20-Minute Chickpea Tacos
User Reviews
5
20-Minute Chickpea Tacos
Description
The recipe begins by roasting nuts to bring out their flavor, then drying canned chickpeas thoroughly before pan-frying them in olive oil to develop crisp, golden spots. The chickpeas are seasoned with salt, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne for a mildly spicy, smoky profile finished with a squeeze of lime juice.
The cilantro pesto blends roasted nuts, plentiful cilantro leaves, garlic, jalapeño, citrus zest and juice, kosher salt, black pepper, and olive oil in a food processor, producing a smooth, herbaceous sauce with a hint of heat and brightness that complements the warm, spiced chickpeas.
Serving the chickpeas and pesto in corn tortillas, topped with salsa and diced avocado, creates a balanced taco with creamy, fresh, and bold flavors. The dish suits quick vegetarian meals and casual gatherings.
Adjustments include omitting jalapeño for less heat and using lemon instead of lime if cilantro bitterness is a concern.
Ingredients
Spiced Chickpeas
- 1 (15-ounce/425g) chickpeas drained, canned
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano Mexican oregano if you have it, dried
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- queeze of lime juice
Cilantro Pesto
- ½ cup cashew 70g, roasted; or pistachios or walnuts
- 2 ½ cups cilantro no tough stems, 36 to 40g loosely packed leaves and tender stems
- 2 garlic roughly chopped, cloves
- 1 jalapeno pepper roughly chopped, small
- 1 lemon or 1 large lime, zested and juiced, medium
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- black pepper freshly cracked, to taste
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil 75 mL
For serving
- 6 corn tortillas
- salsa Your favorite store-bought; a note or qualifier **** copied from original
- 1 avocado diced, large
Instructions
- If your nuts are raw, spread them out on a sheet pan and roast for 7 to 10 minutes at 350ºF, tossing halfway through.
- Transfer the chickpeas to a clean dish towel or a layer of paper towels and gently pat dry as much as you can without smushing them. They need to be well-dried before cooking.
- Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat with the 2 teaspoons of oil and spread the oil out with a paper towel to evenly distribute it. Once hot, add the chickpeas and spread out in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes to allow some browning. Toss and cook for another 3 minutes, or until chickpeas are golden brown and blistered in spots.
- Add salt and spices, and toss well to coat the chickpeas. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes to allow flavors to blend, then take off the heat and hit with a squeeze of lime juice.
- Meanwhile, make the cilantro pesto. Add the nuts to a food processor and blitz until in very tiny pieces.Add the cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, lemon (or lime) zest, 2 tablespoons lemon (or lime) juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and blend until a paste forms. Scrape the paste towards the middle. Turn on the motor and stream in the olive oil until it comes together into a sauce. If needed, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to bring it all together, or add it for a thinner sauce. Taste, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed.
- To char corn tortillas: If you have a gas stove, turn a burner to medium-low and use tongs to place the tortilla directly over the flame, 10 to 20 seconds per side until charred, in spots.Or, you can add each tortilla to a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 15 to 30 seconds per side. Stack and wrap charred tortillas in a dish towel to keep them warm.
- To assemble the tacos, spoon some cilantro pesto into the center of each tortilla. Add a handful of the spiced chickpeas. Top with diced avocado and salsa.
Notes
- Taste cilantro before using to check for bitterness, and consider using leaves only if stems are bitter.
- For no spiciness, omit jalapeño; to reduce heat, remove membranes or use half the pepper.
- Lemon juice may better mask any cilantro bitterness compared to lime.
- Dry chickpeas thoroughly before cooking to achieve crispness without sogginess.
- Roast raw nuts before using in pesto for enhanced flavor.
- For salsa options, homemade versions can be found in the related blog post tips.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 686 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 686kcal | 34% |
| Carbohydrates | 59g | 20% |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Fat | 47g | 72% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 7g | 41% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 30g | 150% |
| Sodium | 934mg | 39% |
| Potassium | 832mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 15g | 60% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 1331IU | 27% |
| Vitamin C | 33mg | 37% |
| Calcium | 140mg | 14% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
