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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.

BBQ chickpeas and rice recipe - a recipe for vegan roasted BBQ chickpeas served over rice
Vegan BBQ chickpeas and rice

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 🙂

Cooked balsamic sauteed kale and onions in a light blue bowl with a fresh kale leaf in the background
Sauteed kale and onions with balsamic reduction makes a great side dish for BBQ chickpeas

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.

Yield: Serves 2

Easy BBQ Chickpeas and Rice

BBQ chickpeas and rice recipe - a recipe for vegan roasted BBQ chickpeas served over 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.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

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

  1. Cook rice according to the package directions.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  3. Add chickpeas and mushrooms to an 8 x 8 ovenproof dish. Pour barbecue sauce over the mixture, stir, and send to the preheated oven.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1/2 recipe

Amount 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.

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

Vegan barbecue chickpeas recipe - healthy vegan comfort food

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author avatar
Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Alina first made a switch to a vegan diet in 2013 to optimize her athletic performance as a marathon runner. Eventually she embraced veganism as a way to be kinder to fellow living beings and the environment. Alina hopes that this blog helps its readers on their path to becoming vegan and making this world a better place.

Nick

Thursday 20th of October 2022

What the hell? I was sure this wouldn't taste good and I only made it because I had all the ingredients but damn, this was really tasty! Will definitely make again!

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Thursday 27th of October 2022

Thanks Nick, glad to hear you liked this recipe 😊

Matt

Monday 18th of February 2019

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

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Monday 18th of February 2019

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!

Spon

Sunday 4th of February 2018

Just made this dish for my family. Everyone's plate was empty! Thank you!

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Monday 5th of February 2018

Great to hear that, Spon! Thanks for letting me know!

Greta

Tuesday 7th of November 2017

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 :D My boyfriend and I absolutely loved it, thanks for the recipe

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Tuesday 7th of November 2017

That sounds delicious, Greta! Glad you liked the recipe!

Nick

Monday 19th of June 2017

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!

Alina

Tuesday 20th of June 2017

That sounds delicious, Nick! Thank you for your feedback!

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