This chickpea cutlets with savory mustard sauce recipe is a fantastic vegan and oil-free dinner featuring breaded chickpea patties that bake while you whip up a simple mustard lover's gravy.

Before chickpea burgers, oil-free hummus, and quick chickpea patty recipes, my vegan food and cooking journey and appreciation for the power of chickpeas started with these savory cutlets. And because I wanted something different, I created this recipe without vital wheat gluten (seitan) using homemade whole wheat breadcrumbs and no added oil.
Want to save this recipe? 🥣
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No-fuss cutlets are great for plant-based beginners with results that distinguish you as a pro.
- Easily adaptable for a gluten-free diet, using gluten-free bread or cornmeal for the cutlet breading and Tamari in the mustard sauce.
- Made with simple and inexpensive plant-based ingredients.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oats. Ground rolled oats are the binder. When I tested this recipe, I also tried seitan and chickpea flour. I've found that seitan can leave a strong wheat flavor and chewy texture. Although I love chickpea flour for veggie balls, it's pretty sticky when rolling cutlet dough in breadcrumbs. I've not tried this recipe with quinoa flour, but it would be my first choice as a substitute and is gluten-free.
- Chickpeas. I used 2 regular cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), 3 cups if you make them in the Instant Pot, pressure cooker, or boil them on the stove.
- Breadcrumbs. Full disclosure: I use a couple of pieces of homemade whole-wheat bread. I've stuck with it because I love the texture after baking. You can also use panko, commercial breadcrumbs, gluten-free bread, or fine cornmeal.
- Parsley. Fresh parsley (½ cup) is a main ingredient. I like flat-leaf Italian parsley. Because curly parsley is slightly stronger, use ⅓ cup if you make that substitute.
- Mustard. I use a combination of mustard powder and prepared mustard. I prefer Dion mustard, but good old American-style mustard is an excellent substitute.
- Cornstarch. This thickens the mustard sauce. Substitute with arrowroot, tapioca starch, or all-purpose flour.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Recipe Variations
If you aren't a mustard fan, consider one of my other favorite sauces like chipotle raspberry sauce, Huli Huli barbecue sauce, or gluten-free mushroom gravy. Or shake it up with vegan maple mustard dressing or wasabi dipping sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Grind the oats in a food processor, add the remaining ingredients, and blend. Leave a few whole chickpeas if desired. Check that you can form a ball.
Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Form balls, then roll them in breadcrumbs. Form a rectangular cutlet shape. Make sure the sides of each patty are covered with breadcrumbs.
Baked on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through until the cutlets are golden brown.
Make the mustard sauce by sauteing the onion and adding garlic and spices. Mix in prepared mustard, vegetable broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch slurry.
Pro Tips
- Make cutlets no more than ½ inch thick to ensure a firm middle after baking.
- Test the chickpea mixture before removing it from the food processor. Form a ball. It should have a cookie dough texture. If it crumbles and won't stick together, pulse it a few times, then test again. Add a tablespoon of water or aquafaba if it's still too dry. If it melts into your hand, add oats, a tablespoon at a time. Keep blending and testing.
- To make ahead, store blend the cutlet dough, transfer it to a large bowl, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bake fresh cutlets when you're ready.
Denise's Saucy Tip
When you use a thickener like cornstarch, arrowroot, or flour, always mix it with liquid before adding it to your saucepan. This prevents lumps from forming. A straight flour shot might work for vegan Irish stew or chickpea dumpling soup, but not when heating liquid is involved.
Serving Suggestions
Side chickpea cutlets smothered in mustard sauce with rainbow quinoa pilaf, mashed garlic potatoes, or roasted Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. I served them with creamy vegan scalloped potatoes for a delicious holiday meal. And I'm already planning on strawberry quinoa salad for the springtime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover cutlets in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days. They can be frozen for 3 months and reheated from frozen in the oven or air fryer.
To reheat, place cutlets on a baking sheet in a preheated oven and cover them loosely with foil. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes to crisp them.
The easiest way to make oil-free cutlets is to bake or air fry them. A frying pan will require oil. It's also more challenging to get the middle of the cutlets to cook when frying.
I recently tried air-frying crispy chickpea cutlets. Although I needed 2 batches to accommodate 6 cutlets, they came out great. Air fry at 375 F (190 C) for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Chickpea Cutlets with Savory Mustard Sauce (Oil-Free)
Rate this Recipe:
Ingredients
Chickpea Cutlet Ingredients
- ⅔ cup rolled oats
- 3 cups chickpeas - 2 15-ounce/400-gram cans,reserve ¼ cup
- 1 small onion - peeled and cut into quarters (about ½ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic - peeled and minced or quartered
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley - (Italian parsley) or ⅓ cup curly parsley.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup dry breadcrumbs - (see note 1)
Mustard Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch - substitute with arrowroot or all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup water
- 1 small red onion - diced small
- 2 cloves garlic - minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- ¼ cup prepared mustard - use Dijon, American-style, or a mix
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce - use Tamari for gluten-free
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
Instructions
How to Make Chickpea Cutlets
- Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- To make homemade breadcrumbs, add 2-3 slices of toasted or dry bread to the food processor. Pulse to make crumbs. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a large plate and set aside.
- Add the oats to your food processor and blend them until they break into powder.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the breadcrumbs. Pulse to combine the ingredients. Test the mixture by forming a ball. If it crumbles, pulse a few more times. Test again and add aquafaba (chickpea liquid) a tablespoon at a time, pulsing and testing until you can form a ball. Add more oats if the mixture is too wet and melts in your hand.
