Have I ever told you I was raised on spicy food?
If I was to survey my dad’s pantry right now, I’d likely only find canned soup, black pepper, and a giant jar of jalapeños. You know, the essentials.
I coat my food with black pepper before ever trying it. When we eat Thai, you can hardly see my food under the blanket of sriracha. When we order takeout, I request “extra spicy, no seriously.”
It’s a habit I’ve passed on to John, too, who now outdoes me in the hot sauce department, and has become even more of a sauce addict than I am. We’re quite the pair.
This recipe was inspired by a meal a friend made me a long time ago. It was so simple but so delicious: Buffalo chicken wraps with bleu cheese dressing, romaine lettuce, and vegetables.
It was so, so good that it has stuck in my mind and I’ve been wanting to make a plant-based version ever since.
This recipe is easy to make, requiring just 10 ingredients and 30 minutes. The concept is so simple:
3-ingredient hummus-based dressing, tossed with romaine lettuce;
Chickpeas seasoned with hot sauce + garlic powder, and lightly sautéed;
Add to a pita or tortilla, roll up, and serve!
Yes, it’s that easy.
I hope you all love these wraps! They’re:
Savory
Spicy
Hearty
Crunchy from the vegetables
Tender from the chickpeas
Quick
Protein- + fiber-filled
& Delicious
These would make the perfect lazy weeknight dinner when you’re craving something satisfying but quick. If you’re weary of the spice level, it’s actually quite mild against the dressing! But you can always scale back and go for more of a classic crispy chickpea as well.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Spicy Buffalo Chickpea Wraps
Ingredients
DRESSING + SALAD
- 1/3 cup hummus (or store-bought)
- 1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp maple syrup (plus more to taste)
- 1 small lemon, juiced (1 small lemon yields ~2 Tbsp or 30 ml)
- 1-2 Tbsp hot water (to thin)
- 1 head romaine lettuce (or sub 1 bundle kale per 1 head romaine // cleaned, large stems removed, roughly chopped)
BUFFALO CHICKPEAS
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (rinsed, drained and dried on a towel // ~ 1 1/4 cups per can when drained)
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil (or sub grape seed or olive oil)
- 4 Tbsp hot sauce* (divided // I used Louisiana’s Pure Crystal Hot Sauce)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder (or sub 1 minced garlic clove per 1/4 tsp powder)
- 1 pinch sea salt
FOR SERVING
- 3-4 vegan-friendly flour tortillas, pita, or flatbread
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced (optional)
- 1/4 cup baby tomato, diced (optional)
- 1/4 ripe avocado, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Make dressing by adding hummus, maple syrup, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Add hot water until thick but pourable.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, then add romaine lettuce or kale, and toss. Set aside.
- To make chickpeas, add drained, towel-dried chickpeas to a separate mixing bowl. Add coconut oil, 3 Tbsp hot sauce (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), garlic powder, and a pinch of salt – toss to combine/coat.
- Heat a metal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chickpeas and sauté for 3-5 minutes, mashing a few chickpeas gently with a spoon to create texture (see photo).
- Once chickpeas are hot and slightly dried out, remove from heat and add remaining 1 Tbsp hot sauce (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Stir to combine. Set aside.
- To assemble, top each wrap with a generous portion of the dressed romaine salad, and top with 1/4 cup buffalo chickpeas and a sprinkle of diced tomatoes, avocado, and/or onion (optional).
- Serve immediately. Store leftovers separately in the refrigerator up to 3 days, though best when fresh. You can enjoy the buffalo chickpeas cold, room temperature or heated up.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Leigh says
Adding this to our rotation. So easy, little heat on a summer night, and SO good.
I followed the recipe as written and served with some cut up summer fruit on the side.
