This Mexican Chickpeas is an all-purpose recipe for filling tacos, topping salads, wrapping in lettuce, layering over nachos or making a vegetarian burrito bowl. Reader-beloved recipe - ready in under 15 minutes!
This Mexican chickpeas recipe has been a family favorite vegetarian dinner for years. It's an exceptional vegetarian taco filling, ideal for those hectic weeknights when time is limited for making dinner for you family.
It is packed with flavor with a flavorful blend of spices, which is a slight variation of my homemade taco seasoning and is perfect for vegetarian taco Tuesday.
Canned chickpeas are pre-cooked garbanzo beans, saving you time and effort of soaking and boiling dried chickpeas. They are ready to use straight from the can, cutting down on cooking time significantly.
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Why you'll love it?
- Ready in under 20 minutes in one skillet.
- Basic pantry spices
- Versatile vegetarian filling for tacos and burrito bowls
- Made using canned chickpeas
- Mega flavorful!
Few reader feedbacks
Amanda "This saved my dinner I was going to make stuffed peppers with a black bean quinoa chili, but I was out of quinoa. Looking for inspiration and I found this! So good in peppers with Mexican cheese"
Heather writes "Sooo good! Used it as a taco side! We loved it!"
Amy writes "I didn’t have cilantro or lime juice to add, but these were still AMAZING. I can only imagine how extra delicious they’ll be once I have those two finishing touches!"
Chelle E writes "This was an absolute hit. I served it with guacamole & pico de gallo. I will absolutely make this again"
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Chickpeas - Start by draining and rinsing canned chickpeas under cold running water. This step helps to remove excess sodium and any residual canning liquid, which can sometimes impart a metallic taste.
- Spices - I use basic pantry ingredients like chili powder, paprika, coriander, cumin, cayenne and oregano.
- Onion & Garlic - This serves as the foundation for homemade taco recipes. Simply add ¼ cup of chopped onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic. If you're pressed for time, you can omit the onion, but skipping garlic isn't recommended.
- Lime - Fresh lime juice brightens the Mexican chickpeas, imparting a vibrant and zest flavor.
- Cilantro - It adds a pop of color and freshness.
- Oil - I like to use a flavorless oil such as vegetable or canola oil.
💡 Did you know? The liquid from canned chickpeas, known as aquafaba, can be used as an egg white substitute in baking. You might enjoy experimenting with vegan meringues using it!
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
- Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Add rinsed and drained chickpeas.
- Add all the spices into a bowl and give a good stir, before adding along with the chickpeas.
- Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until spices are toasted well.
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5. Take Mexican chickpeas off heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro.
How to serve?
- Burrito bowl: My favorite way to serve the Mexican chickpeas is to make a chickpeas rice bowl along with cilantro rice.
- Lettuce wraps: Fill butter cups with the Mexican chickpeas, homemade pico de gallo corn, cilantro and a drizzle of sour cream, to make chickpea lettuce wraps.
- Meatless tacos: Make chickpeas tacos with all your favorite taco fix-ins.
- Nachos: Swap the beef or chicken filling in your favorite nacho recipe for the Mexican chickpeas to make vegetarian nachos.
How to store leftovers?
This Mexican chickpeas recipe requires just one can of chickpeas, ensuring minimal leftovers. However, when I opt for meal prepping, I often double the batch.
These extras can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a tightly sealed container or in the freezer for up to a month.
Helpful tips
- Drain the can of chickpeas and rinse them thoroughly under running water. I prefer to pat them dry before using them in the Mexican chickpeas recipe.
- If you like it milder Mexican chickpeas, then skip the cayenne.
More chickpea recipes
Mexican Chickpeas
Ingredients
Spice mixture
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder optional
Additional ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can chickpeas, 15.5 ounces
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
Make spice mixture
- Stir all spice mixture ingredients together in a small bowl.
Cook
- Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes, until onions are translucent.In the mean time, drain the chickpeas, rinse them under running water, and pat them dry.
- Add chickpeas and spice mixture, cook, stirring about 3 minutes, until the spices are evenly distrubuted and toasted.
- Take off heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Amanda Marie Boyle
This saved my dinner I was going to make stuffed peppers with a black bean quinoa chili, but I was out of quinoa. Looking for inspiration and I found this! So good in peppers with Mexican cheese.
Maria Doss
I love the idea of stuffing them into peppers, makes a healthy and filling meal. Glad you liked it:)
Heather
Sooo good! Used it as a taco side! We loved it!
Maria Doss
Glad you loved it:)
Amy
I didn't have cilantro or lime juice to add, but these were still AMAZING. I can only imagine how extra delicious they'll be once I have those two finishing touches!
Maria Doss
Glad you liked it Amy, lime juice adds a lovely tanginess and mellows down the spiciness.Cheers, Maria
Chelle E.
This was an absolute hit. I served it with guacamole & pico de gallo. I will absolutely make this again.
Maria Doss
Glad you loved it:)
Keely
Looks great! Need a translator though. Cilantro? Think that's coriander, and we do grams, not ounces, but easy enough to Google. Cheers, from Australia, mate.
Maria Doss
Hi Keely, Cilantro is coriander leaves. All metric conversions coming soon hun - Maria
Joe
Cilantro is the leaves and stems. Coriander is the seeds. Two distinct looks and tastes, both amazing!
Maria Doss
Yes!
CATHY KRAFT
WANTED A DIFFERANT SIDE DISH WITH OUR TACOS AND MEXICAN RICE, THIS WAS AN AWESOME DISH !!!!THANK YOU😋
Maria Doss
Happy to hear hun, have a wonderful day - Maria
Lisa
Hi Maria
i often make vegetarian dishes for my family when we don't want to eat chicken or meat. normally i make a mexican lentil mix for nachos. i wanted to try something with chickpeas today. your recipe was PERFECT! quick, easy, delicious and everything was eaten in one sitting. i added some white pepper because we like things peppery and not quite so *chili*. thanks for a wonderful alternative! Cheers from Canada 🙂
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you love it hun – Maria ♡
SmileyInFrswd
I love Chickpeas, but am low/no carb, so I haven't had them in a long time. I've only ever had them in a salad, that I can recall. I was making a garlic shrimp dish with Mexican flavors, and wanted something to pair with it. This dish was great, I'll keep it and make it again sometime. I didn't have any cayenne, so I omitted that. Used red/purple onion b/c it's what I had. I drained the beans, but did not rinse or dry them, and had no problems with splatter.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