Rich and creamy Marry Me Chickpeas is the vegan version of the viral comfort food! This one-pan recipe is perfect for date night and ready in 10 minutes! Made with chickpeas instead of chicken, a dairy-free Tuscan-style sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and cheesy flavor! It's easy, gluten-free, healthy, and packed with indulgent flavors!
The viral Marry Me Chicken recipe just got a mouthwatering vegan makeover! Marry Me Chickpeas takes the same delicious Tuscan flavors and transforms them into a creamy, indulgent, and healthy plant-based recipe! No dairy, no meat, and of course no gluten either! You will love this quick and easy date night meal that's ready in 10 minutes and a perfect way to impress your date without any of the hassle!
Why Is It Called Marry Me Chicken?
The original "Mary Me Chicken" recipe is credited to a Delish editor who made a Tuscan-style chicken recipe that went viral on TikTok after they filmed a short-form video of it. One of the video producers commented, "I'd marry you for that chicken!", which led to the renaming of this Italian chicken recipe to the iconic "Marry Me Chicken" you see on social media. It's so good that it may just give you extra points when trying to woo that special someone!
Why You'll Love This Vegan Recipe
By swapping in some delicious and healthy vegan substitutions, you can make this viral recipe not only vegetarian, but rich, creamy, and cheesy! Chickpeas, creamy coconut milk, nutritional yeast, around 10 ingredients. All the flavors of smokey sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, and delicious garlic. No flour, no alcohol, it's a fantastic weeknight family dinner when you're short on time and don't feel like cooking! This vegan marry me chicken is:
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan & Vegetarian
- Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free)
- Grain-Free
- Healthy, Quick, & Easy
- Packed with 100% Plant-Based Protein
- Make-Ahead & Meal Prep-Friendly
- Delicious Dinner To Impress or Fancy Lunch
Ingredients For Marry Me Chickpeas
- Chickpeas: The best whole food plant-based substitute for chicken is...chickpeas! Hearty delicious legumes that stand up to the creamy Tuscan sauce without becoming mushy like other beans. Just pop open a can of chickpeas, drain, and rinse, or use a batch of freshly made chickpeas!
- Starch: You can use cornstarch or arrowroot starch for a grain-free option. The starch is used in place of the all-purpose flour that coated the pan-seared chicken in the original recipe. The starch also thickens the sauce and helps it cling to the chickpeas.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: You're going to need a jar of sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil! You get a 2-for-1 here. The sundried tomatoes are the key ingredient that makes this Italian dish so special! These tomatoes are packed with smokey, sweet, sultry flavor. The oil is seasoned with Italian herbs and spices which is used as the only oil in this dish. The tomatoes are sliced thin for bites of concentrated chewy tomato flavor throughout.
- Coconut Milk: Who needs heavy cream when you have this delicious dairy-free substitute? Unsweetened canned coconut milk is the perfect vegan option for a creamy sauce! You can use full-fat or light-canned coconut milk, just make sure there are no added ingredients like sugar.
- Veggie Broth: Vegetable broth or stock adds a ton of flavor to the sauce.
- Vinegar or Cooking Wine: This is optional, but I like to add a splash of white wine vinegar or white cooking wine to the dish for a touch of acidity which helps brighten the heavy cream-based dish. If you choose not to use this, swap it with an equal amount of veggie broth.
- Fresh Basil: Another star ingredient! Fresh, green, herby basil adds color and fragrance. It's the perfect garnish as well.
- Nutritional Yeast: The best whole-food vegan cheese substitute! No mock cheese, soy, or nuts here! One to two tablespoons of nutritional yeast is the perfect vegan protein-packed substitute for parmesan!
- Garlic + Salt + Pepper: Lots of fresh garlic, cracked black pepper, and salt to taste!
- Spinach: Another optional ingredient but, a handful of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped, adds color and extra veggies to the dish!
Ingredient Substitutions and Add-Ins
- Non-Dairy Milk: If you can't have coconut milk, you can use another creamy plant-based milk, like pea milk or cashew milk. There are plant-based heavy cream alternatives you can try as well depending on the allergens you cook for.
- Different Fresh Herbs: If you hate basil, you can substitute fresh Italian parsley. You can also use dried herbs, to taste, like dried oregano, thyme, or basil.
- More Veggies: Highly recommend the spinach, but you can also add in some kale, spicy arugula, thinly sliced zucchini, or sliced mushrooms.
- Make It Spicy: Add some crushed red pepper flakes or some jarred Calabrian chili peppers.
How To Make Marry Me Chickpeas
- In a large saute pan, heat the sun-dried tomato oil over medium-low heat before adding the chickpeas, starch, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Stir everything together so the chickpeas are coated and you no longer see any of the white starch.
- Add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, optional vinegar, nutritional yeast, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pan before reducing the heat to a simmer.
- Allow the sauce to thicken as you stir everything together. This should only take 2-3 minutes.
- Right before removing the pan from heat, add the chopped basil and optional chopped spinach.
- Mix everything together one final time. Taste the dish and adjust any seasonings. Add more broth if the sauce is too thick.
Cooking Tips & Tricks
- If you want a looser sauce or the sauce is too thick for your preferences, add more vegetable broth, one tablespoon at a time until you get your desired consistency.
- If your sauce is too runny, which won't happen if you follow my ingredient measurements, add one teaspoon extra of starch. Make a mental note that the sauce thickens further as the dish cools.
- You can easily double this recipe. I made the recipe so it's suitable for 2 (or 3) as a full meal.
