These mustard chili chickpeas are super flavorful with a nice kick coming from the chili powder and mustard. Perfect meal prep that takes less than 30 mins.

If anything takes longer than 30 minutes during the summer, I’m very much not inclined to make it. It’s just the sad truth. Between being exhausted from world events and working double at work, as much as I love cooking, I just haven’t been up to doing anything tedious. Enter these mustard chili chickpeas, lots of flavorful spices, a little touch of that vinegary mustard and you have a meal ready for dinner or perfect to prep for the week ahead.

Table of Contents

Ingredients to make mustard chili chickpeas

Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas for this for ease and convenience. Do not worry about salted cans of chickpeas. If you properly rinse and drain them, you can remove a good deal of sodium.
Soy sauce/Tamari: This provides a nice umami flavor. Umami gives that savory kick to food that is classic or similar to those flavors you find in meat, but obviously without the meat.
Onions, Celery, Green Bell Pepper: Be sure to dice all to the same size. These ingredients help to amp up flavors and build the foundation of the whole dish overall.
Brown Mustard: Technically, you can use the mustard you like, but for me I had brown mustard on hand and I felt with the balance of vinegar it has, it worked really well.
Sugar: Since there is a lot of pungent flavors, having the balance of the sweet really helps to round out this dish really well. You can opt for sweeteners like coconut sugar or maple syrup if desired.
Garlic, Chili Powder, Sazon, Adobo Seasoning, Smoked Paprika, and Salt and Pepper: A lot of spices, but each one plays a part in providing a nice smoky flavor, while also playing on different earthy and savory flavors.

How to make mustard chili chickpeas

Start with sauteing your onions, celery, and green bell pepper.
Add in your minced garlic and saute until fragrant then add in all the remaining spices and stir to combine together.
Toss in your chickpeas and a splash of soy sauce/tamari to help coat your chickpeas in all the flavor.
Fold in some mustard, sugar and a little vegetable broth or water to help deglaze the pan and further enrich the chickpeas in flavor.
Allow to simmer and cook down until chickpeas are glossy, then season with salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Tips for making flavorful and saucy mustard chili chickpeas

Use canned chickpeas to make this fast! You can absolutely used freshly cooked chickpeas. When I’m not feeling lazy, I like to batch cook these in my pressure cooker to have beans for quick dishes like this. Either method is great!
Make it a full meal by pairing your chickpeas with a starch like rice or plantains, some vegetables you like and some healthy fats like avocado.
To make fully gluten free opt for a gluten free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos. The coconut aminos might add a slight sweetness, so adjust seasonings based on using this alternative.

Need some more chickpea inspiration?