Kung Pao Chickpeas (in a Slow Cooker!)

Kung Pao Chickpeas (in a Slow Cooker!)

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: kung pao chickpeas

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 3

Total Time: 3 10

Servings:

Calories: 172kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

These Kung Pao Chickpeas make an easy vegetarian dinner and taste like your favorite take-out. A great source of plant based protein, the prep work is a breeze!

Print Recipe Add to Collection

US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

½ red onion , chopped
1 red bell pepper , chopped
2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas , drained and rinsed
¼ cup tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (the more syrupy, the better)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 minced garlic cloves)
½ teaspoon ground ginger (or 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 green onions , chopped
sesame seeds , for garnish
Cooked white rice , for serving (or cauliflower rice)

Instructions

Add the red onion, bell pepper, and chickpeas into the bowl of your slow cooker.
In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil. Pour the sauce into the slow cooker and stir well.
Cover the slow cooker and set it to cook for 3 hours on high heat, or 6 hours on low heat. If you need to cook it longer due to your schedule, I'd recommend adding 2-4 tablespoons of water to the mixture to help prevent the sauce from over-cooking. (If you have a super-nice slow cooker, it might also give you the option to have the cooker start cooking later in the day on a timer.)
Once the cooking is done, give the chickpeas a stir and serve them warm over a bed of white rice (or cauliflower rice) with a sprinkling of green onions and sesame seeds on top.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for roughly a heaping 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas in sauce. This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
You can use honey instead of maple syrup in this recipe if you don't need it to be vegan.

If you're not gluten-free, you can use regular soy sauce if you prefer. (I use full-sodium soy sauce in my recipes, but you can use low-sodium if needed.)

Nutrition