I can’t believe how full just one wrap made me!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Leigh. Summer fruit sounds like the perfect accompaniment for a hot day. Thank you for sharing! xo
MJ says
This was great, and really did come together in under 30 minutes. Super filling and very, very delicious. I’m saving this for future weeknight dinners. I got three big wraps out of the recipe as written, and served with sweet potato fries. Instead of just romaine I used a package of mixed greens that also included butter lettuce and spinach. I didn’t need any water to thin the dressing; it probably just depends on your hummus. I omitted the coconut oil and added a tablespoon of butter to the skillet instead to cook the chickpeas, using Chalula as the hot sauce. The chickpeas were just right with three tablespoons of hot sauce, so I didn’t add the fourth one. I used lavash for the bread, and added red onions, avocado, cornichons, and marinated tomatoes as extra toppings.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
Rachel says
Really tasty for a quick and healthy lunch
Whoop! Thank you for sharing, Rachel! xo
Grace says
I LOVE this wrap. As a Celiac, I’m always looking for easy lunches to bring to work that don’t make me jealous on pizza day. I make a double batch, skip the dressing and opt for your vegan cashew cream ranch recipe (yummm), and top with shredded carrot, kale/greens, sometimes bleu cheese. Serve on a GF wrap. AMAZING. Easy and with the double recipe will last a few days and reheats well!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Grace! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Amy Campbell says
I am using dried chickpeas that I had in my cabinet. Would you suggest cooking them on stovetop and then following these steps or would something else be better?
Thanks!
Hi Amy, stovetop would work! Our preferred method for cooking chickpeas from dry is the Instant Pot (or another pressure cooker). It’s quicker and the texture is perfect!
Amy says
This is a great recipe! It came together quickly and people loved it. I will definitely make it again. Thanks for posting it!:)
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the review, Amy!
Coby says
Oh man, this is so fabulously satisfying! I love the spicy chickpeas with the tangy, slightly sweet dressing on the lettuce! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Coby. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Aubrey says
I LOVE this recipe! It’s one of my lunch go-tos! SO much flavor for so little effort. My fiance are both BIG eaters and we both find this super satisfying. I actually haven’t made it with the dressing because I never seem to have the ingredients on hand, but even without the dressing, it’s super flavorful. I’ve started mashing my chickpeas with a potato masher before throwing them on the pan, and I highly recommend-creates a really satisfying chunky texture with hardly any extra work. Thank you for a beautiful recipe!!
Love your tip, Aubrey! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Christine says
Very good! I will make this again- enough for 2 people only. I ate it as a salad- no wrap.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Christine! Thank you for sharing! xo
Mary says
Just whipped this up for lunch! I didn’t make the hummus dressing but used the cashew ranch recipe from this site. I didn’t fully read the recipe and just did 1 T of oil mixed in with the beans. So quick and easy, filling and healthy! Can’t wait to have the rest for lunch tomorrow.
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mary. Thank you for sharing! xo
Jen says
AMAZING (as are all your recipes). My husband is a HUGE spicy food fan and he loved it
Aw, thanks so much, Jen! We’re so glad you both enjoy our recipes! xo
Abby says
Uh WOW. Super easy recipe, easy to keep ingredients on hand, and I love that you use crystal hot sauce, it’s my absolute favorite 🤩
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed, Abby. Thanks for the great review!
Ash says
Delicious! I like to add a little extra buffalo sauce to the chickpeas and keep the sauce and romaine separate to make it suitable for leftovers.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Ash! xo
Luke says
Good wrap but use literally 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil. 3 was unbearable. The second time I used 1.5, still too much. Imo it doesn’t even need it but 1/2 tbsp is all you need. Good recipe otherwise
Thank you for sharing, Luke!
Daphne says
This is one of our go-to recipes. It’s very quick, versatile, and delicious! You can flip leftovers into a side salad or even a Buffalo chickpea pizza!
Ooo yum! Love those ideas. Thanks for the lovely review, Daphne!
Alyssa DelTurco says
I LOVE THIS RECIPE definitely a go-to for easy, quick, healthy & delicious. My GF’s new favorite meal. We live by all minimalist baker’s recipes they never disappoint. I love cooking but I’m not super creative in the kitchen so thank you for doing the hard work and enabling me to make impressive food always !!!
Woohoo! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Alyssa! Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Devon M says
This was so delicious!! We made it a second time in the same week.
