Peanut Chickpea Tacos

Name: Peanut Chickpea Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 200 g coleslaw cabbage mix (about 3 ½ cups); 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 4 green onions, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro; salt and pepper; 3 tbsp natural peanut butter (45 g); 1 tsp seasoned rice vinegar; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1-2 tsp Sriracha or sambal oelek; 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce; 1 garlic clove, minced; ¼ tsp ground ginger; 3-4 tbsp warm water, to thin; 1-15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 2 tsp oil or water; 1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced; 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced (50 g); 3 tbsp toasted peanuts or cashews, for topping; finely chopped cilantro, for topping; 6 corn or flour tortillas

posted: 02/08/22 — updated: 04/16/24 by Deryn Macey Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe· 5 from 5 reviews

These easy chickpea tacos feature chickpeas in a delicious peanut sauce paired with a quick and easy cabbage slaw.

Tacos with a spicy peanut and bell pepper chickpea filling topped with cabbage slaw and hot sauce.

These tacos are perfect for a quick and delicious weeknight meal.

The chickpeas are cooked with shallot and bell pepper then coated in an addictive, spicy peanut sauce and paired with a simple, tangy cabbage slaw. You can have these ready in about 20 minutes and they’re always a hit!

Vegan tacos are a great dish to explore plant-based alternatives. You can try more with these Easy Tofu Tacos with Creamy Avocado Sauce, Quick & Easy Vegan Tempeh Tacos Recipe or Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Ranch.

Table of Contents

Recipe Features

Vegan, gluten-free (use corn tortillas for gluten-free).
Easy to make in about 20 minutes.
Perfect for a healthy and delicious weeknight meal.
The chickpeas are versatile and can be used in rice bowls, wraps and salads.
Great option for a meatless meal the whole family will enjoy (double recipe if needed!).

Ingredient Notes

All of the ingredients needed for making chickpea taco with cabbage slaw. Each ingredient is labelled with text and can be found in the recipe card in the blog post.

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

Coleslaw Mix: Keep things quick and easy by using store-bought coleslaw mix. You’ll need about half a bag or you can double it and use the extra for another meal.
Rice Vinegar: Seasoned rice vinegar adds flavour to the sauce and slaw. If you only have unseasoned rice vinegar, you can add a pinch of salt and sugar to the slaw along with it.
Sesame Oil: Used for the slaw. You can swap it for another oil like avocado or olive oil but it does add a nice flavour to the slaw.
Green Onion: You’ll need about half a bunch of green onions, it doesn’t have to be exact so feel free to use a bit more or less to preference.
Cilantro: This is mixed into the slaw and used for topping. If you don’t like cilantro you can omit it.
Peanut Butter: If you can’t do peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter works.
Maple Syrup: Balances the acidity of the peanut sauce. You can substitute agave if needed.
Sriracha or Sambal: l like sambal oelek best for the sauce but Sriracha or any chili garlic paste works too.
Tamari or Soy Sauce: Be sure to use tamari if you need the recipe to be gluten-free. I’d recommend low-sodium soy sauce if using soy. Coconut aminos would also work here.
Shallot: Red onion works if you don’t have shallot on hand.
Tortillas: Any corn or flour tortilla you like works. I like La Tortilla factory best! You could also do lettuce wraps for a low-carb option.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the slaw.

Since we’re using coleslaw mix, the slaw is super easy to make! Toss the mix in a bowl with the sesame oil, rice vinegar, green onion and cilantro, mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Set it aside to the flavours can mix while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Cabbage and green onion slaw in a glass mixing bowl on a marble surface. — Mix up the cabbage slaw with cilantro and green onion.

Step 2: Make the peanut sauce.

To make the peanut sauce, mix all of the ingredients together in bowl until smooth then slowly add warm water until you have a pourable consistency.

Creamy peanut sauce in a small bowl with a wooden spoon. — Mix up the peanut sauce until smooth, adjusting the consistency with water.

Step 3: Cook the chickpeas.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat then add 2 tsp oil or water and the chickpeas, shallots and red bell pepper.

Cook this up for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the peanut sauce, mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes to heat through.

Chickpeas, red onion and shallots cooking in peanut sauce in a skillet with a wooden spoon. — Cook the chickpeas, pepper and shallot then add the peanut sauce.

Step 3: Assemble the tacos and enjoy!

If you like, warm the tortillas briefly in a pan or the oven. I do 2 tacos per person with a side of the extra slaw but you can adjust that as needed.

The tortillas I used were about 6-inches so if you’re using smaller ones, you may get 3-4 tacos per person.

Divide the chickpeas between the tortillas, top with slaw, peanuts and cilantro and enjoy!

Scooping cabbage slaw onto a chickpea taco. — Assemble your tacos and enjoy!

Notes & Tips

Don’t feel like tacos? The peanut chickpeas and slaw are delicious served over rice as a yummy bowl.
Low-carb option: Use romaine or iceberg lettuce to make lettuce wraps.
Low-fat/oil-free option: Omit the sesame oil in the slaw. Use water to saute the chickpeas, peppers and shallot.

Adding Sriracha to a chickpea and cabbage slaw taco on a plate.

Making Ahead and Storing

The peanut sauce can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Thin with some water before using.
The prepared peanut chickpeas store well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can use the leftovers to make more tacos or add them to bowls, wraps/burritos and salads. They can also be enjoyed cold for a snack.
The slaw can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Vegan Lentil Tacos: Lentils cooked with more traditional taco spices like cumin, paprika and chili powder.
Tempeh Tacos: Delicious tempeh tacos with cashew cream and pickled red onion.
Roasted Cauliflower Burrito Bowls: Delicious burrito bowls with roasted cauliflower and black beans.
Vegan Black Bean Burritos: Black bean and red rice packed burritos.
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Skillet: A veggie-packed chickpea skillet dish for a quick meal.
Spiced Skillet Chickpeas: These would also work well for tacos.
Black Bean Tacos: Easy black bean tacos with cabbage, lime and pickled onion.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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