Buffalo Roasted Chickpeas

In a recent effort to eat less meat, this easy idea came about when I was seriously craving the flavor of buffalo wings and I needed a substitution for the protein. Roasted chickpeas have been oh-so trendy for a while, and dousting them in buffalo sauce will give you a spicy and vinegary plant-based experience. Infact, the crunchy exteriors actually remind me of a little bit of chicken skin. Meanwhile, the interiors cook down into a chewable hummus-like texture to deliver classic cayenne flavor.

Most recipes for roasted chickpeas use canned beans, which makes perfect sense. It’s quick and easy, so I get it. However, soaking and cooking dried chickpeas from scratch allows you to better control the texture. Similar to cooking pasta “al dente”, you can cook the chickpeas to almost-done, then finish them off in the oven. I use a miniature slow cooker or keep them at a low boil in a regular pot. 

Because this is such a flexible “easy idea” recipe, the ingredients can vary. We all have our favorite buffalo sauce, so choose the brand you like best. For me it was a combination of Texas Pete and Franks Red Hot. When roasting it’s super important to only lay them out in one layer. Sure, you can have a few areas where they stack up, but not too many.

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups canned chickpeas (2 14-ounce cans or 1 1/2 cups dried if cooking from scratch) Refer to my bean conversion chart if needed.
• 1 cup of any brand buffalo sauce
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

 

Instructionsfor buffalo roasted chickpeas

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine your pre-cooked or canned beans with buffalo sauce and canola oil.
3. Lay the chickpeas in one layer on a flat foil-lined pan with low sides. Avoid having too many areas where they are stacked onto two layers. Some is okay but not many.
   
4. Roast them for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, then increase the heat to 450 for an additional 15 minutes or so. This final blast of heat is what gives the exterior its crunch.  Watch them closely so your roasted chickpeas don’t burn.

Yield: about 2 1/2 cups (they will shrink in size)