My Marinated Lemon Pepper Chickpeas are packed full of fresh flavor and easy to make. Mix the chickpeas with the simple marinade and let the refrigerator do most of the work. This plant-based chickpea recipe can be enjoyed chilled or heated up. Add to pasta, rice, stir-fries, wraps, and more. Make sure to add a batch of these marinated chickpeas to your weekly meal plan!
Chickpeas are one of my favorite plant-based proteins to use in my recipes. They’re mild in flavor and can be seamlessly used in many different cuisines, although they are most commonly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Today, I’m sharing the recipe for my super-easy Marinated Lemon Pepper Chickpeas. The fresh and tangy marinade gives them a lot of flavor and just gets better as it sits. Add them to salads and wraps chilled, or heat them and pair with pasta, rice, or vegetables.
Why You’ll Love These Flavorful Chickpeas
- Easy to make – These marinated chickpeas are simple to prepare and require only a few steps. I like to boil my chickpeas in water beforehand for just a few minutes, but that step is optional. Once you have the chickpeas mixed with the simple marinade, the refrigerator does the rest of the work for you.
- Versatile – I use chickpeas in numerous ways, and this is no exception for these marinated lemon pepper chickpeas. They can be enjoyed with rice, veggies, pasta, potatoes, salad, or even inside a taco topping. If you like to meal prep, you can make a big batch of these chickpeas and then use them in your recipes throughout the week.
- Packed with flavor – If you love intense flavors like lemon, black pepper, and fresh garlic, these flavorful chickpeas are for you. By themselves, chickpeas don’t taste like much, so they are easily able to soak up all the bold-flavored ingredients in the marinade.
Why Your Body Will Love This Plant-Based Recipe
- Chickpeas – A high-fiber diet is imperative for good digestive health, and chickpeas contain 35 grams of fiber per cup of cooked beans. Beans have a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber, which greatly benefits the digestive process. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the digestive tract, helping regulate the absorption of nutrients. It also binds to bile in the digestive tract, removing toxins that would otherwise recirculate throughout the body. Insoluble fiber helps bulk up our stool, ensuring that things run smoothly.
- Lemons – Lemons have numerous health benefits, including supporting heart health, aiding digestion, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the risk of kidney stones. Lemons are a great source of vitamin C, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy immune system. The immune system is responsible for helping us fight off sickness, as well as making sure wounds are healed quickly.
Lemon Pepper Chickpea Recipe Ingredients
- Chickpeas – I use canned chickpeas for this recipe, but you can easily swap in home-cooked chickpeas instead. I like to boil my chickpeas in water for just a few minutes because it heats them, making them more susceptible to absorbing the lemon pepper marinade. It also helps soften them slightly, which may be helpful, depending on the brand of chickpeas you are using.
- Olive Oil – I prefer to use extra-virgin olive oil because I enjoy its taste. You can use whatever kind of oil you regularly use and have on hand.
- Lemon – I recommend using fresh lemon for this recipe, rather than bottled lemon juice, but either will work. I like to add both the juice and zest of the lemon for an extra zippy, fresh flavor.
- Garlic – I like to use fresh garlic cloves that I grate on a microplane, which makes it easier for the garlic to blend in with the marinade. If the taste of fresh garlic is too strong, consider using garlic powder as an alternative.
- Salt and Pepper
How To Make Marinated Lemon Pepper Chickpeas
- Open the cans of chickpeas and pour them into a medium sized saucepan, you can drain them or leave the liquid. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook the chickpeas until slightly softened, but not mushy, for 5-7 minutes. Drain the chickpeas well and let them cool while you make the marinade.
- To a medium-sized bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk the marinade until it is fully combined. Add in the chickpeas and mix everything together until the chickpeas are fully coated with the marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for optimal flavor. Marinated chickpeas can be enjoyed cold, or slightly drained and crisped in a saucepan with extra oil. You can also heat them quickly in the microwave for 45 seconds if needed.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.
- Can the chickpeas be substituted? Yes, you can easily swap the chickpeas for white beans or diced up raw tofu.
- How long do leftovers last? Store leftover marinated chickpeas in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
- How should these marinated chickpeas be used? You can enjoy them chilled or at room temperature. I like to add them to salads, pasta, rice, veggies, wraps, stir-fries, and tacos. They are highly versatile and can be used in numerous ways. Heat in the microwave or a saucepan on the stovetop.
- Can these chickpeas be frozen? Yes, add the chickpeas, with the marinade, to a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. A ziplock bag would work well for storage.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Easy Chickpea Recipes?
Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Chickpeas
4 Ingredient Red Curry Chickpeas
Smoky Coconut Chickpeas with Rice
Print
Marinated Lemon Pepper Chickpeas
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 2-4
- Diet: Vegan
Description
My Marinated Lemon Pepper Chickpeas are packed full of fresh flavor and easy to make. Mix the chickpeas with the simple marinade and let the refrigerator do most of the work. This plant based chickpea recipe can be enjoyed chilled or heated up. Add to pasta, rice, stirfry, wraps and so much more. Make sure to add a batch of these marinated chickpeas to your weekly meal plan!
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Open the cans of chickpeas and pour them into a medium sized saucepan, you can drain them or leave the liquid. Cover with water, bring to a boil and cook chickpeas until softened a little bit, but not mushy, 5-7 minutes. Drain chickpeas well and let sit while you make the marinade.
- To a medium sized bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk marinade well, until fully combined. Add in the chickpeas and mix everything together, until chickpeas are fully coated with the marinade.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight for maximum flavor. Marinated chickpeas can be enjoyed cold, or slightly drained and crisped up in a saucepan with some extra oil. You can also pop them in the microwave for 45 seconds if you just want to heat them quickly.
Notes
The nutrition information is if you were to NOT drain the chickpeas from the marinade before eating.
- Prep Time: 75 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Side, Vegan
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Leave a Reply