The Easiest Vegan BBQ Chickpeas and Rice Recipe

I’ve got a treat for vegan comfort food lovers today: a super easy recipe for vegan BBQ chickpeas that calls for only a handful of ingredients and comes together in no time! Chickpeas are tossed with homemade barbecue sauce, roasted in the oven, and served over rice for delicious and healthy vegan comfort food perfection.

When I first decided to commit to a plant-based vegan diet, I came across lots of recipes that required this or that rather exotic ingredient that I didn’t have in my pantry. I don’t like having to make a trip to a health food store every time I find an interesting-looking recipe, so whenever I come across a dish that’s simple and easy to prepare, it just makes my day!

Today’s recipe for roasted BBQ chickpeas and rice falls perfectly into that category. I had some leftover vegan barbecue sauce, so I combined it with canned chickpeas and put the whole thing in the oven, and it came out lovely!

Because of its simplicity, this recipe is going to be perfect for anyone who’s new to the plant-based diet. I decided to add some diced crimini mushrooms to my BBQ chickpeas, but you can omit them if you’d like.

You can easily customize this recipe to your own liking: use some other kind of beans, add more vegetables before sending the chickpea mixture to the oven (some diced carrots and onions should work well). Or just leave it as is, because, as they say in the South: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

If you’d like to add some extra crunch, feel free to top the cooked BBQ chickpeas and rice with some fresh diced peppers, onions, avocado, and/or cilantro.

By the way, this recipe is one of the 15 kid friendly vegan recipes that have been approved by my 2 year-old toddler.

How many calories are in BBQ chickpeas?

This BBQ chickpeas recipe has 310 calories per serving (1/2 recipe) when served without rice or any other sides. When served with rice (1/2 recipe), it yields 652 calories per serving.

What recipe are you using for homemade BBQ sauce?

You can see my homemade BBQ sauce recipe in this post. Alternatively, feel free to use store-bought barbecue sauce – best if it doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup.

What can I serve with BBQ chickpeas?

For the ultimate Southern-inspired vegan comfort food experience, serve these BBQ chickpeas with a side of vegan slow cooker collard greens, easy sauteed kale and onions with balsamic reduction, or with some chipotle coleslaw, and feel your taste buds do a happy dance 🙂

How do I store BBQ chickpeas?

Pack leftover BBQ chickpeas in an air-tight container separately from rice, and refrigerate them for up to a week. Cooked rice will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Can I freeze BBQ chickpeas?

Yes! Split them in single-serving containers or plastic bags, and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. To defrost them, take them out of the bag, and microwave on medium for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute to ensure even defrosting.

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Give it a star rating below, pin it to Pinterest, tag @vegan_runner_eats on Instagram, or leave a comment.

Question for you: What are your favorite vegan comfort food recipes?

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