If you open my pantry at pretty much any time over the last decade, you will always find a can of chickpeas. They are so versatile and you can use them as a side dish, dip, or the star of the show. For these BBQ Chickpeas Bowls, they are star! There are good flavors in this bowl, but what I love most about it is that it’s incredibly fast to make, healthy, and cheap!
While the toppings for this are kind of limitless, I give some favorite ideas below! Make it your own of course!
How to make BBQ Chickpeas
I’ve made roasted chickpeas many times and I like those on a salad (like this crispy chickpea salad), but for these bowls I wanted something saucy and savory so I turned to a normal pot on the stove!
I just mixed my drained chickpeas with some butter, cumin, chipotle, and BBQ sauce. You could use any BBQ sauce for these. I used a hot honey one that is slightly sweet and spicy.
Cook these over medium heat and stir until the sauce thickens and just coats the chickpeas.
Try not to overcook these or they will get too mushy and fall apart.
These are very good and are great on rice as the sauce kind of soaks into the rice.
Good Base Ideas for BBQ Chickpea Bowls
I went a little Cava-inspired for these bowls and did a mix of greens and rice for the base. I used leftover white rice I had and some mixed greens and just tossed them together to get a nice texture change and make the base lighter.
I would really recommend using what you have for this base. You could use almost any grain or rice and almost any green you have. Just make it your own, keep it simple, and don’t go to the store!
Topping Ideas for BBQ Chickpea Bowls
There are SO many delicious toppings you could add to these bowls. Here are some of my favorites!
I would use these bowls as a great opportunity to clear out your fridge as well. Use anything you have in the vegetable crisper!
- Ripe avocado
- Cheddar cheese
- Mini sweet peppers
- Cucumbers
- Jalapenos
- Cilantro
- Pickled onions
- Corn
- Tomatoes
Have other ideas for good toppings? Leave a comment on this post with anything you have to add!
Building the Bowl and Sauces
When you are building a BBQ Chickpea Bowl, try to make sure none of your ingredients (like the rice or chickpeas) are too hot. That will wilt the vegetables. Everything around room temperature, or even out of the fridge is just fine.
I like to arrange my ingredients around the bowl so it looks pretty, but obviously it all gets mixed together so however you want to do it!
These bowls need a sauce even though the BBQ on the chickpeas is kind of a sauce.
I went with Litehouse Ranch which just goes well with the BBQ flavors. While you could use a homemade ranch sauce, for ease, I just used a favorite store-bought version.
Drizzle that over the top of the bowls and dig in!
Leftovers
These BBQ Chickpeas Bowls make for great leftovers. Just make sure to store the ingredients separately and the chickpeas will keep great for a week or so. If you have a fully made leftover bowl, it will probably keep okay for a day but then get pretty sad.
For 15 minutes and just a few ingredients, it’s hard to beat these bowls for a quick dinner option.
BBQ Chickpea Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can Chickpeas, drained
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder, optional
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- White rice, cooked
- Greens, for bowl
Topping Ideas:
- Cubed Cheddar cheese
- Mini sweet peppers, sliced
- Pickled red onions
- Grated carrots
- Ripe avocado
- Cucumber, sliced
- Fresh cilantro
- Ranch Dressing
Instructions
- In a small pot over low heat, add butter, drained chickpeas, cumin, chipotle powder, and bbq sauce. Stir together over low heat until sauce comes together and coats chickpeas. Don't overcook. Remove from heat.
- Build bowls with a mix of cooked, room temperature rice (leftover or instant is great), greens, avocado, vegetables, cubed cheese, and pile chickpeas in the center. Drizzle with ranch dressing and serve immediately.
- Store leftover chickpeas in the fridge for a week.
