Chickpea Tacos

Want to enjoy a crispy, hearty and comforting meal on your taco night. These chickpea tacos are the ultimate super meal, a tasty, healthy, and easy lunch or dinner addition you can enjoy. In addition to taco seasonings, I have also added some extra spices and veggies for extra flavor. 

 

These chickpea tacos have become my favorite weeknight meal, even though my kids love to enjoy these crispy, hearty tacos at dinnertime. My favorite part of preparing these recipes is how easily everyone can assemble their own tacos the way they like them. 

 

Furthermore, don’t be shy to change the taco toppings as you wish! You can easily add your creativity with tacos, and I am a big fan of using what’s already in my refrigerator. It is a perfect recipe for meatless Monday and taco Tuesday! 

It’s just me, I’m a ‘do it yourself kind of person. Some of my favorite DIY seasonings are Adobo seasoning,  Jerk Seasoning,  Creole Seasoning, Easy Curry Powder, Jamaican Jerk Sauce. 

Why You Will Love to Have Chickpea Tacos?

 

• So Quick! These chickpea tacos are such an easy meatless meal that will be served on the table in about 18 minutes and the preparation time is also minimal. That means you can easily cook other dishes besides tacos like vegan jicama slaw. This will add an amazing refreshing vibe, and you will have a flavorful and healthy veggie-filled dinner ready served in minutes! 
• Cooking cleanup is a snap! When you are cooking the chickpeas, you need to add some oils, spices, and regular stirring, and there won’t be anything stuck with your pan when it is time to clean up. 
• So easy! The easy chickpea tacos are so simple that you only need chopping and stirring skills. A simple, delicious meal doesn’t need to have tons of work and is difficult to process. Sometimes a simple meal can end up with the most delicious feeling.   
• Diet-friendly! This recipe is vegan and gluten-free (if you use corn tortillas) and packed with essential protein and other nutritions.  

Chickpea Health Benefits

 

Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans, and they have been cultivated and eaten in Middle Eastern countries for many years. They have a grainy texture and nutty taste, which goes pretty well alongside other ingredients and foods. See Green Chickpeas.

 

Chickpeas are a great source of minerals, vitamins, and fiber; they offer various health benefits to us. Also, chickpeas are high in protein, making them a great replacement for meat in many vegan and vegetarian dishes even though they are very cheap. Here are some must-know chickpea health benefits that you should know. See How To Cook Chickpeas?

 

Keeps The Full Feeling 

 

Chickpeas are filled with fiber and protein, which give us the full feeling for a longer period of time after having a meal. Meaning we will be able to wait longer for our next meal. This full feeling can decrease our total calorie intake in every meal. And by decreasing the calorie intake, we can easily manage our weight.

 

Good Source of Plant Protein

 

Chickpeas are a great source of protein, and a study suggests that chickpeas have better quality plant protein than other types of legumes. It is highly recommended to eat chickpeas by pairing them with whole grains that contain quinoa and methionine. They have essential amino acids, but they do not have methionine.

 

Keeps Healthy Blood Sugar Regulation

 

Chickpeas can support healthy blood sugar regulation because of low GI, high fiber, and protein. As a result, we have less risk of getting heart disease and diabetes. 

 

Benefits Digestion

 

The high presence of fiber in chickpeas can benefit our digestion by supporting our bowel movements and increasing the total amount of healthy bacteria in our gut.

 

Protects From Several Chronic Diseases

 

Chickpeas can protect us from several chronic diseases such as heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer for their nutrition. Also, all of those chronic diseases are very dangerous for every human being, so chickpeas are a good source to get rid of them or stay safe from them. 

 

Promotes Brain Health

 

Zinc, magnesium, selenium, and choline of chickpeas are known to support brain health. Infants will have good brain development when their mother eats chickpeas during their pregnancy.

 

Prevents Iron Deficiency

 

Chickpeas can prevent iron deficiency as they are a great source of iron. So we can have no fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath if we eat chickpeas. Also, vitamin C of chickpeas can boost our body’s iron absorption.

Chickpea Tacos Ingredients and Substitutions

 

• Chickpeas: Chickpeas are my favorite legume because they are so versatile. It’s a plant-based protein and an amazing, fantastic base for your tacos. We have made it to the next level by mixing all the homemade taco seasonings and spices. This recipe is made with canned chickpeas, but you can easily substitute them with dried chickpeas and roast them. 
• Homemade Taco Seasoning: I have used homemade taco seasoning by combining them with various spices. You can easily blend in other spices you prefer in this recipe.  
• Taco Shells: You can easily go with any kind of taco shells you like. There are some variations available, but mostly I use flour and corn ones. 
• Olive oil: I have used olive oil for this recipe, but you can use other cooking oil of choice. 
• Fresh garlic: Get fresh garlic to add savory texture to your taco filling. 
• Medium onion: Finely chopped onion adds a good flavor to the taco fillings.   

How To Make Chickpea Tacos?

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne pepper, sugar and cook until fragrant about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and stir to coat, using the back of the spoon to mash some of the chickpeas for about 2 minutes.
3. If the chickpeas are too dry you may now add about 1 tablespoon or 2 of water to moisten. Season with salt to taste.
4. To assemble, place about 1/4 cup chickpeas in each taco shell, then layer with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Garnish with lettuce, tomato, spring onions.

