Crispy Chickpea Tacos with Chimichurri
Crispy roasted chickpeas are drizzled with a Chimichurri-inspired sauce in this quick & easy vegetarian taco recipe. The chickpeas can be made in the oven or air fryer.
Servings: 4 servings (2 tacos each)
Calories: 709kcal
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 709kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Sodium: 912mg | Potassium: 990mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 7mg
