Smoked Chickpeas
One of the best things about plant based BBQ, other than it tastes amazing and is incredibly healthy, is the speed at which it can be prepared. Unlike traditional BBQ that can take an extreme amount of time, most plant based BBQ dishes can be prepared start to finish in about an hour! In 1996, when my wife and I married, we established taco Tuesday in our house and the tradition is still going. One of our favorite plant based taco dishes is smoked chickpea tacos, they are amazing! Since going plant based, smoked chickpea tacos are a staple in our household and I have yet to meet anyone, plant based or not, who doesn’t love them! Although we eat them as tacos, they are just as good with a few sides and some Fool’s Gold BBQ sauce or as a sandwich!
Ingredients
2- 20 Ounce Cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or dry chickpeas soaked overnight in water and cooked in Instapot with shells removed
1 Tbsp Fool’s Gold Original or Salt & Sugar Free rub
1 cup of Fool’s Gold Original Sauce
Prep
Drain the chickpeas using a colander. Try to remove as many shells as possible by rubbing chickpeas against the colander and throw away displaced shells. Pat dry with a towel and put in mixing bowl.
Lightly mash chickpeas with fork or potato masher just to break them up a bit.
Massage the Rub into and on the chickpeas thoroughly.
The chickpeas are now ready to go into the smoker, oven, or stovetop smoker.
Although it's not necessary for a quick meal, for a deeper flavor let the chickpeas rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Note: Smoking times and temperatures will vary based on your smoking method, equipment, etc. The great thing about smoking plant based food is that it really can’t be ruined (it won’t taste amazing if overcooked) unless you just forget about it, which I do not recommend, unless you like your food cremated!
Smoker Cooking
Temp: 225 | Time: 1 hour | Woods: Hickory, Alder, Cherry
Oven Smoker Bag Cooking
Can also be used on any grill or over a campfire
Temp: 475 for 10 minutes then 375 for 45-60 minutes | Time: 1 hour | Woods: Hickory, Alder, Cherry
Range Top Smoker Cooking
Temp: Medium heat | Time: 30-40 minutes | Woods: Hickory, Alder, cherry
Regular Range or Oven Cooking
It’s also possible to use your regular oven or stove (times and temps vary). But, using a smoker or smoker bag will yield a more authentic “smoked bbq”flavor. Do NOT under any circumstances add Liquid smoke to any of these recipes or I will hunt you down!
Finish
Finish on the stove in a hot skillet with Fool’s Gold Sauce (as much as you like) . . . and leave some sauce for dipping, if that’s your thang like it is mine!
Alternate Finish
Add smoked chickpeas to a food processor along with a small amount of BBQ sauce and run the food processor until you have a dough type substance, almost the consistency of a black bean burger. Separate into 1-2 inch balls and flatten them out into patties. Cook on a grill or on a hot frying pan for the most amazing plant based BBQ burger!
Serve
Serve with coleslaw on a piece of bread or bun and a side of pit beans and mac-n-cheese! The leftovers are perfect for salads, chili and soup or..wait for it...BBQ Hummus!
Pro Tips
If you are cooking for a large group or meal prepping you do not need to do the last finishing step of the recipe. Just cool and wrap the chickpeas and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use and finish it off with some sauce at that time.
Just before finishing it on the stove, toss it in a little sauce and put in oven or air fryer to crisp them up a bit before proceeding to finish.