Garlic Chili Chickpeas

These garlic chili chickpeas will make you excited about chickpeas. Loaded with spice, garlic and tangy goodness, it’s all you’ll need for a quick and flavorful meal.

How do you spice up canned chickpeas? 

What condiment do you feel is a necessity in your life? For me, hands down the condiment I use the most is garlic chili sauce. Where I am, it is super accessible and really cheap as well, and it packs a flavor punch of garlic and spic goodness. I use it quite frequently and if you’ve never seen it before, check around the areas where they sell sriracha. Typically the bottles are in the same area. I used this sauce to make these garlic chili chickpeas. They’re very quick to make, and with just a few condiments and spices, very flavorful. Feel free to double if you need a quick and tasty meal prep meal for the week as well.

Why you’ll love these garlic chili chickpeas

• These are very convenient to make when you are in need of a fast and flavorful dish without the time or effort. Minimal chopping is needed and this cooks up in about 15 minutes max.
• Can be easily made gluten free by opting for a gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
• A good source of plant based protein and fiber to keep you fueled throughout the day.

Key Ingredients

• Chickpeas: while these will be our main protein source, feel free to replace with something like tofu and pan fry it before starting this recipe
• Garlic Chili Sauce: my favorite store bought condiment and our main source of garlic, spice and tang
• Soy Sauce: gives a little more salty flavor to this dish and some umami; opt for gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos if needed
• Maple Syrup: any liquid sweetener works, we just want it to help balance the tang and salty flavors well
• Ginger: another spicy and bright note to help add flavor to the dish

How to make these chickpeas

Before we cook anything, make your cornstarch slurry. Just mix your water and cornstarch together until there are no visible lumps. Now, heat up your pan and sauté your onions with a pinch of salt until softened.

Add in red bell pepper and chickpeas and continue to sauté for a few minutes. Stir in your soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, maple syrup, garlic powder, and ginger powder and give a good mix to coat chickpeas evenly.

Pour in your corn starch mixture and sesame seeds and continue to sauté your chickpeas until all the liquid in the pan thickens. Your chickpeas should now be coated with the glossy garlic chili sauce and ready to serve.

Tips for making these chickpeas

• To make this dish fast, we are opting for some canned chickpeas. Make sure to drain and rinse well. We want to try and shake off excess water from the chickpeas to make sure they cook well in the sauce. Rinsing your chickpeas will also help remove some extra sodium as well, which is a great tip for anyone that is monitoring their sodium intake.
• Combine your water and cornstarch separately and make sure you whisk it together well enough so that there are no visible clumps. This combo will be responsible for thickening your sauce and coating your chickpeas well.

Garlic Chili Chickpeas FAQ

What does garlic chili sauce taste like?

It’s a tangy and spicy combination with lots of upfront garlic flavor. The tangy flavor that comes from the combo of chilis and vinegar really helps to lift and brighten up a lot of dishes. It’s one of my favorite things to mix into my peanut sauce or to flavor my tofu with. And since all of these flavors are wrapped into one condiment, it literally leads to me using fewer ingredients overall in a dish.

What can you use in place of garlic chili sauce? 

If you are unable to find garlic chili sauce, you can substitute for sriracha. The texture and taste will be different, but should still yield a very delicious and similarly spicy dish. You can reduce the amount of sriracha in this dish if you feel it is too spicy. Start by adding a teaspoon of it into this dish, and taste it. If it feels like it needs a little more spice, add a little more and keep tasting until it’s just right. I like approaching spices and new flavors this way as it is much harder to reduce flavor or heat once something is added in full. Gradually building up the flavor and spice gives you more control over the final result.

How long will these chickpeas last for? 

These chickpeas can last in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just make sure to cool your chickpeas completely before placing in a container, sealing and placing into to the fridge. These chickpeas are perfect for meal prep, so feel free to also store in individual containers paired with other items for a filling and satisfying meals throughout the week.

What can I serve my chickpeas with? 

Chickpeas are a great source of plant based protein and as such, they can be paired with your favorite starches and veggies. These chickpeas pair perfectly in a bowl with rice and some fresh greens or cucumbers to help balance out the spiciness of this dish. But don’t just limit yourself there. You can also enjoy them mixed into noodles or quinoa if desired. You can also cook some broccoli into this dish as well for more veggies as well.

More Recipes Using Garlic Chili Sauce

• Garlic Chili Tofu with Peanut Sauce
• Lentil Wraps
• Garlic Chili Chickpea Patties

Garlic Chili Chickpeas

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Catherine Perez
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 3 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

These garlic chili chickpeas will make you excited about chickpeas. Loaded with spice, garlic and tangy goodness, it’s all you’ll need for a quick and flavorful meal.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 tsp corn starch
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 medium red onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp garlic chili sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

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Instructions

1. Combine corn starch and water, whisking together until no clumps remain and then set aside.
2. Heat up a medium sized non-stick pan and begin by sautéing your onions with a pinch of salt until softened.
3. Add in red bell pepper and chickpeas and continue to sauté for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Stir in your soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, maple syrup, garlic powder, and ginger powder and continue to stir until fragrant.
5. Pour in your corn starch mixture along with the sesame seeds and continue to sauté your chickpeas until all the liquid in the pan thickens and leaves a nice glossy coating around your chickpeas.

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Notes

Make sure that the cornstarch is dissolved well in your water before pouring into your pan.

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★ Catherine