Vegan Chipotle Chickpea Tacos

chickpea tacos

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 8 servings

Quick and easy chipotle chickpea tacos are crunchy, spicy and on your table in less than thirty minutes. Using canned chickpeas saves a ton of time and yields a delicious result. They are crisped in a cast iron skillet and served with pickled onions, creamy avocado, and a little squeeze of lime. This recipe is vegan, but you could also add cotija cheese if you are able to eat dairy. 

Make the pickled onions ahead of time or just use raw red onion if you’re still looking for crunch and color but don’t have the pickled onions on hand. 

You can easily change up the seasonings in this dish to suit your liking. Try adding a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, fresh minced garlic, cumin, or regular chili powder. The secret is to get the chickpeas crisp first and then add the seasonings and any saucy elements. 

The chickpeas can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated, however, it will be hard to regain their original crispy texture and they are best eaten right away.

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 avocado 
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • Pickled onions
  • For garnish: fresh cilantro leaves

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather your ingredients.

    chickpea taco ingredients
  2. Make sure the chickpeas are mostly dry after draining them. You can pat them dry with a paper towel if you wish. This will help avoid splattering when you add them to the hot pan. Heat the oil on high heat and then add the chickpeas. Cook for about 2 minutes, shaking occasionally until they are golden brown.

    toasted chickpeas
  3. Add the chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper to the pan along with a ¼ cup of water. You can also substitute vegetable stock for even more flavor. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the chickpeas’ color has deepened and the water has mostly evaporated.

    chipotle chickpeas
  4. Mash the avocado along with the juice of half of the lime and the chopped cilantro. Add some salt to taste.

    smashed avocado
  5. Char the tortillas on an open flame, or simply heat them for 10-15 seconds per side in a hot skillet. The heat will make them more pliable and less likely to break when you top them and eat.

    charred chickpea tacos
  6. Spread some of the mashed avocado into each tortilla and then divide the chickpeas evenly among the tortillas. Top with the pickled onions and fresh cilantro leaves. Squeeze the remaining lime juice over the top of each taco and serve immediately.

    chickpea tacos

Recipe Tips

Serve these tacos with your favorite Mexican sides like...

Mexican rice

Elote

Guacamole

Pico de Gallo

Esquites


If you are feeling adventurous you can try your hand at making your own corn tortillas. Flour tortillas also work well in this recipe. Just remember to heat them up too.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
390 Calories
17g Fat
51g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 390
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 587mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 18%
Dietary Fiber 10g 37%
Protein 14g
Calcium 210mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)