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Home » Basics » Blackened Chickpeas

Blackened Chickpeas

July 1, 2017 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 7 Comments

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Crisped, spicy garbanzo beans perfect for salads, tacos, bowls, or just snacking! These blackened chickpeas are super easy to make and highly delicious.

Blackened chickpeas in a white bowl, garnished with fresh thyme, on a white and blue napkin next to a small bowl of Cajun seasoning.

Blackening is a cooking technique that traditionally involves coating something in butter and then tossing it in a Cajun herb and spice blend. The item in question is then pan-fried until the coating “blackens” due to the spices toasting and the milk solids browning.

We’re going vegan here for these blackened chickpeas and skipping the whole butter aspect. Just adding a little bit of oil to the pan provides sufficient fat for frying the spices and herbs to coax out some nice deep, slightly charred flavors. I know I’m not the only person who kind of loves food that’s just sliiiightly burnt. 🙂

Close-up image of charred, blackened chickpeas with crisped skins, sprinkled with Creole spice, against a blue background.

If you are after a super authentic blackened color, then try adding a little powdered soy milk, powdered rice milk, or almond flour to your spice blend. The proteins in those ingredients will coat the chickpeas and brown a little bit better than just the spices alone.

I lightly adapted my blackening spice blend from this one. Mine is salt-free so that recipes can be salted to taste. In the coming week I have a great grilling recipe and summer-themed appetizer to share with you, one of which makes use of these lovely blackened chickpeas.. so stay tuned!

Overhead photo of a bowl of pan-fried blackened chickpeas, garnished with paprika, next to fresh herbs on a blue and white napkin.

The seasoning blend from these beans could also be used for blackened tofu or other vegetarian and vegan proteins of your choice.

If you’re looking for serving suggestions to use these beans, try:

Blackened Chickpea Avocado Cucumber Bites

Blackened Chickpeas over Vegan Caesar Salad

Blackened Chickpeas served with Creamy Garlic Pasta or Creamy Garlic Zucchini Noodles

Blackened Chickpeas | Yup, it's Vegan
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5 from 5 votes

Easy Blackened Chickpeas

Crispy, spicy blackened chickpeas, made by pan-frying garbanzo beans in Cajun herbs and spices.
Course Snack
Cuisine American, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword blackened chickpeas
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 107kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

For the blackening seasoning blend (makes extra):

  • 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tbsp regular paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper (see notes)
  • 3/4 tsp ground white pepper (see notes)
  • 3/4 tsp ground black pepper (see notes)
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the blackened chickpeas:

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil (I used grapeseed oil)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (equal to 1 regular can), drained but not rinsed
  • 1 and 1/4 tsp blackening seasoning (recipe above)
  • salt to taste

Instructions

For the blackening seasoning blend:

  • Mix the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and pepper together in a small bowl. Use a mortar and pestle, or even just your fingers to grind the dried thyme and oregano into smaller pieces, and then stir it in with the other spices. This makes extra which can be kept in a jar or airtight container at room temperature for a few weeks and used on pretty much everything!

For the blackened chickpeas:

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas, stir well, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the blackening seasoning in 2 or 3 batches, stirring each time, to ensure even distribution. Continue to fry, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are lightly crisped (they'll get even crispier as they cool) and the spices and herbs are a little browned - about 5 minutes.
  • Season to taste with salt and more seasoning blend if desired. Once cooled, leftovers can be stored for several days in the fridge, but note that the chickpeas won't stay crispy, despite still being tasty. I usually eat them all at once 🙂

Notes

SPICE BLEND NOTES: This blend has a good kick to it. If anyone who's eating this is sensitive to spice, especially if you won't be serving it with anything creamy or cooling like mayo or cucumber, you may want to reduce the cayenne a little bit. You can use an additional 1/2 tsp black pepper instead of white pepper if needed. I used pre-ground black pepper, and you may want to reduce the amount if you're grinding it fresh, which tends to be more powerfully flavored.
BAKED CHICKPEAS: If you have a method you like for making crispy roasted chickpeas, that would also work great with this seasoning blend! You won't get as good of a char but it will still taste rad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1fourth recipe | Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 6g | Iron: 3.6mg

Filed Under: Basics, Sides Tagged With: gluten-free, grain-free, legumes, meat analogues, nut-free, quick, refined sugar-free, soy-free, sweetener-free

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Comments

  1. V T says

    December 16, 2020 at 00:09

    5 stars
    This s a great recipe for the spice mix. I’ve made the chickpeas several times and even used the spice in eggs and roasted veggies. Delicious! Thanks.

    Reply
  2. Andrea says

    November 12, 2020 at 16:22

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe. I saved it a while back while doing a month-long vegan challenge and used only the blackening recipe. Last week I learned my cholesterol is high, and I finally made the blackened chickpeas today. I served them over Greek yogurt. Delicious!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      November 16, 2020 at 11:03

      I’m glad to hear that, and that sounds like a delicious pairing!

      Reply
  3. Michelle says

    September 3, 2020 at 09:50

    Thank you so much! This is awesome!

    Reply
  4. Lynne says

    September 14, 2019 at 10:45

    5 stars
    Great seasoning!

    Reply
  5. Isabelle Payne says

    March 20, 2019 at 04:02

    5 stars
    Made these last night as I had a lot chickpeas leftover after using the aquafaba for vegan baked goodies. Delicious! Will definitely make again!

    Reply
  6. Leslie says

    July 17, 2017 at 05:37

    5 stars
    I made a roasted version of these for snacking and the seasoning blend is delish! I didn’t listen to you about the thyme and oregano but I see why it was a good idea to crumble them more. It was still so good though. Thanks.

    Reply

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I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
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