lemon and turmeric, but feel free to substitute ground beef or dark-meat ground turkey. (White meat will be too lean.) Serve patties tucked into pita bread with hot sauce and tomatoes, or put them on top of rice or arugula (or both!) with a drizzle of olive oil and yogurt. 

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Ingredients

Yield:6 patties

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil 

  • 1 bunch scallions (6 to 8 medium), chopped

  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

  • 1 pound ground lamb

  • 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric 

  • 1 lemon

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

19 grams carbs; 55 milligrams cholesterol; 385 calories; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 436 milligrams sodium; 18 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Warm the olive oil in a large (12-inch) oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions to the skillet along with a pinch of salt and let them sizzle until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, put the chickpeas into a large mixing bowl and coarsely crush them with a potato masher or a fork.

  4. Step 4

    Pour the scallions and their oil into the bowl with the chickpeas and set the pan aside off the heat. Add the lamb, turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt and several generous grinds of black pepper to the bowl. Zest the lemon into the bowl and then reserve the lemon. Using your hands, gently mix all the ingredients together until they are evenly combined. Form into six equally-sized patties, and then press a shallow indentation into the center of each with your thumb. (This helps the patties keep their shape while cooking.)

  5. Step 5

    Put the patties into the same skillet (no need to clean) over high heat for 30 seconds to a minute to get the browning started. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the patties are just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Spritz lemon juice to taste over the top of the patties and serve. 

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    Ratings

    5 out of 5
    84 user ratings
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    Comments

    joyce

    With tzatziki?

    Meg

    Agreed — next time will serve with a garlicky lemon yogurt sauce of some sort!

    Karen

    After reading the comments and checking the flavor before I put the lamb in, I decided to add a tablespoon of harissa. It was delicious. It was also a bit overdone. Next time I will check the temperature before the 15 minutes are up

    Bird

    These were SO delicious! I served them with a tahini yogurt sauce and veggies and quinoa. I added an egg to mine as a binder because my chickpeas were a bit dry. If using a less flavorful meat like turkey or chicken I would definitely up the aromatics and spices a bit and maybe even add a little msg or better than bouillon to make up for the flavor lost without the lamb. Definitely make these!!!!

    jeff

    This was just not good, IMO. Dry, under spiced and under flavored. The chick peas (which I halved) overwhelmed the lamb, The oven cooking time is twice as long as necessary — and it would be better on the stovetop if it was worth making. Which it is not.

    Elissa

    Has anyone grilled these? I'm trying not to heat up the house :)

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