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature so you don't curdle the coconut milk or have it separate from the acidity of the tomatoes and/or vinegar.
What To Serve With Marry Me Chickpeas
This recipe is a perfect meal on its own, especially if you add the spinach! However, some crusty gluten-free garlic bread to soak up that creamy Sicilian sauce or some crispy air fryer veggies like green beans, broccoli, zucchini, or Brussels sprouts. Italian crackers or some vegan calamari would be great served alongside the dish as well!
Storage & Freezing Instructions
- Storage: Once the marry me chickpeas have cooled to room temperature, you can store leftovers or a meal-prepped batch in a closed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: To reheat your leftovers, add the dish to a saucepan and heat on the stove over low-medium heat until warmed through. Add an extra tablespoon or 2 of vegetable stock to help loosen up the sauce if necessary. If you're lazy like me, you can scoop out a portion into a microwave-safe bowl, place a napkin over the top, and slowly reheat in the microwave until warmed through!
- Freezing: Since the dish is cream-based with acid, it's not the best for freezing and reheating. You can freeze it flat in a storage bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and then reheat it on the stove as instructed above. There may be separation with the coconut milk and acids in the dish.
More One-Pan Chickpea Dinners:
- General Tso's Chickpeas
- Sweet and Sour Chickpeas
- Vegan Orange Chickpeas
- Vegan Butter Chicken (Indian Butter Chickpeas)
- Chana Masala
Marry Me Chickpeas (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Rich and creamy Marry Me Chickpeas is the vegan version of the viral comfort food! This one-pan recipe is perfect for date night and ready in 10 minutes! Made with chickpeas instead of chicken, a dairy-free Tuscan-style sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and cheesy flavor! It's easy, gluten-free, healthy, and packed with indulgent flavors!
- Prep Time: 0 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 Servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stove-Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz Can Chickpeas (drained, rinsed; about 2 Cups Cooked)
- 1 TB Sun-Dried Tomato Oil (from jarred sundried tomatoes)
- 1 TB Arrowroot or Cornstarch
- 1 Tsp Minced Garlic
- ½ Tsp Black Pepper (to taste)
- ¼ Tsp Salt (to taste)
- ½ Cup Canned Coconut Milk (unsweetened)
- ¼ Cup Vegetable Broth (more if needed)
- ¼ Cup Chopped Sundried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
- 1 TB White Wine Vinegar or White Cooking Wine (optional)
- 1-2 TB Nutritional Yeast
- 3 TB Fresh Chopped Basil
- 1 Handful of Fresh Chopped Spinach (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the sundried tomato oil in a large wok or saute pan over medium-high heat before adding the chickpeas, starch, minced garlic, pepper, and salt. Stir to coat the chickpeas and saute for about 2-3 minutes on low heat, until you no longer see any of the starch.
- Now add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, vinegar, sundried tomatoes, and nutritional yeast to the pan. Stir everything together and continue to cook the dish for about 3-5 minutes on low until the sauce thickens and bubbles.
- Now add the chopped fresh basil and optional handful of chopped spinach. Stir everything together, taste test, and adjust seasonings if needed, add an extra tablespoon or 2 of veggie broth if desired, before removing the pan from the heat.
- Serve the Marry Me Chickpeas right away with a few extra cracks of black pepper and roughly chopped basil to garnish.
Notes
- If you want a looser sauce or the sauce is too thick for your preferences, add more vegetable broth, one tablespoon at a time until you get your desired consistency.
- If your sauce is too runny, which won't happen if you follow my ingredient measurements, add one teaspoon extra of starch. The sauce thickens further as the dish cools.
- If you exclude the vinegar, add an extra tablespoon of veggie broth.
- Different Fresh Herbs: If you hate basil, you can substitute fresh Italian parsley. You can also use dried herbs, to taste, like dried oregano, thyme, or basil.
- More Veggies: Highly recommend the spinach, but you can also add in some kale, spicy arugula, thinly sliced zucchini, or sliced mushrooms.
- Make It Spicy: Add some crushed red pepper flakes or some jarred Calabrian chili peppers.
- Storage: Once the dish is cooled, you can store leftovers in a closed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: To reheat your leftovers, add the dish to a saucepan and heat on the stove over low-medium heat. Add an extra tablespoon or 2 of vegetable stock to help loosen up the sauce if necessary. You can also scoop out a portion into a microwave-safe bowl, place a napkin over the top, and slowly reheat in the microwave until warmed through!
- Freezing: Since the dish is cream-based with acid, it's not the best for freezing and reheating. You can freeze it flat in a storage bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and then reheat it on the stove as instructed above. Separation of the coconut milk may occur.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
It really is the perfect date night meal! You can impress without the stress and enjoy the indulgent (but healthy) flavors, textures, and deliciousness with that special someone (or just have a date night with yourself!)
So tell me:
+ Have you ever made a social media "viral" recipe that actually came out good? You should try this pancake cereal next!
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Joanne
This sounds delicious!
Rebecca Pytell
Great!
Estelle Forrest
This is flavor packed dish and such a great recipe.
Rebecca Pytell
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Jarrod
This looks delicious, but I'm not allowed to eat chickpeas for the sake of my marriage.
Rebecca Pytell
What
Esme
Great, pinned, as I want to make this for my vegan family at our next get-together.
Rebecca Pytell
Awesome, enjoy!
Lisa Rotolo
Fabulous dish! So healthy and delicious! 😍 one of my favorites!
Rebecca Pytell
Thank you, I'm so glad 🙂