One of my favorite additions to a quick, easy and delicious vegan meal: these 5-Minute Skillet Chickpeas. The flavor is smoky with a hint of sweetness. And the best part is these chickpeas come together in just five minutes.
Chickpeas Recipe
Chickpeas are one of the most versatile pantry stables you can have in your plant-based kitchen. From dips and soups to spreads and whole bean recipes, chickpeas are a pantry winner!
They are also quite inexpensive! You can usually buy a can of chickpeas for under a dollar. And each can contains around three servings of beans.
While I love using chickpeas in recipes that puree them, skillet chickpeas are one of my favorite ways to serve this healthy-delicious ingredient.
Yup, chickpeas are good for way more than just hummus!
How to Serve Skillet Chickpeas
There are so many ways that you can use these sweet and smoky skillet chickpeas as an anchor to your meal. Here are my favorite ways to serve them…
- over top salads
- over top creamy soups like sweet potato
- in wraps and pitas
- mixed into grain bowls – like rice bowls
- over top avocado toast
My buffalo chickpeas (slightly different recipe, with spicier flavors and a thicker texture), served over top a salad…
Another chickpea recipe I love: these West African Chickpeas with peanutty flavors, served as a rice bowl…
Main Ingredients
Besides the actual chickpeas, there are three main ingredients to these chickpeas. They are:
- maple syrup – natural sweetener that adds a thick, caramelized texture and sweetness. Maple syrup is also a great natural sweetener to choose – it is rich in antioxidants and minerals.
- smoky paprika – this ground spice is one of my favorite to use in recipes. The smokiness it has is nice and light, and the amount of heat, mild. A few sprinkles go a long way and bonus: it creates a gorgeous red color for your recipes.
- EVOO – To achieve those lovely caramelized, browned edges on your chickpeas, you really need some oil in your skillet. EVOO is my go-to for cooking and for salads too.
In addition to these three ingredients, I also add salt and sometimes black pepper to taste. The salt is important for bringing out those sweet flavors and giving your chickpeas some brightness. The black pepper is optional, but adds some warming peppery tones.
So let’s get to this recipe!!..
5-Minute Skillet Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 2-3 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon smoky paprika
- salt to taste
- 3 cups chickpeas, or 1 14oz can
Instructions
- Warm a skillet over high heat. Add in the olive oil.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas while the skillet warms up. It's ok if the chickpeas are slightly damp from rinsing. That moisture is actually helpful for not drying out the chickpeas.
- When pan is nice and hot, turn heat to low and add int he chickpeas. The damp chickpeas hitting the pan will sizzle so be careful. Shake the pan so that the chickpeas are coated in oil and begins to brown. When sizzling calms, turn heat back up to high.
- after two minutes of oil cooking to brown and heat the chickpeas, turn heat to low again and add in the maple syrup and sprinkle the salt and paprika over top. Shake pan to evenly distribute. Cover the pan with a lid. Allow the chickpeas to sit for another minute to lock in all those flavors.
- Turn heat off and set the covered chickpeas aside until you are ready to use them. When ready to serve, remove lid and scoop chickpeas up and serve warm.
Equipment
- skillet
- strainer to rinse beans
- spatula or wooden spoon
Notes
- If your chickpeas are drying out a bit too quickly, you can add in a splash of water or veggie broth before covering up with the lid. Just make sure that the heat is on low or off when you add the water to the oily pan.
- If you want more flavor, you can always add more maple and paprika! Go bold on the spice and sweet if that is your preference.
- Can you make this recipe without oil? Yes. Just be sure to sub with water or broth so that you don’t dry out the chickpeas. Also, not using oil will make the chickpeas cook a bit slower.
