This recipe for slow cooker barbecue chickpeas tastes as good as classic meat barbecue! It combines traditional flavors of a sweet and spicy homemade barbecue sauce and meaty chickpeas in the slow cooker for a plant-based twist on barbecue. It’s an easy, satisfying dish even meat eaters will love!

Shot of a bbq chickpea sandwich on a plate with chips. There is a bottle of sparkling water, a glass, and a bowl with slaw in the background.

5 star review

“Wow!!! This was so easy to make and so delicious!!”

– Victoria

Testing Notes from Robyn

I hope I can convince you guys to try this recipe, because it’s so easy, delicious, and satisfying!

If you’re a vegetarian or you eat a primarily plant-based diet, then you won’t need much convincing at all, because you know this is going to be good.

But if you eat meat and are a bit skeptical as to whether beans are substantial and tasty enough to make a meal, let me just tell you that they absolutely are.

The idea for this recipe came to me when we were eating lunch with friends at Prasad, one of my favorite Portland eateries.

The menu is entirely plant-based, and since Andrew was looking for something hearty and flavorful he was not optimistic that a bowl of veggies was really going to cut it.

He decided to order the barbecue plate, which included chickpeas bathed in a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, along with slow cooked collard greens and house-made corn bread.

It was so delicious that he had to ban me from stealing bites off his plate, and as soon as we got home I set to work recreating an at-home version.

I chose to go the slow cooker route for these BBQ beans because chickpeas stand up so well to the low and slow treatment, making this a perfect make ahead weeknight dinner.

Plus they store in the fridge really well, so they make an easy, healthy, and filling lunch on the go.

Homemade BBQ sauce is truly the best (hence why I always have a jar of my easy BBQ sauce on hand), and the sauce for these crockpot chickpeas couldn’t be simpler. 

And with no chopping required you can get this dish prepped in under 5 minutes, and then go on with your day while the slow cooker does all the work.

Make It Even Easier

While this recipe comes together in a cinch, if you are really in a rush or don’t have all the ingredients for the BBQ sauce, feel free to use your favorite BBQ sauce instead. However, note that this recipe is much lower in sugar than most store-bought BBQ sauces, so if you use store-bought sauce, the sugar content will be higher.

Shot of a bbq chickpea sandwich on a plate with chips. There is a bottle of sparkling water, a glass, and a bowl with slaw in the background.

How & What to Serve with Slow Cooker Barbecue Chickpeas

Feel free to use these chickpeas anywhere you would use barbecue chicken – piled high on whole wheat or gluten free buns with creamy cabbage slaw and hot sauce, as a part of a barbecue plate with one-bowl cornbread muffins and cooked greens, or in bowls (similar to BBQ chicken bowls).

These garbanzo beans also pair really well with any BBQ side dishes like sun dried tomato pasta salad, mediterranean pasta salad, or slow cooker roasted potatoes.

THIS RECIPE IS . . .

Shot of a bbq chickpea sandwich on a plate with chips. There is a bottle of sparkling water, a glass, and a bowl with slaw in the background.
Image of Slow Cooker Barbecue Chickpeas
5 stars (7 ratings)

Slow Cooker Barbecue Chickpeas

This recipe for slow cooker barbecue chickpeas tastes as good as classic meat barbecue! It combines traditional flavors of a sweet and spicy homemade barbecue sauce and meaty chickpeas in the slow cooker for a plant-based twist on barbecue.

Ingredients

  • 3 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or honey (if not vegan)
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, or blackstrap molasses
  • 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Combine all the ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine.
  • Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6.
  • Taste and add additional salt or vinegar if you like. If the chickpeas are dry or you prefer a saucier consistency, add more water.

Notes

See blog post, above, for serving suggestions, substitutions, and more. 

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 6), Calories: 232kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.01g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 295mg, Potassium: 46mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 164IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 0.2mg
Nutrition disclaimer
Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

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