Amazing! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Devon! Thank you for sharing! xo
Vegan4life says
YumYumYum. I made this pretty much exactly as written- but used lemon hummus so I scaled back on the lemon juice a bit- and it was fantastic. So satisfying! Thanks for another delicious recipe that’s quick too! I always look forward to your new recipes/posts but will be making this one again for sure.
That’s so great to hear! Thank you for the lovely review! xoxo
Rachel Adibi says
Tried this on a whim due to not being able to eat much of anything in my first trimester and this is a HIT. Omgoodness, it’s perfectly balanced from the salad to the buffalo. I wish I didn’t add water to the dressing as it became too runny for my liking and I’d use way less maple syrup than 2 tbsp, like maybe 2 tsp. Overall, I’m saving, it’s a feel good vegetarian meal for me.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rachel! Thank you for sharing your experience and preferred modifications for next time! xo
jen says
what wraps did you use for this recipe?
Hi Jen, we love Trader Joe’s pita and flatbread!
Amy says
Quick, delicious meal. I used some jarred harissa I had on hand to pull this together in 15 minutes. Everyone loved it! I will definitely make again.
Woohoo! We’re so glad to hear that, Amy! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Amanda says
These are great and very easy to make. The only time-consuming bit is peeling the chickpeas which you can obviously skip if you’re feeling lazy – the flavour is still A+++ even if the chickpeas won’t be as crispy. I used Valentina hot sauce.
Thank you so much for sharing, Amanda! xoxo
Chelsey says
This is SO good. My husband loses his mind when I put it on our menu.
I make a few changes:
1. I don’t add the maple syrup. It’s fine with it, but it’s just as good without. So for the sake of not adding unnecessary sugar, I skip it.
2. You can easily go gluten-free by skipping the pita and doing a lettuce wrap. It’s SO good.
3. I boil the chickpeas for a little bit to soften them more and then I drain them and continue with the recipe.
4. I double the amount of chickpeas, so we can have leftovers. And because we really pile the chickpeas high. :D
None of these changes is necessary for it to be good–the recipe is tasty as written. These are just my preferences. I HIGHLY recommend trying this in any capacity.
Woohoo! Thank you so much for the lovely review and sharing your modifications, Chelsey! xoxo
Christina Hall says
I love your site, and I ordered the cook book too 😊
Making this toniight, and so far I’ve had a different meal every night over the past 2 weeks, so thank you!! . Never in my life have I eaten so week, being veggie since I was a child I’ve eaten the same 5 meals every week.
Each of your dishes, I’ve made have been amazing, and I’ve loving cooking, something I once hated.
I have a quick question about this dish, I’d like my chichpeas crispy, how to I achieve this without using the oven?
Aw, we’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Christina! An oven or air fryer will make them the crispiest. Otherwise, we’d suggest cooking in a skillet, but they won’t be quite as crispy.
Jen says
This was so yummy! A great, quick and filling dinner! I used honey instead of maple syrup and used Frank’s hot sauce! 🤤
Great! Thank you for sharing, Jen! xo
Michele Cote says
Hey there. Could you please clarify what you mean my dried…? I mean. Set them out to dry until hard?
Or would dabbing them with a paper towel do the trick?
Thank you!
Yes, towel drying would be adequate! So long as they’re not wet it should work. We will clarify in the recipe!
Jan says
I forgot my hummus in the fridge at work, so I subbed it for tahini. Still came out delicious! I also sauteed the red onion before adding. Used Frank’s Red hot for hot sauce. What I enjoyed most was that I felt full and satisfied without overeating with just one wrap.
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Jan! xo
Neha says
Hey. Can I make it a day ahead?
Hi Neha, you could make the components in advance, but assemble when ready to eat. It is best when fresh though!
Polly says
Just made this for lunch for my husband and I – SO good. Instead of lettuce I crisped up some kale in the oven with the hummus dressing, turned out delicious!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Polly! Thanks so much for sharing!
