Nothing says summer like a big plate of BBQ complete with coleslaw and pickles—but if it’s a weeknight and you don’t have a lot of time, these BBQ chickpea bowls will give you all those classic cookout vibes in just 30 minutes. Cabbage and corn are tossed in a tangy apple cider vinaigrette and served alongside those BBQ-glazed chickpeas on a bed of rice for a quick dinner that brings all that summer carefree ’tude to even the latest of Tuesday night dinners. And yes, there are bread ’n’ butter pickles.
Crisping up the chickpeas:
Achieving truly crispy chickpeas in a pan can be tricky, but it’s not impossible. For best results, dry the chickpeas thoroughly and rub off as many skins as you can; these skins hold the moisture in and prevent the chickpeas from getting as crispy as possible. It also helps to use the widest pan you have, so there’s plenty of surface area, and to fry in batches so the chickpeas aren’t crowded in the pan—this will allow the moisture to escape easier so the chickpeas can crisp.
Of course, you can also use an air fryer (which can get the chickpeas SUPER crispy very easily), but I don’t necessarily recommend that in this case. The air fryer also has a tendency to dry out the interior of the chickpeas, turning them into crispy nuggets. While this creates a delicious chickpea (and is a method I’ve used in other recipes), I found in testing that it didn’t work the best with the BBQ glaze.
Make ahead & storage:
If you’d like to meal prep these bowls, the dressing can be made and mixed with the corn up to 3 days in advance. The brown rice can also be made 3 days ahead, and you can even cut the cabbage (if you’re not buying it pre-chopped) 1 day ahead. I would suggest waiting to toss the cabbage with its share of the dressing until just before you eat it, though—once mixed, the cabbage will soften and lose all its crunch.
The chickpeas will always be their crispiest best when they’re fresh, but they’re also very flavorful (if not as crisp) when leftover; cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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