Crispy Smashed Chickpea Tacos

These crispy chickpea tacos feature a smashed chickpea filling with two kinds of gooey cheese melted inside and lots of spicy chili crisp.

Chickpeas are stepping up to the plate for your next taco night! And wow, they did not come to play.

Neither did our cheese stretches, apparently.

Cross my heart, hope to die, when I say that you will not be missing the meat whatsoever in these crispy tacos, because the smashed chickpea situation we’ve got happening here today is a flavor + texture bomb.

There’s no fancy tricks to our taco game today. Simple ingredients, yet massive amounts of flavor and I’m betting you have most if not all of the ingredients in your pantry right now!

Any night can be taco night and I’m seriously starting to think it should be every night.

These Tacos feature…

• A crispy pan fried exterior
• Spicy smashed chickpeas and gooey pepper jack and gouda cheese
• Ready in minutes and vegetarian-friendly

Making the Tacos

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Chickpeas
• Green onion
• Garlic
• Chili crisp
• Cumin
• Tortillas
• Gouda cheese
• Pepper jack cheese
• Vegetable oil
• Sour cream

Choosing Your Tortillas

This recipe works great with both corn or flour tortillas – you can even use a mix of both for some variety! I do strongly recommend heating tortillas in microwave 30-60 seconds before filling so they become malleable and don’t break when folded.

Tips for Perfect Tacos

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas – this will prevent any additional liquid from getting in the filling.
2. Mash chickpeas – use a fork or potato masher to mash the chickpeas until creamy.
3. Use freshly-shredded cheese – cheese that’s been freshly shredded will melt much better in the tacos.
4. Fry tacos in batches – be careful not to overcrowd the pan otherwise the tacos will not crisp up properly. I typically fry up these tacos 2-3 at a time in a large skillet, adding additional oil to pan between each batch.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on these tacos.

• Use a different bean – try black beans or pinto beans in place of the chickpeas.
• Add meat – add 1/4 lb browned chorizo to the filling.
• Dial back on the heat – omit the chili crisp if you’re not a fan of spicy.
• Serve tacos with a different dipping sauce – try a cilantro lime sauce, salsa, etc.

Serving Suggestions

I recommend serving these tacos hot off the pan with additional chili crisp and sliced green onions spooned on top and lots of sour cream for dipping.

For a full meal, try pairing tacos alongside Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice.

The spicy smashed chickpea filling with all that gooey gouda + pepperjack goodness is quite frankly unreal in these tacos. The exterior is perfectly pan-fried, giving you that earth-shattering crunch for every bite.

Taco night just became every night, I rest my case.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

Try these other killer tacos next time!

• Grilled Chipotle Steak Tacos
• Blackened Salmon Tacos
• Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef Tacos