Nicole says
This recipe was SUPER easy to make. The individual components are delicious but I don’t love the flavor combination when everything comes together. I might make the chickpeas and dressing again down the road (again, both were great separately!) but I wouldn’t make this recipe again. It was lovely having a simple recipe to get me back into the kitchen! :)
Hi Nicole, sorry to hear that! We wonder if maybe the brands of hot sauce and hummus didn’t have compatible flavors? Because other readers have really enjoyed this one!
Sibyl says
We made this today for lunch and liked it so much that we made it again for dinner. Love how easy it is to put together and how tasty/flavorful it is.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Nandini S says
This is such a nice and quick lunch! I made the recipe with arugula and about double the hot sauce for a much stronger buffalo flavor (I love buffalo!!) served alongside some vegan ranch :)
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Nandini!
Emily says
I made this today, when I had no time but I did have romaine, chickpeas, and wraps. Whipped this up so quickly and it was so fresh and delicious!
I substituted ACV for lemon, honey for maple syrup, sweet & spicy sauce for hot sauce, and I added some corn to the chickpea mix. Some fresh tomato and voila! Lunch was served. Thank you for this recipe!!
Aw, we’re so glad you enjoyed it, Emily! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Meredith says
Thank you for helping me find a new way to eat buffalo sauce… I was perplexed by the dressing at first, but the flavor was a great balance to the spiciness. I didn’t add any extra water, it was already a good consistency.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Meredith! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kelly Snyder says
I made this using the spicy hummus from Trader Joe’s and oh wow was it good. I’ve often used just hummus as a salad dressing or on a wrap, but mixing it with maple syrup and lemon? Genius. And I loved the buffalo chickpeas, so yummy.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kelly! Thanks so much for sharing!
Tory says
I’ve made this recipe multiple times this past year and it’s been delicious every time! I use a toasted sesame hummus in the sauce and have recently started subbing out the tortillas for collard greens which is, spoiler alert, amazing! Thanks for the great recipe!!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Tory! Love the modifications! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Mamabear80sbaby says
Seriously and easily the best buffalo chickpea wraps and that hummus dressing….i added cucumber to my wraps and even my kids were amazed at how good it was!! I ❤️ this recipe!! Thank you
We’re so glad you and your kids enjoyed them! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Ericka says
This looks AMAZING! I want to make this tomorrow, I was thinking about making the chickpeas and serving as a salad topper rather than a wrap filler just to make like a “buffalo chicken” inspired salad! I am so excited, thank you!!!!
Sounds delicious! Let us know how it goes!
Elizabeth says
This was so delicious! I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it and I appreciated how easy it was to throw together. During these times I have shifted more toward bean and chickpea dishes and I am impressed with the variety of recipes I have found through Minimalist Baker. Thanks so much!
We’re so glad you’re enjoying our recipes, Elizabeth! Thanks for sharing!
Alex Cronin says
Hi there! I love love love this recipe. Is there anything else I can sub the oil with? Trying oil free. Thanks!
Hi Alex, We’re so glad you enjoy it! You could try omitting, but they might not crisp up as much. Let us know how it goes!
Mary Howell says
This has been one of my favorite go to recipes for years. I make the Chickpeas and store in a container and store the dressing in another container and will eat these for lunch for a few days. My co-workers always have to get some too!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Mary!
Shackelford Laura says
I made this 2 years ago and it was awesome—so good, that I remembered to come back and make it again 2 years later!!
Pamela says
Ah Mary! Your reply was the one I was searching for before asking a question! My husband wants to try this as a work lunch to take with him, but i hate waking up and cooking a bunch of things before I have to go to work. Now I know I can make ahead and he can just take it with him. Thank you.
Kemoy says
This was an awesome spicy ? dish. I used Caribbean hot sauce so the fire level was HIGH!!!! The hummus sauce was delicious and a great combo with the fire from those chickpeas. I added cilantro to the sauce. The meal was accompanied with ?, which was a yummy combination.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kemoy. We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Kemoy says
Oops. Thanks for the reminder!
Brittany says
I made the recipe exactly as suggested and it was INSANELY good. I am new to plant-based diets and was definitely wary about giving up my beloved buffalo chicken wraps. I am so happy to say these were BETTER than any buffalo chicken wrap I ever had. They are also uniquely sweet and spicy so they break up the mundanity of my typically bland lunch lineup. Thank you!!