- Divide the mixture into 6 even pieces and form balls.
- Roll each ball in the breadcrumbs. Form cutlets rectangular cutlets about ½ an inch thick. Place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake the cutlets in the center of the oven for 20 minutes until they brown on top. Flip them and bake for an additional 15 minutes until they are golden brown.
- How to Make Mustard Sauce
- In a small bowl or cup, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup of water. Set aside.
- Heat a saucepan to medium heat and add the diced red onion. Saute for 1-2 minutes to soften the onions. If the onions begin to stick, add water or vegetable broth a tablespoon at a time.
- Add the garlic, thyme, and mustard powder. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Whisk in the prepared mustard, then add the soy sauce and vegetable broth.
- Let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes, then add the cornstarch slurry.
- Whisk or stir the sauce for a few minutes and simmer for another 5 minutes to thicken.
Video
Notes
- I make homemade breadcrumbs using dry or toasted bread because it's convenient. You can also use commercial breadcrumbs, panko, or gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- If you don't have a food processor, use a spice or coffee grinder to break down the oats (or use oat flour). Finely dice the onions and parsley. Add the oats and chickpeas to a mixing bowl. Mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher, then mix in the remaining ingredients.
- Instead of baking, air fry the cutlets at 375 F (190 C) for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- The cutlet mixture can be made and stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days before making and baking the cutlets.
- Store baked cutlets in an airtight container or wrap them in foil. Refrigerate for 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer. Wrap them in foil and uncover the last few minutes of reheating to crisp them.
- Store leftover mustard sauce separately. Refrigerate for 4-5 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Tara
Thank you! I was looking for a gluten free recipe for this. Do you know if this freezes well?
Denise
Hi, these are easily made gluten-free if you use gf bread crumbs for the coating. You could also use cornmeal. Freeze them after baking, and separate them with parchment paper if you freeze them together. Pop them into the oven, covered at first, so they don't burn, then take off the cover, and flip them after they have browned. You could also freeze them before baking, then thaw and roll them in the coating and bake per the instructions. Cheers!
Jocelyn
This looks great! I wonder if I could just use oat flour instead of blending up oats.
Denise
Hi Jocelyn, oat flour is a fine substitute. Use about half the amount as the recipe calls for in terms of the rolled oats. You may need to adjust the amount to get them to form the cutlets. I hope you enjoy this - it's a favorite of ours.
karen
Made these for dinner tonight. I think maybe they were too thin, they came out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Was that right? I didn't have parsley so I subbed arugula, and I wonder if I hampered the dish. It didn't have a lot of taste. My family liked it with the sauce, not enough to ask for it again. Next time I plan on making balls out of this and using it in a veggie bowl, and using the Dijon sauce as a drizzle for the bowl.
Denise
I love the idea for a bowl! I never thought of that. I think if you want to boost the flavor a bit, perhaps seasoning the breadcrumbs would help. I'm going to do some testing and review the recipe (always room for improvement). It might help to add a teaspoon of Italian season mix to the cutlets and another to the breadcrumbs might do the trick. I'm also inspired to try a BBQ version of this recipe. Thanks so much for the feedback - it is so important for me to hear back from people and get feedback. It is much appreciated!
kathy heiss
super easy and yummy- with the gravy there was a nice snappy taste!! - (-:
Denise
Thanks so much for your review! We love, love these cutlets with the mustard gravy. It's a family favorite and a recipe our frequent quests have loved too.
Bob in Tennessee
I love this recipe! I might try adding some Italian seasoning mix to the cutlets & the breadcrumbs as you recommended in a comment above. I goofed when making the sauce and used ground thyme instead of the recommended dried thyme...yikes, that taste was overwhelming! Next time, if I use ground thyme I will cut in half. Also, I used 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard (which I love) but next time I think I'll use Dijon & a brown mustard for more palate teasing! Thanks for this idea! I look forward to trying more of your creations!
Denise
Bob, glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe. It continues to be one of our favorites. You bring up a good point about dried versus fresh herbs. I usually substitute half the amount of dried for fresh. I'm going to note that in the recipe in case other folks run into that. Thanks for your kind words - it is much appreciated. 🙂
Jwiltz
I really liked these and thought they were even better the next day.(Maybe because I didn’t have to cook😜) I was apprehensive about the gravy, but you were right. It was delicious and we didn’t have enough!
Denise
Thanks so much for posting this! I'm grinning and suddenly thinking - I'm making cutlets this weekend. 🙂 Seriously, pleased that you enjoyed this.
Maryellen Hoscila
Thank you darling girl for a new meal treat! I had ALL the ingredients and added a splash of Asian liquid seasoning for a deeper "meaty" flavor & Italian dried herbs in the breadcrumbs. F A B U L O U S!!! My gravy was plentiful and mushroom. I'll try the mustard sauce another time -- and there WILL BE many more times!
Denise Perrault
I am thrilled you enjoyed this one! It's still a favorite of ours. I hope you try more and as always, shoot me an email if there are any recipe requests. You kind comments are MUCH appreciated. 🙂
Melissa S
Hi There,
I have an oat intolerance but I am dying to try your recipe! Any suggestion on what I could use in place of it?
Thanks!
Denise Perrault
Hi, the oats are broken down into a flour and serve as a binder for the cutlets. You can substitute with 1/2 cup of chickpea flour, quinoa flour, breadcrumbs, or a mix of regular flour. I'd start with 1/2 a cup, then adjust until you can form a ball with the mixture that won't fall apart. Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoy this recipe. 🙂