Buffalo Chickpea Bowl

This buffalo chickpea bowl is a simple but flavorful meatless meal that’s a spicy and satisfying. Creamy buffalo chickpeas are spooned over white rice and topped with blue cheese crumbles and a ranch dressing drizzle for a quick and cheap meal you’ll want to make over and over.

These spicy buffalo chickpea bowls are tangy, rich, and so filling. Naturally vegetarian, but with easy vegan swaps, these bowls will totally fill your cravings for buffalo wings. Made super easily in just a few steps, they are the perfect way to use pantry staples.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Chickpeas – Loaded with protein, chickpeas are the perfect vegetarian option instead of chicken. They are super filling and allow the other flavors of the bowls to shine.
Buffalo sauce – You can use store-bought or make your own, but this tart, spicy sauce typically made from vinegar-y hot sauce and butter (or plant-based cream if vegan) is bright and gives the chickpeas a major kick.
Half and half or non-dairy cream – Adding a little bit of thick cream helps make the buffalo sauce richer and creamier.
Ranch and blue cheese crumbles – The ultimate dip and sides for buffalo wings, the ranch adds a little sweetness and an extra tang, while the blue cheese is sharp and creamy.

How To Make It

The full recipe & ingredients list are below, but here you’ll find a quick overview for making this recipe perfectly, along with useful tips and info!

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium sized skillet.
2. Add the drained chickpeas. Cook for about 3 minutes or until they are softened and just beginning to brown on one side.
3. Add the buffalo sauce and the half and half or cream to the skillet and let everything heat through.
4. Divide white rice between two bowls and spoon the chickpeas over.
5. Drizzle with ranch dressing and sprinkle with some blue cheese crumbles on top.
6. Serve with celery and extra buffalo sauce.

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Chef’s Tips

• If you’re making your bowls vegan, skip the blue cheese crumbles or use vegan ones (check out this recipe), use vegan ranch, and swap out the half and half for a non-dairy cream (we like Ripple) or coconut cream (the solid white part in a can of coconut). You can use the same swaps to make this recipe dairy-free. Make sure that your buffalo sauce is vegan, too!
• If you’re on a strict vegetarian diet (and not just a casual plant-based dieter), make sure that your buffalo sauce is vegetarian. Worcestershire sauce, one of the common ingredients, isn’t!
• Don’t forget that chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans!
• If you would prefer to cook your own chickpeas than use canned, and you have an Instant Pot, here is a great way to cook them.

More Delicious Chickpea Recipes

• Quick Creamy Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry
• Vegetarian Chickpea Tikka Masala
• Chickpea Salad Sandwich
• Chickpea Gyros
• Easy Chana Masala