Vegan BBQ Chickpea Sweet Potatoes (Printable)

Roasted sweet potatoes stuffed with smoky chickpeas and topped with a fresh, tangy slaw for a healthy meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Sweet Potatoes

01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ BBQ Chickpeas

04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
06 - 1 cup vegan BBQ sauce
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Slaw

09 - 2 cups shredded red cabbage
10 - 1 cup shredded carrots
11 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
14 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

17 - Sliced green onions
18 - Fresh cilantro leaves
19 - Extra BBQ sauce

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick sweet potatoes several times with a fork, rub with olive oil and salt, then place on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes until tender.
02 - While sweet potatoes bake, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add drained chickpeas, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Stir in BBQ sauce and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and evenly coat the chickpeas. Remove from heat.
04 - In a large bowl, combine shredded red cabbage, carrots, and fresh cilantro. In a separate small bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss the dressing with vegetables until well coated.
05 - Once sweet potatoes are tender, slice them open lengthwise and fluff the insides with a fork. Spoon BBQ chickpeas into each sweet potato and top generously with prepared slaw.
06 - Garnish with sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, and additional BBQ sauce if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks impressive enough to serve at dinner when actually the most demanding part is waiting for the oven to do its thing.
  • The smoky BBQ chickpeas taste hearty enough that nobody misses the meat, and the slaw brings a sharp brightness that cuts through everything beautifully.
  • You can prep most of it while the potatoes roast, so you're never juggling too many things at once.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned chickpeas thoroughly—the starchy liquid makes them stick together in clumps and prevents that beautiful sauce from coating them evenly.
  • The slaw actually tastes better if you let it sit for at least 15 minutes after dressing it; the vinegar softens the cabbage slightly and the flavors marry together in the most delicious way.
03 -
  • Make the slaw dressing ahead of time; whisking the vinegar and maple syrup together allows the maple to dissolve properly and the flavors to get to know each other before they meet the vegetables.
  • If your sweet potatoes are unusually large, add 10 extra minutes to the roasting time and check them earlier than the recipe suggests—better to be safe than disappointed with an undercooked center.
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