Buffalo Chickpea Taquitos
Rivalry Week. It’s considered the most exciting college football weekend of the year. On this day, friends can become foes, and even families can become divided. Fortunately for me, my family gathers in solidarity on the Saturday following Thanksgiving each year to support the University of Florida Gators as they battle the Florida State University Seminoles.
Our traditional game day grub is usually pizza. It’s easy to order, delicious, and a perfect handheld meal to feed the hungry mouths of those who are tired of cooking after Thanksgiving food prep.
This year, I decided to try something different. One of my good friends mentioned these outstanding Buffalo Chickpea Tacos that she made for her family during a Sunday NFL game (they always gather together to cheer on the Philadelphia Eagles). This dish was easy to put together in a short amount of time. The crunchy, spicy taquitos were a great contrast to the traditional Thanksgiving meal (and leftovers) we enjoyed the previous two days. I made a quick vegan cheese sauce to drizzle on top (check out my recipe for vegan nacho cheese here) which was optional but definitely elevated the flavors and textures. These would also be great served with some guacamole and salsa!
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Frank’s)
- 2 tablespoons plant-based milk (such as unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Spice Mix: 1 tsp onion powder, 3/4 tsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar), 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp chili powder (more to taste), ground black pepper to taste
- 8 inch soft tortillas (can use corn or flour. Although I prefer corn, they have a tendency to break apart when rolled and can be difficult to work with)
- Optional: vegan cheese sauce for drizzling, guacamole, salsa, vegan sour cream, chopped cilantro
Directions:
- Mash chickpeas in a large bowl with a fork or potato masher
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and spice mix and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add all other sauce ingredients and chickpeas to the pan and bring to a boil. Let simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
- Adjust salt/spices as needed to taste.
- Preheat oven to 410 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place 2-4 tablespoons of filling on each tortilla and roll up tightly. Place tortillas seam-side down on the baking sheet.
- Brush tortillas lightly with olive oil (optional, but will help to crisp).
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Drizzle with vegan cheese (optional) and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Adapted from original recipe by Ela Vegan