Perfect for busy nights, these Crispy Chickpea Tacos are ready in 30 minutes and have the perfect amount of crunch! Roasted chickpeas are drizzled with an herby chimichurri-style sauce that takes just a few minutes to mix up, creating a mix of tangy, smoky, and savory flavors.
If you need a quick weeknight meal that's shockingly simple to make, look no further than these Crispy Chickpea Tacos!
Made with roasted chickpeas and an ultra-flavorful chimichurri style-sauce, these tacos are ready with only 10 minutes of active time.
If you've never made chimichurri sauce before, get ready to fall in love! Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce made with herbs, oil, and vinegar. My spin on it uses cilantro, but if you're not a cilantro fan then you can use an equal amount of parsley.
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Ingredients
- Chickpeas: We're using two cans of chickpeas to make 3-4 servings of chickpeas tacos. You can also try cooking your own chickpeas with my Instant Pot Chickpeas recipe.
- Chimichurri-inspired sauce: My version uses fresh cilantro (this is key, note that dry won't work!), red wine vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes (optional but recommend), a grated clove of garlic, and minced shallot. It's acidic, tangy, and a touch spicy from the red pepper flakes.
- Flour tortillas: I'm typically more into corn tortillas, but soft flour tortillas contrast the crispy chickpeas well. Feel free to use corn tortillas if that's what you have on hand.
- Avocado: Adding a creamy component is key. The healthy fats and fiber from avocado also help to make the tacos more satisfying.
Chimichurri sauce
Chimichurri is typically made with parsley and oregano, but I like cilantro better with tacos, so that's what I'm using for my version.
If you don't like cilantro, simply use an equal amount of flat-leaf parsley!
Extra chimichurri can be drizzled on roasted sweet potatoes, tossed with quinoa, or added anywhere that could use a little extra flavor.
Roast or air fry
I typically make crispy chickpeas using my Air Fryer Chickpeas recipe because it's so quick, but I'm including oven-roasted options for those who don't have an air fryer.
- The canned chickpeas should be drain, rinsed, and patted dry with a towel or paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- In the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer, then air fry at 390F for 12-15 minutes, shaking halfway through.
- In the oven: Bake at 425F for 20-25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through.
Storage notes
This recipe makes 3-4 servings, or 8 chickpea tacos total.
Roasted chickpeas lose their crispness when refrigerated. To return some of the crispness, reheat the chickpeas in a pan over medium heat, or air fry at 375F for just 2-3 minutes.
The chimichurri sauce is best within 3-4 days because the cilantro wilts and loses its color. Keep refrigerated.
More easy vegetarian tacos
Recipe
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Crispy Chickpea Tacos with Chimichurri
Ingredients
For the chickpeas and tacos
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or other cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for serving
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 8 6-inch flour tortillas
- 2 medium avocados
- roasted pepitas, cotija cheese, additional cilantro and lime wedges for serving
For the chimichurri sauce
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 small shallot
- 1 fat clove garlic
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice from ½ lime
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat dry with a paper towel.
- Transfer the chickpeas to a half sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, then sprinkle with the chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and sugar. Use a spatula to toss the chickpeas in the seasonings.
- Bake the chickpeas at 425F for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. The chickpeas are ready when golden brown and crisp.
- Meanwhile, make the chimichurri sauce. Finely chop ½ cup of cilantro leaves, then transfer to a medium bowl. Mince the shallot, then measure out 1 tablespoon and add to the bowl. Mince the clove of garlic and add to the bowl.
- Drizzle in the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, red wine vinegar, salt, and optional red pepper flakes. Use a small whisk or fork to stir well. Set aside.
- Warm the flour tortillas in the microwave or brown in a cast iron skillet over high heat for about 1 minute on each side, until starting to brown.
- Assemble tacos by adding ¼ of an avocado to a flour tortilla. Mash with a fork, then sprinkle with salt. Top with a few spoonfuls of crispy chickpeas, then drizzle with the chimichurri sauce, to taste. Garnish with pepitas, cotija cheese, and additional cilantro, if desired. Makes 8 tacos. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you don't like cilantro, an equal amount of parsley can be used in the chimichurri sauce instead.
- In the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer, then air fry at 390F for 12-15 minutes, shaking halfway through. To reheat crispy chickpeas in the air fryer, air fry at 375F for 3-5 minutes.
- The chickpeas and chimichurri sauce are best within 3-4 days. Keep refrigerated.
- Nutrition calculations are an estimation and will vary based on how much chimichurri sauce is used on each taco.
Sue says
Made this exactly according to recipe - it was delicious!!!
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Wonderful! Thanks for the review! 🙂
Rachel says
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Super quick and easy, and that Chimichurri sauce is amazing! Will definitely be keeping this one on the list.
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Isn't the chimichurri so delicious?! Thanks for the review! 🙂