Christina says
I found this recipe on buzzfeed maybe a year ago and it’s become a staple of mine. They are so amazing and the perfect salty/sweet combo. Easy to make, flavorful, healthy and nutritious… the perfect combo! Thanks for the idea!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Christina. We are so glad you enjoy it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Ale says
Coconut oil is on your “Avoid list” but it’s on this recipe. I am confused, as a plant based diet can we have coconut oil? Or not?
What “avoid” list are you referring to? We’re happy to use coconut oil in our recipes!
Angelika says
Is pita vegan? It has eggs, no?
Hi Angelika, we haven’t seen pita bread with eggs in it, but check the ingredients on your product to be sure! Usually it is just flour, oil, yeast, and sugar.
miss r Kiss says
So sis made the wraps they were awesome. But my daughter came up with this sauce traderjoes garlic sauce and kens ceaser dressing mixed together. I totally thought I was eating buffalo chicken and not chic peas. I loved this dish it is a total hit will be making on my own soon!
Yay! Thanks for sharing! That sauce sounds awesome :D
ashten says
10/10 would recommend this recipe. I have been making this recipe weekly all summer and I cannot get enough. When I don’t have pita on hand I turn this recipe into a salad by adding some extra veggies. Dietitian approved!
So glad you enjoyed it, Ashten! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sarah C. says
I have to say, I was initially sceptical about four tablespoons of hot sauce, but decided to go along with the recipe exactly. I’m so glad I did! These were the most flavourful, fresh tasting food we’ve had in a while! Peeling the chickpeas was a bit labour intensive, but worth it so they could crisp up and taste a bit nicer. Hummus in the U.K. is quite a bit thinner than in America, so I didn’t need to add any water as it was already quite thin, but it still coated the lettuce perfectly. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Thanks, Sarah!!
Chelsea F. says
Fast and filling! I also added green onions and yum!
Mechelle B. says
Oh, wow!
I just stumbled on your site and this recipe. Yum! Yum!
Looking forward to making it again.
Maria says
This was delicious!!! Super quick to make and very satisfying.
Megan Brown says
This was very good! I really like it, but I wasn’t really able to get my chickpeas “crisp” like it sort of looks in the pic. I would make again though. I used some leftover spicy chickpeas the next day over some tri color quinoa with guacamole. Yum! l love how versatile chickpeas are.
If you take the outer skin of the chickpeas off, you will find that they will come out much more crispy! Hot tip for the future :D
Louisa Grizzard says
I used the Chickpea recipe for my Pita sandwhich and It was so good hotsauce sets if off! Thanks again!
Ren says
Made these for supper, super fast and easy. Subbed the romaine for coleslaw mix which gave them a great bite. These are going into the regular dinner rotation for sure!
Yay!
Ashley S. says
OMG I just made these and they were f***ing delicious. I made a half serving so that I could make it again tomorrow for lunch and just eyeballed the dressing and it was so good. I even left one in the fridge and my very decidedly meat-loving stepdad absolutely loved it and didn’t add chicken (as he usually does).
10/10 will make again (and again and again).
Yay! We’re so glad to hear that, Ashley!
Lindsey says
Love every recipe I’ve ever made from your site. I’ve made this three times now and enjoyed it all times. But I do have to say this time with a few modifications I enjoyed it best! I do the chickpeas exactly as you say but for the sauce I do an “Greek yogurt based ranch” and then I added a cabbage slaw on top. It was bombbbbbbb!
Madeline Miller says
LOVE THIS! So perfect for prepped lunches.
I made with a V+GF buffalo sauce from whole foods and used slaw instead of lettuce. So easy and delicious!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Madeline!
Rachel Harvey says
LOVE THIS RECIPE! I also love that you used Crystal Hot Sauce! I’m from south Louisiana and hot sauce doesn’t get more beautiful than that brand for me!! This recipe works well if you bake the chickpeas on a pan too, especially if you are used to getting chicken prepared extra crispy!