These open-faced Spiced Chickpea Tacos are piled with crispy cumin-roasted chickpeas, creamy hummus, and a crunchy apple-radish slaw. They’re fully vegan, ready in about 30 minutes, and just the thing when you want a weeknight dinner that still feels a little bit special.
This recipe was contributed by Liz from Floating Kitchen many years ago. The article has since been updated, but the recipe remains as delicious as ever!
Apples aren’t just for pie — they’re just as good in savory dishes like this one. If you’re looking for more ways to cook with them beyond dessert, this cauliflower and apple fritter salad is another great savory apple recipe worth trying.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chickpeas. A single 15-ounce can is all you need. Pat them very dry with a paper towel before roasting — the drier they go into the oven, the crisper they come out.
- Cumin & paprika. This simple two-spice blend, plus salt, is what gives the chickpeas their warm, smoky flavor. Feel free to add a pinch of chili powder or cayenne if you like more heat.
- Apple. A crisp, slightly tart variety like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Braeburn holds up best in the slaw and won’t turn mushy once dressed.
- Radishes. Thinly sliced radishes add a peppery crunch that balances the sweetness of the apple. A mandoline makes quick work of slicing them evenly.
- Hummus. Store-bought keeps this a fast weeknight meal, but homemade basic hummus is easy to whip up if you have a little extra time.
- Tortillas. Flour tortillas are used here, but swap in corn tortillas to make the whole recipe gluten-free.
Helpful Tips
Dry the chickpeas well. Any leftover moisture will steam the chickpeas instead of roasting them, so take an extra minute to blot them thoroughly between paper towels before they hit the baking sheet.
Give the chickpeas room to crisp. Spread them in a single, even layer on the baking sheet rather than piling them up. Overcrowding traps steam and leaves you with soft chickpeas instead of crunchy ones.
Shake, don’t stir. Give the pan a good shake halfway through roasting instead of flipping each chickpea with a spatula — it’s faster and browns them more evenly.
Make the slaw first. The apple-radish slaw actually improves as it sits, so toss it together before you start the chickpeas. By the time the oven timer goes off, the flavors will have had time to meld.
Warm your tortillas. A few seconds per side in a dry skillet or straight over a gas flame makes them pliable and brings out a little extra flavor — don’t skip this step even if you’re in a hurry.
Variations
- Swap the slaw. If you’re out of apples or radishes, this Easy Mexican Slaw makes a great stand-in.
- Add some heat. A drizzle of hot sauce or a spoonful of pickled jalapeños plays really well against the sweet apple and cool hummus.
- Make it a bowl. Skip the tortillas and pile the hummus, chickpeas, and slaw over a bed of greens or rice for a heartier, fork-and-knife dinner.
- Try a different bean. Roasted white beans or black beans work with the same spice blend if you want to switch things up.
- Add cheese. A crumble of feta or cotija over the top adds a salty, tangy note if you’re not keeping the recipe vegan.
Serving Ideas
These tacos are filling enough to stand on their own, but a simple side rounds out the meal nicely. Lime-dressed rice, a scoop of black beans, or a handful of tortilla chips and salsa are all easy additions that don’t require much extra effort.
If you love cooking with chickpeas as much as we do, this Moroccan Butternut Squash Stew with Chickpeas is a cozy, spiced option to add to your weekly rotation.
Storing & Freezing
Store any leftover components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days: the roasted chickpeas, the apple-radish slaw, and the hummus. Assembling the tacos just before eating keeps the tortillas from getting soggy and the chickpeas from losing their crunch.
This recipe doesn’t freeze particularly well — the fresh apple and radish slaw turns watery once thawed, and roasted chickpeas lose their crispness in the freezer. If you want to plan ahead, the roasted chickpeas can be frozen on their own for up to 1 month and re-crisped in a hot oven for a few minutes before serving.
More Vegetarian Taco Night Ideas
If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy:
- 15+ Vegan Taco Recipes
- 20+ Vegetarian Mexican Recipes
- Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich (No Mayo!)
- Carrot Dogs with Mango Avocado Salsa
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
For the chickpeas:
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
For the tacos:
- 1 medium red apple, cored and chopped
- 4 medium radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- Juice from ½ lime
- ½ teaspoon white sugar (organic for vegan-friendly)
- 6 small tortillas
- ½ cup hummus
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the chickpeas out on a paper towel, then use a second paper towel to pat them very dry — this is what helps them crisp up in the oven instead of steaming. Transfer the dried chickpeas to the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil, and toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly with the salt, cumin, and paprika, then spread into a single, even layer.
- Roast the chickpeas for 20 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through, until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, add the chopped apple, sliced radishes, cilantro, lime juice, and sugar to a bowl and toss to combine. Set aside — the slaw actually tastes better the longer it sits while the chickpeas roast.
- To assemble the tacos, warm the tortillas in a dry skillet, in the microwave, or over a gas flame until pliable. Spread about 1 ½ tablespoons of hummus over each warmed tortilla, then top with roasted chickpeas and a generous scoop of the apple-radish slaw. Serve immediately.
[email protected] says
Oh wow, I never thought to mix apples into my tacos. Excited to try this out after I go apple-picking in a few weeks!
Liz says
Let me know how it turns out!