Nacho Roasted Chickpeas

Check out these awesome Nacho Roasted Chickpeas! They’re a super tasty and nutritious option for lunch or a snack. And guess what? They’re also a fantastic filling for tacos! Packed with all the nacho seasonings you love, this dish is perfect for any occasion, including taco bar parties!

Not only are these roasted chickpeas great for meal prep, but they also make a delicious addition to a Mexican-inspired bowl. Add some quinoa or rice, shredded lettuce, and avocado for an amazing burst of flavor. And don’t forget to grab some tortilla chips for a fun scooping experience!

And I know you love Nacho cheese!

I initially shared this delicious recipe way back in 2013, but I figured it was time for an update. I’ve made some changes to the photos, information, and even the recipe itself to ensure a top-notch user experience. This recipe was adapted from Amuse your Bouche .

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

How to make

This is kind of like a nice healthier nachos recipe with the same great flavor, but less fat, more protein, and more fiber.

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

Gather the ingredients

The main ingredient here is cooked chickpeas. I love the convenience of canned chickpeas. Just two cans, drained and rinsed. But if you prefer to cook them from dried, you may use those as well.

Canned tomatoes: really any canned tomatoes will work here. You could get fire roasted tomatoes for a nice deeper flavor. Or, try a can with added Mexican flavors. I like the petite dice because they kind of melt into the chickpeas as they cook.

There’s a good amount of seasonings, herbs, and spices to keep things smelling and tasting nacho flavored! I highly recommend homemade Taco Seasoning. It has a fresh delicious flavor, and you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. If you use a store-bought taco seasoning with lots of salt, you may want to leave the ¼ teaspoon salt out and taste the cooked garbanzo beans at the end of cooking and season as needed.

And the shredded cheese. Normally I recommend using a block of cheese and shredding it yourself, but as you can see from the pictures, I used bagged pre-shredded this time. Since I’m still without a kitchen the convenience of pre-shredded works just fine. 

Let’s get cooking

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

For the crispiest crunchiest chickpeas, be sure to drain off all liquid from the chickpeas and the tomatoes. If you want the chickpeas a little soft, feel free to leave some of the juices in the pan.

These are super simple to make. Pop the ingredients, chickpeas through oil, in a large bowl and mix well.

By the way, I like to measure the dry spices before the measuring the oil so that my measuring spoons stay nice and dry and I don’t drip liquid ingredients all over.

Next, spread the spiced chickpeas out in one layer on a baking tray with sides or a 13×9 pan. You can line the tray with parchment paper if you’d like (it saves on clean up time).

Place in the oven to roast for 30 minutes, stirring half way through.

When the chickpeas have finished cooking, transfer them to a large bowl; Add the grated cheese, chopped green onions, and cilantro, and mix well.

Storage & reheating

Leftover cooked chickpeas will keep for 3-4 days in an air tight container in the fridge.

They can also be frozen, although they will be a bit mushy when thawed.

Reheat any leftovers in the microwave or eat them cold.

Serving suggestions

Serve with tortilla chips like a Nacho flavored dip.

Serve these garbanzos with your choice of nacho-style toppings: guacamole, roasted corn, Mexican Street Corn, sour cream, or salsa.

Make Chili nacho chickpeas by topping chili with some of these.

They’re great in a Mexican bowl with quinoa or rice, shredded lettuce, sour cream. Take a look at some of my bowl recipes for more inspiration: Shrimp and Mexican Street Corn Bowl, Winter Grain Bowl, and Roasted garbanzo bean and avocado bowl.

Mix it up

Want to change up the recipe a bit? It’d be great with some chopped red bell pepper.

Mix in chopped avocado when you mix in the cheese – it’ll get a nice creamy flavor.

Or toss in some nutritional yeast – up to 3 tablespoons to add even more cheesy flavor.

Can I make this vegan?

Everything in this recipe is vegan except the cheese. So, it’s easy to veganize it. Simply use vegan cheese like Daiya or Violife.

Or, leave the cheese off. If you do this, you may want to add 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast to add back in the nacho flavor.

You could also drizzle the chickpeas with some Vegan Nacho Cheese.

Can I make this in the Air fryer?

Yes, this would be great to make in the air fryer. You may want to cook it in batches so you don’t crowd the pan.

Use an air fryer safe pan, place the spiced chickpeas in it, and air fry them in a preheated air fryer at 350° F for 20 to 24 minutes. Then proceed with the recipe as directed.

Other unusual chickpea recipes

Chickpea snacks are great. They’re easy to make, healthy, and can take on so many flavors. Check out these delicious takes on the bean:

• Buffalo Roasted Chickpeas
• Parmesan Chickpeas
• Honey Glazed Chickpeas
• Ghost Pepper Chickpeas
• Chickpea Garlic Soup

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