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Roasted Chickpea Tacos

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Roasted chickpea tacos are a fun and affordable way to provide your family with protein. Crispy chickpeas are also a great snack!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
An assortment of roasted chickpea tacos laying on a marble surface.

Thank you to Graves Beans for sponsoring this post. All views and opinions are my own.

Though not strictly vegetarian, I cook plant-based meals often. These roasted chickpea tacos have become one of our favourite weeknight meals! Once the chickpeas are roasted in the oven or air fryer, everything comes together very quickly. My favourite part of making this recipe is how easy it is to just set out dishes of toppings on the table; Everyone can assemble their own tacos the way they like them.

This recipe leans on Indian spices for the roasted chickpeas, however, feel free to mix up the blend with whatever is in your pantry. A Mexican-inspired taco seasoning blend would also be terrific. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to change the toppings! With tacos, I think the sky is the limit for creativity. Also, I’m a big fan of using up what’s already in my fridge.

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Rinsed and dried chickpeas, partially tossed with oil and spices, ready to be roasted in the oven for chickpea tacos.

Ingredients

For The Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients to make crispy roasted chickpeas.

For The Taco Assembly

Ingredients to make roasted chickpea tacos.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dump the chickpeas into a colander in the sink. Rinse and drain them well then remove any loose outer shells.

Lay a tea towel out on a work surface. Spread the chickpeas out on half of the towel. Cover the chickpeas with the other half of the towel then rub them gently but firmly to help dry them out. Some of your chickpeas may get squished. It happens.

Lift back the section of the towel covering the chickpeas. Remove as many loose shells as you can (this is a personal preference and is optional).

A hand plucking loose shells from chickpeas spread out on a tea towel.

Place the chickpeas in a bowl. Add the spices, salt, and oil. Stir well to combine.

A bowl of drained rinsed chickpeas tossed with spices, salt, and oil in a glass bowl.

Spread the chickpeas out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the chickpeas until crisp. Remove the tray from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Cool the crunchy chickpeas completely before storing in an airtight container on the counter for up to two days.

Make Air Fryer Chickpeas

I created this recipe post before I owned an air fryer. To roast chickpeas in the air fryer:

Follow the recipe to the point of roasting, then place the chickpeas in the basket of an air fryer. Cook at 400ºF (205ºC) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chickpeas are crisp.

Cooked spiced chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Assemble The Roasted Chickpea Tacos

After the chickpeas are roasted, wrap the corn tortillas together in a large piece of foil and place them in the still-warm oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the warmed tortillas from the oven. Lay them out flat and top each one with shredded purple cabbage, red onion, sliced avocado, a squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro leaves, and dressing(s) of choice. Eat and enjoy!

A single roasted chickpea taco laying flat and shot from overhead.

Notes & Tips

This recipe makes six tacos which, with two adults and a small child, is the perfect amount for my family. If you are serving more people, double or triple the recipe.

Chickpea tacos are best served with freshly roasted crispy chickpeas and warm corn tortillas.

Use any dressing or sauce you like as a topping. A drizzle of this pesto mayo or spicy garlic aioli (or both!) would be terrific.

Roasted chickpeas only remain crispy at room temperature for a couple of hours. To refresh, re-heat in the oven or air fryer if you have one.

Substitutions

I used Graves chickpeas for this recipe, however, use any canned chickpeas available to you. You can also cook dried chickpeas and roast them if you prefer.

Use any light neutral-flavoured oil you like or have on hand.

Any spice blend you like can be substituted for the spices in this recipe.

I go easy on the salt when I can, however, your palate may want more. Adjust the salt amount after roasting if you want.

Use flour tortillas if you like.

Swap in any taco toppings you prefer. Avocado, lime, and cilantro are my ride-or-dies but everything else is fair game!

Three roasted chickpea tacos standing upright in a white round enamel plate shot from overhead.

More Easy Meal Ideas

Shredded Chicken Salad With Grapes & Almonds
Jamaican Steamed Cabbage
Homemade Mango Habanero Salsa
Instant Pot Artichokes

Printable Recipe Card

An assortment of roasted chickpea tacos laying on a marble surface.

Roasted Chickpea Tacos

Author: Kelly Neil
Roasted chickpea tacos are a fun and affordable way to provide your family with protein. Crispy chickpeas are also a great snack!
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Family Meal Ideas
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 2 servings
Calories 317 kcal

Special Equipment

  • Baking sheet if not using air fryer
  • Parchment paper if not using air fryer
  • Air fryer if not using oven
  • Colander
  • Clean tea towel
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Measuring spoons
  • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
  • Aluminum foil
Need Metric Measurements?Use the button options below to toggle between US cups and Metric grams.

