Roasted Chickpea Tacos (Oven-Roasted Or Air Fryer)

Roasted chickpea tacos are a fun and affordable way to provide your family with protein. Crispy chickpeas are also a great snack!

Thank you to Graves Beans for sponsoring this post. All views and opinions are my own.

This post was first published on June 20, 2019 and was last updated June 22, 2021.

Though not strictly vegetarian, I cook plant-based meals often. These roasted chickpea tacos have become one of our favourite weeknight meals! Once the chickpeas are roasted in the oven or air fryer, everything comes together very quickly. My favourite part of making this recipe is how easy it is to just set out dishes of toppings on the table; Everyone can assemble their own tacos the way they like them.

This recipe leans on Indian spices for the roasted chickpeas, however, feel free to mix up the blend with whatever is in your pantry. A Mexican-inspired taco seasoning blend would also be terrific. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to change the toppings! With tacos, I think the sky is the limit for creativity. Also, I’m a big fan of using up what’s already in my fridge.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Make Air Fryer Chickpeas
• Assemble The Roasted Chickpea Tacos
• Notes & Tips
• Substitutions
• Recipe

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.

Ingredients

For The Roasted Chickpeas

For The Taco Assembly

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dump the chickpeas into a colander in the sink. Rinse and drain them well then remove any loose outer shells.

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Lay a tea towel out on a work surface. Spread the chickpeas out on half of the towel. Cover the chickpeas with the other half of the towel then rub them gently but firmly to help dry them out. Some of your chickpeas may get squished. It happens.

Lift back the section of the towel covering the chickpeas. Remove as many loose shells as you can (this is a personal preference and is optional).

Place the chickpeas in a bowl. Add the spices, salt, and oil. Stir well to combine.

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Spread the chickpeas out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

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Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the chickpeas until crisp. Remove the tray from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Cool the crunchy chickpeas completely before storing in an airtight container on the counter for up to two days.

Make Air Fryer Chickpeas

I created this recipe post before I owned an air fryer. To roast chickpeas in the air fryer:

Follow the recipe to the point of roasting, then place the chickpeas in the basket of an air fryer. Cook at 400ºF (205ºC) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chickpeas are crisp.

Assemble The Roasted Chickpea Tacos

After the chickpeas are roasted, wrap the corn tortillas together in a large piece of foil and place them in the still-warm oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the warmed tortillas from the oven. Lay them out flat and top each one with shredded purple cabbage, red onion, sliced avocado, a squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro leaves, and dressing(s) of choice. Eat and enjoy!

Notes & Tips

This recipe makes six tacos which, with two adults and a small child, is the perfect amount for my family. If you are serving more people, double or triple the recipe.

Chickpea tacos are best served with freshly roasted crispy chickpeas and warm corn tortillas.

Use any dressing or sauce you like as a topping. A drizzle of this pesto mayo or spicy garlic aioli (or both!) would be terrific.

Roasted chickpeas only remain crispy at room temperature for a couple of hours. To refresh, re-heat in the oven or air fryer if you have one.

Substitutions

I used Graves chickpeas for this recipe, however, use any canned chickpeas available to you. You can also cook dried chickpeas and roast them if you prefer.

Use any light neutral-flavoured oil you like or have on hand.

Any spice blend you like can be substituted for the spices in this recipe.

I go easy on the salt when I can, however, your palate may want more. Adjust the salt amount after roasting if you want.

Use flour tortillas if you like.

Swap in any taco toppings you prefer. Avocado, lime, and cilantro are my ride-or-dies but everything else is fair game!

More Vegetarian Inspiration

Jamaican Steamed Cabbage A Caribbean dish made with cabbage and vegetables, usually served as a side for main meals.

Homemade Mango Habanero Salsa  Terrific with grilled fish or chicken, on burgers or tacos, or enjoy it simply with corn chips!

Instant Pot Artichokes A light, fulfilling, healthy vegan recipe.

CHECK FOR STEP BY STEP PHOTOS ABOVE — Many of my recipes feature in-depth step-by-step images, plus useful tips to help you make the recipe perfectly the first time. If you make this recipe, please let me know how you made out in the comments below! I’d also grateful if you’d consider leaving a star rating while you’re here.