Easy Marinated Chickpeas

The easiest Marinated Chickpeas recipe! These delicious chickpeas are marinated in extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, plenty of garlic, onion, lemon and herbs, and are so infused with flavour. They take mere minutes to make and are really handy to keep in the fridge for easy meals and snacks throughout the week. Also great for potlucks, picnics and BBQs!

Want more no-cook chickpea recipes? Check out my vegan chickpea salad, healthy no-bake bars, spicy chickpea smash, and stuffed cucumber cups!

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My love for chickpeas knows no end. Seriously. And one of my current fave ways to enjoy them? Simple: Marinated Chickpeas eaten straight out of a big ol' bowl, after they've been infused with flavour from their very delicious marinade.

They are conveniently low-maintenance, extremely delicious, light yet satisfying, endlessly scoopable, and a great staple to have in your fridge. Make them in a large jar or container, and they are so easy to transport to your summer picnics, BBQs and potlucks!

You can enjoy your marinated chickpeas as soon as 30 minutes after making them, but if you can let them steep for a few hours, or even better until the next day, they'll be even more flavourful.

Mel x

🤍 WHY YOU'LL LOVE MY marinated chickpea RECIPE

Really quick and easy.
Just 5 minutes of prep and no cooking!
Healthy and high in protein.
Infused with delicious flavour.
Extremely versatile and can be used/served in endless ways (I've included lots of ideas below).
Great for making in advance and so handy to keep in the fridge.
Perfect when you need to take something to a potluck or BBQ!

Ingredients

Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:

Chickpeas - These can be canned or chickpeas you've cooked yourself at home.
Parsley - Fresh is best. Any soft herbs will work here, though. Basil, thyme, or oregano would all be lovely instead of or as well as the parsley. I don't recommend using rosemary as the leaves are a little tough.
Red onion - A shallot would work well instead or sweet white onion. I don't recommend using yellow onions as they can often be a bit strong.
Garlic - Lots for really good flavour. If you're not a huge garlic fan, you can reduce the quantity a bit.
Lemon - I recommend using a fresh lemon if possible, so you can utilize the juice and zest for the very best flavour in your marinade. If you only have bottled lemon juice, you can use that in a pinch and skip the zest.
Red wine vinegar - I really like the flavour this gives, but white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar would both work ok too.
Dried oregano - For depth of flavour. It plays really nicely here, so I don't recommend subbing it for anything else except perhaps marjoram.
Chili flakes - For a touch of heat. You can omit them if you don't care for chili, and if you love chili you could add some fresh red chili (minced very finely) instead or as well as.
Sugar - Just a little bit to balance the acidity.

EXTRAS THAT WORK WELL - Finely diced celery, bell pepper, pepperoncini, capers, roasted red pepper, olives, a touch of dijon mustard, a little ground cumin, crumbled vegan feta cheese. You can really get creative with this recipe and make it your own!

Let's Make Marinated Chickpeas!

Making marinated chickpeas at home is seriously quick and easy. Whisk or shake up the marinade in a bowl or jar and add drained chickpeas. Your container or jar needs to be able to hold a minimum of 1 litre. I use my Weck Tulip Jars.

a jar of marinated chickpeas before mixing

Give them a shake or stir, then pop them in the fridge to marinate for anything from 30 minutes to a few days. They will work their magic and become infused with tons of flavour. Give them a shake or stir every so often to distribute the marinade. My jars are leak-proof so I just turn them upside down occasionally so that all the chickpeas get nicely drenched.

a jar of marinated chickpeas after mixing

Fave Ways To Use Marinated Chickpeas

Try adding a scoop of marinated chickpeas to your dinner plate for a protein-packed side, taking them to work for lunch with some pita bread, to summer picnics, cookouts and BBQs, or just enjoy them as a hearty snack or quick lunch.

Some more ideas:

Scooped up with freshly baked sourdough bread. Use the bread to soak up the garlicky, lemony chickpea marinade...SO GOOD!
Scooped up with pita bread, no yeast flatbreads or easy yeasted flatbreads.
Spooned over avocado toast.
In wraps/sandwiches.
Added to any and every salad or bowl meal.
Poured over a bed of baby spinach for the easiest lunch.
Eaten straight, from a bowl, alongside crispy pita chips.
And this might just be the best application, especially if you need an easy appetizer when you've got guests coming over: Swoosh vegan cream cheese, vegan feta cheese or vegan ricotta over a large plate or serving platter then scatter over the marinated chickpeas with drizzles of their marinade. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with scoopers of choice. 🤤

looking into a jar of marinated chickpeas from above

Recipe FAQs

What jars did you use in the photos/video?

I used 1 litre Tulip Weck Jars. The size is perfect for one batch of this recipe, and they are totally leakproof, so you can shake to your heart's content or store upside down.