Make Air Fryer Roasted Chickpeas

 

To roast the chickpeas in your air fryer, add them to the basket of your air fryer. Then cook at 400ºF (205ºC) for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chickpeas are perfectly cooked and crispy. 

Should I Use Canned or Homemade Beans in this Recipe?

 

You can use either canned or homemade beans for this recipe. I mostly use canned ones because they are available, easy, and convenient. However, if you use homemade beans, then it will work too. 

 

To make chickpea tacos, use a 15-ounce can of chickpeas that have been rinsed and drained, or you can use 1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas. 

 

To prepare the dried chickpeas, you need to soak them in water and simmer them for at least an hour or so until they become soft and tender. 

How to Prepare Homemade Taco Seasonings? 

 

The taco seasoning is really quick and easy to prepare and works great as a seasoning on everything from tacos to preparing meat, seafood, rice, vegetables, soups, salads, and more.  

 

Combine chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Mix all the ingredients together in a small jar, cover, and shake. The batch of homemade taco seasoning will stay fresh for about a year.  

 

More Mexican Inspired Recipes To Try:

• Vegan Mexican Street Corn
• Easy Black Bean Enchiladas
• Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
• Instant Pot Mexican Meatball Soup
• Instant Pot Mexican Rice
• Black Bean Tacos
• Black Bean Burritos

How to Prepare Homemade Taco Shells? 

 

If you are a homemade taco fan, you know that warmed tortillas are the way to go when you prepare soft tacos. But what about hard and crunchy tacos? You can prepare your own hard and crunchy tacos today!

 

I want to prepare my own gluten-free tacos since me and my family loves to eat gluten-free options. It can get expensive over time buying taco shells. That’s why preparing homemade ones can be reasonably inexpensive. 

 

To make this, you need tortillas, a metal cupcake pan or an oven rack, and a non-stick cooking spray. Here are the following instructions to prepare your beautiful taco shells. 

If you are using a cupcake pan, 

 

• First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place 3 tortillas in the microwave to heat them for about 20 seconds. In that way, they will be flexible and bend together without breaking. 
• Flip over the cupcake pan and spray the pan with oil. Push the corn tortillas in the pan to form a star shape. Bake in the oven for at least 8 to 20 minutes. 
• Allow the taco shells to cool slightly on the oven rack, and then add your favorite taco fillings. 

If you are using an oven rack, 

 

• The process is similar; all you need to do is assemble the oven rack. 
• Place the racks in the oven middle position and make sure at least 4” of room between the oven rack. 
• Drape the tortillas over two bars of your oven rack and start baking until they are golden brown and crispy. 

Serving Ideas

 

• No taco night is complete without a bowl of beautiful yummy cilantro rice as a side dish. The zesty flavor of fresh lime, green onion, and cilantro goes perfectly with the tacos. 
• You can add mushrooms, sweet potato, cauliflower, grilled corn, shredded lettuce, red onion, etc. 
• You may also want to add some crumbled vegan feta or shredded cheese. 

 

Taco filling options 

 

If you want to add a different base of flavor to your taco filling, you can use the same procedure with black beans. They taste different than the chickpeas, but they are hearty and delicious. You can also try out the combination of two. 

Topping Ideas 

 

• If you want to try something tangy there, you can use sour cream on top.
• Add some garlicky coconut milk yogurt and cilantro sauce. You can prepare this by mixing coconut milk, salt, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. It will make a delicious topping over any kind of tacos.
• Shiitake mushrooms add a rich meaty, smokey, and savory flavor to your tacos. 
• Scoop out guacamole on top of the tacos. 
• Add some rich, nutty, and creamy cashew sour cream on top of the tacos. 
• Chipotle sauce is so addictive that I bet you will love to have them with your tacos. 
• Vegan ranch dressing is a must thing to add with your tacos to make it a combination of rich, garlicky, and tangy flavors.  
• Feel free to add some tahini sauce if you want. 

How to Store and Freeze Chickpea Tacos?

 

• You can store any leftover chickpeas in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. You can simply reheat in a skillet or microwave, as needed. 
• Fresh vegetables will need to be eaten sooner, at least within 1 to 2 days.  
• The leftover chickpea tacos are best to eat within 3 days, but if you made too many leftovers, freeze them in an airtight container. You should store them in small portions so you can grab out one whenever you want instead of a big mess. They will stay fresh for about 12 months. 

Additional Tips and Tricks

• You can remove the skin from the chickpeas if you prefer, but mostly it’s not necessary. Removing the skin from the chickpeas will allow you to get the chickpeas crispier. But removing the skin one by one is a lot of work and very boring. However, they will taste the same.    
• If you want a bit of kick to your vegan chickpea tacos, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper or black pepper to the mixture to increase the heat of the recipe. 
• If you are not in love with chickpeas, you can also substitute them with other legumes such as kidney beans, white beans, black beans, etc. 
• If you have leftovers, give them a quick saute in oil before serving them. You need to bring back the original crispy and crunchy texture.  

Other Chickpea Recipes

1. Vegan Chickpea Stew
2. Chickpea Burger
3. Vegan Chickpea Salad
4. Jamaican Style Chickpea Curry
5. Chickpea Shepherd’s Pie

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