Crispy Chickpeas and Rice are a flavor party in a bowl! This loaded rice bowl makes a super tasty vegetarian main dish for lunch or dinner!
This salad was the happiest of accidents when I realized I was completely out of black beans but still craving a tasty vegetarian rice bowl.
Chickpeas to the rescue!
They’re so super versatile and taste amazing roasted with a hearty sprinkling of taco seasoning.
In fact I love these taco roasted chickpeas on pretty much everything! We put them in tacos, tostadas, wraps, salads and, of course, on these tasty taco salad rice bowls.
GAME ON!
Q: What Sauce Goes with Chickpeas and Rice?
For simplicity and speed, you can pair this delish dish with your favorite store-bought taco sauce or hot sauce. Valentina is my go-to premade sauce for this recipe and it’s great with Yellowbird too! It’s even fantastic with honey mustard! Choose your fire level (you can make these rice bowls mild, medium, or hot) and pile on your favorite!
For a homemade sauce, I have two delicious options:
Creamy Salsa Sauce
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 TBSP red salsa
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp salt or season to taste
- juice of ½ lime
Combine sour cream with salsa, cumin, and salt. Juice half a lime and whisk into the sauce. If your salsa is chunky and you’d like a more uniform sauce, simply puree using a blender or immersion blender.
Creamy Curry Sauce
- 3 TBSP quality mayo (or try it with greek yogurt!)
- ½ tsp curry powder, plus extra to taste
- ½ tsp white vinegar
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp mustard powder (a little yellow mustard can work in its place)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Whisk together mayo, vinegar and spices and allow to sit for 15 minutes to enhance the flavors and soften the spices. If you fall in love right then and there, feel free to double the recipe and pour it on everrrrything! Warm yellow rice and sauteed vegetables drizzled with this sauce is pretty freaking amazing. T-Rex friends can try it on my Chicken Kitchen Mexican Chop Chop Copycat recipe.
Crispy Chickpeas and Rice
As written this recipe yields 2 meal-sized servings. Because it’s a loaded rice bowl sort of ideal, your main dish and sides are all rolled into one beautiful bowl!
Need extra servings? Double the recipe and get your chickpea on!
Crispy Chickpeas and Rice
Ingredients
- 15 oz chickpeas (1 can) drained and rinsed
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper (spicy) or sweet paprika
- 2 cups cooked white rice or yellow rice
- 2 cups chopped/shredded romaine lettuce
- 2 roma tomatoes (diced) or 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 bell pepper (diced) or 4 sliced sweet mini peppers
- ¼ cup pickled red onions or fresh sliced red onion
SAUCE OPTIONS – choose your favorite!
- hot sauce
- taco sauce
- creamy salsa sauce
- creamy curry sauce
CREAMY CURRY SAUCE
- 3 TBSP quality mayo (or try it with Greek yogurt!)
- ½ tsp curry powder plus extra to taste
- ½ tsp white vinegar
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp mustard powder (or a dash of yellow mustard)
- salt and pepper to taste
CREAMY SALSA
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 TBSP red salsa
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp salt or season to taste
- juice of ½ lime
TASTY TOPPING OPTIONS
- sour cream
- guacamole
- pico de gallo or salsa
Instructions
- Cook rice per package instructions. You can use leftover rice, microwave from frozen (I love frozen rice as a shortcut) or cook it up fresh on the stove, in a rice cooker, or in the Instant Pot. So many options here!
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Drain and rinse 1 can of chickpeas. Pat dry, then drizzle with 1 TBSP olive oil and season with ¼ tsp sea salt.
- Roast on a rimmed baking sheet at 400℉ (on the center rack) for 20-25 minutes until crunchy and golden.
- Once chickpeas are removed from the oven, season with with ½ tsp of each: garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. Add ⅛ tsp cayenne or paprika, to taste. Mix well to coat. You're welcome to add any extras you'd like, tasting as you go.
- Ready to eat? Fill your bowl with rice and salad greens, then top with fresh from the oven chickpeas and chopped vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition
What are you waiting for? Clean out the crisper and rice bowl it up with me!
Vegetable Options for Chickpea and Rice Bowls
Totally not exaggerating when I said clean out that crisper! If it’s a veggie you love to eat, you can add it to your bowl; it’s that easy!
I added lettuce, tomatoes, pickled red onions, jalapenos, and sweet mini peppers to mine. Other awesome options include roasted sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, arugula, kale, bok choy, zucchini, corn, peas, carrots, fresh herbs, and anything your heart desires!
I love that you can mix and match what vegetables you add for a totally custom bowl each and every time. No running to the store for a missing ingredient – just use what you have and have fun with it!
more rockin’ recipes to try
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Last year I had to celebrate sans margaritas because I was trying to grow a baby with only 5 toes on each foot. The experiment was successful, and this year I shall celebrate with a cold one! Whoo! Of course that’s assuming I can move after CrossFit tonight; I just saw the workout and think I may need a drink beforehand just to coax myself through the door! Yowza!
What are your plans for today?
I skipped the fiesta recipe round-up this year but, just for funsies, here are a few more dishes you’ve GOT to try!
- Mexican Kale Salad with Zesty Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Black Bean Burrito Bowls
- Enchilada Quinoa Casserole via Fresh April Flours
- Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Flautas
- Avocado Salsa Verde
If you get a chance to try my beloved Chickpeas and Rice recipe, let me know! Leave some love in the comment form below and tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation.
Questions & Reviews
I’m in love with all these gorgeous colors! Plus, I’m always in the mood for taco salad and this helps me keep things a bit healthier 🙂
For sure a healthier option – Thanks Sues!
I love giant rice/veggie/salad bowls and can’t wait to take this dressing for a spin.
I celebrated with not one, not two, but three cold ones. Shhhh.
YUM! That creamy curry dressing sounds insanely delish!
I wish I could faceplant into about 15 margaritas today. Alas, I’m on day 15 of Whole30 so there will be no booze in my system today. Rats.
yummmm i want it all! xo jillian
This looks awesome! Want to make it for me? Until this baby comes out, I have zero cooking motivation 🙂
Yummmm. This sounds amazing! And I think I actually have everything on hand fort his, so I’m adding it to my list of dinners to make!
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