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 my vegan poppyseed coleslaw or spicier vegan 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.
Easy BBQ Chickpeas and Rice
An easy recipe for vegan BBQ chickpeas that comes together in about 30 minutes. Serve over rice for a healthy and comforting vegan meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole grain rice*
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 5 crimini mushrooms, diced
- 1/2 cup homemade BBQ sauce**
- dash of sriracha or other hot sauce
- cilantro or parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Cook rice according to the package directions.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Add chickpeas and mushrooms to an 8 x 8 ovenproof dish. Pour barbecue sauce over the mixture, stir, and send to the preheated oven.
- Bake for 15-20 min, stirring a couple times, until the sauce evaporates slightly but doesn't dry out completely. Take the chickpeas out of the oven, stir in hot sauce (if using), and let rest for 5 min.
- To serve: Arrange cooked rice on a plate, top with chickpeas, garnish with cilantro or parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
*Feel free to use brown rice or white rice instead.
**Alternatively, use store-bought BBQ sauce.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1/2 recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 652Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 133gFiber: 15gSugar: 16gProtein: 16g
Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.
Question for you: What are your favorite vegan comfort food recipes?
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Alina, we tried the BBQ chickpeas and rice and my family LOVED it, including my 3 picky kids. My wife and I added raw cucumbers, red onions and red pepper to the bowl and it was delicious! Thanks so much for sharing.
Matt
Awww, so glad to hear that, Matt! I haven’t made this recipe for my daughter yet but should try soon – hoping she’ll love it too!
Just made this dish for my family. Everyone’s plate was empty! Thank you!
Great to hear that, Spon! Thanks for letting me know!
Hi Alina
What a simple but nice dish! I’ve added spinach and made a sauce with tahini, lemon juice and soy sauce. It was a bit more on the asian side 😀
My boyfriend and I absolutely loved it, thanks for the recipe
That sounds delicious, Greta! Glad you liked the recipe!
I made this and added a bunch of veggies to the chickpeas (peppers, onions, carrots, celery) and then used a shawarma marinade instead of BBQ. It was awesome!
That sounds delicious, Nick! Thank you for your feedback!
Yum! This sounds like something I am going to have to try. Thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome Rob, let me know how it turns out!