Ingredients
  

For The Roasted Chickpeas

  • One 14 to 19-ounce can of chickpeas
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil , such as canola, vegetable, or coconut
  • 1 teaspoon each garam masala, ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon each cumin, paprika, turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For The Tacos

  • 6 corn tortillas
  • ½ cup purple cabbage, shredded
  • ¼ cup red onion, diced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 lime , cut into wedges
  • fresh cilantro leaves
  • dressing or sauce of your choice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Rinse and drain the chickpeas in a colander. Remove any loose outer shells.
  • Spread the chickpeas out on one half of a tea towel. Cover the chickpeas with the other half of the towel. Rubbing the chickpeas gently but firmly to help dry them. Remove as many loose shells as you can (this is a personal preference and is optional).
  • Place the chickpeas in a bowl.  Add the oil, spices, and salt. Stir well to combine.
  • Spread the chickpeas in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the chickpeas until crisp, about 27 to 30 minutes.
  • Remove the tray from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Cool the chickpeas completely before storing them in an airtight container on the counter for up to two days.
  • After the chickpeas are roasted, wrap the corn tortillas together in a large piece of foil and place them in the still-warm oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Remove the warmed tortillas from the oven. Lay them out flat and top each one with roasted chickpeas, shredded purple cabbage, red onion, sliced avocado, a squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro leaves, and dressing(s) of choice.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes six tacos which, with two adults and a small child, is the perfect amount for my family. If you are serving more people, double or triple the recipe.
Chickpea tacos are best served with freshly roasted crispy chickpeas and warm corn tortillas.
Use any dressing or sauce you like as a topping. A drizzle of this pesto mayo or spicy garlic aioli (or both!) would be terrific.
Roasted chickpeas only remain crispy at room temperature for a couple of hours. To refresh, re-heat in the oven or air fryer if you have one.

Substitutions

I used Graves chickpeas for this recipe, however, use any canned chickpeas available to you. You can also cook dried chickpeas and roast them if you prefer.
If you have an air fryer, make air fryer chickpeas! Simply follow the recipe to the point of roasting, then place the chickpeas in the basket of an air fryer. Cook at 400ºF (205ºC) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chickpeas are crisp.
Use any light neutral-flavoured oil you like or have on hand.
Any spice blend you like can be substituted for the spices in this recipe.
I go easy on the salt when I can, however, your palate may want more. Adjust the salt amount after roasting if you want.
Use flour tortillas if you like.
Swap in any taco toppings you prefer. Avocado, lime, and cilantro are my ride-or-die ingredients but everything else is fair game!

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 10gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 70mgFiber: 12gSugar: 7g

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. If accurate data is important to you, please verify it independently.

Did you make this recipe?Let me know on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or tag #kellyneil!

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11 Comments

  1. Liking the look of this Kelly! Beautiful photography. Going to have the family try this for taco night this week, bet it will be a winner!

    1. Awesome Matt, thank you so much!! My friend Kris (@shipshapeeatworthy on Instagram) made them for her family last night, completely unsolicited, and they loved them. I hope you love them too!! Thank you so much for reading!!

  2. Making these this week! Very curious about your new flexitarian menus! Also looking to cook less meat for the fam!

    1. I have a whole new post next week coming out about a consultation I had with an in-store dietician at Superstore!! I learned SO MUCH. Meal planning is saving my sanity!

    1. Aw, thanks so much Melanie! I’ve been eating primarily plant-based since Christmas so I’ve been trying to come up with recipes my family will enjoy. These were (luckily) approved by my three year old! Ha!

  3. I love roasted chickpeas! This sounds like a delicious weeknight option that I need to make very soon. So much fresh flavor!

  4. 5 stars
    Oh, these look so yummy, I want them for breakfast right now, lol. I think I drooled a little. Your photos are so lovely!

  5. 5 stars
    Love the idea of roasted chickpea tacos and that yoghurt and lime dressing sounds divine. I always find simple and delicious meals like this particularly appealing.

  6. 5 stars
    Roasted chickpeas are amazing as they are but when you make them part of tacos, it becomes anyone’s dream! Delicious recipe.that I am really keen to make now!

  7. I’ve been eating a LOT of chickpeas recently. Never had them with tacos but I definitely want to try this!

5 from 4 votes

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