Mongolian Chickpeas

This Mongolian Chickpeas recipe is the quick and easy vegan solution for your Mongolian beef craving! Healthy homemade takeout in 10 minutes with all the authentic sweet, tangy, umami flavors you love! Naturally gluten-free and allergy-free, made without soy, this one-pan plant-based meal is perfect for weeknight dinners or meal prepped for quick lunches!

Vegan Mongolian beef...made with chickpeas! Yes, it's the vegetarian solution to P.F. Chang's popular Mongolian Beef, but this recipe goes a step further and makes the dish soy-free as well! No soy sauce, mock meats, or gluten to worry about. But we're not swapping out the bold sticky sauce that's packed with the sweet, tangy, umami flavors that keep you coming back for more! Tender crispy chickpeas, coated in that sweet and savory sauce, served with a side of white rice, and you don't have to pay the takeout price!

What is Mongolian Sauce?

You'll be surprised to learn that it's super simple and doesn't contain many ingredients. Mongolian sauce is a 4-ingredient, sweet, and savory mixture of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. You'll also find many recipes with some added chilis or chili paste for a spicier flavor profile. The ingredients are then simmered in a pan until the sugars make the sauce thick and sticky, like a syrupy glaze. If using the sauce for dipping, you can add cornstarch as an added thickener to the sauce.

Why You'll Love This Vegan Mongolian Beef Recipe

Typically, the Mongolian sauce is served with crispy stir-fried flank steak, tossed with some scallions, and served with white rice or noodles. In this meatless recipe, we're using crispy, tender chickpeas for a perfect hearty plant-based protein swap. The sauce uses coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and you have the option of making it sugar-free too! This homemade takeout recipe 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 & Sugar-Free Options
• Healthy & Budget-Friendly
• Packed with 100% Plant-Based Protein
• Quick & Easy Lunch or Dinner
• Great for Meal Prep & Leftovers

Ingredients For Mongolian Chickpeas

• Chickpeas: A can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, makes the best hearty plant-based whole food protein to go with the sticky Mongolian sauce.
• Starch: You can coat the chickpeas with cornstarch or arrowroot starch for a grain-free version. The starch helps crisp the outside of the chickpeas while keeping the inside tender and helps the sauce cling to the chickpeas.
• Coconut Aminos: Coconut aminos are a soy-free and gluten-free replacement for soy sauce! Salty and umami, but with less sodium overall, they're perfect for this healthy Mongolian sauce!
• Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar is key for the rich, caramelized glaze and deep sweetness in the sauce. You can use a sugar-free brown sugar like Swerve if you want a low-sugar recipe!
• Ginger: Ginger adds a tangy, zesty warmth and spice to the dish without making it "spicy". You can use minced or powdered ginger.
• Garlic: Minced garlic adds savory notes to the sweet and salty sauce.
• Chili Paste + Black Pepper: For some heat, you can use chili paste and a touch of black pepper. These are used "to taste", so you can make the dish as spicy or mild as you'd like.
• Scallions: Some fresh chopped scallions are added to the pan for a minute or two before the cooking is done, so the oniony flavor can infuse into the sauce and the scallions can soften.

How To Make Mongolian Chickpeas

1. Toss the chickpeas with the starch to coat them.
2. Mix together the coconut aminos, brown sugar, water, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and optional chili paste in a bowl to combine.

3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan before adding the coated chickpeas and allow them to sauté for 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour in the Mongolian sauce, stir the sauce and chickpeas together, and allow everything to simmer for 5-6 minutes, until the sauce is thick and bubbly.

5. Once the sauce is syrupy and thick, add the chopped scallions and allow them to soften for 2-3 minutes before removing the pan from the heat and serving.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• This sauce is meant to be thick and syrupy as it's more of a glaze than a sauce. The water is used to thin the sauce, but there shouldn't be liquid in the pan when the chickpeas are done cooking.
• The spice level is dictated by you, but I recommend using the black pepper. Chili paste or sriracha is a great optional addition for more heat and spiciness.
• Add more veggies: You can add more veggies to the dish, like chopped broccoli, sliced bell pepper, or snow peas. Add the veggies to the pan with the chickpeas and allow them to sauté with the oil before adding the sauce. You may need to add an extra tablespoon of oil so nothing burns in the pan.
• You can easily make a larger batch of this recipe by doubling or tripling the ingredients, making it great for meal prep!

What To Serve With Mongolian Chickpeas

Let the Mongolian sauce shine and serve these chickpeas with simple white rice, cellophane noodles, or rice noodles. You can add a few extra fresh chopped scallions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds to the top (if you don't need a sesame-free dish!). Go low-carb with cauliflower rice, steamed veggies, or air-fried veggies like snow peas or broccoli. Other side dish recipes that would be delicious include: vegetable fried rice, pineapple fried rice, sriracha quinoa,  peanut sesame noodles, gluten-free vegetable lo mein, or gluten-free scallion noodles!

How To Store Leftovers

Store leftovers or make-ahead meal prep by allowing the Mongolian chickpeas to cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container and storing them in the fridge for 5-7 days. You can freeze the chickpeas by adding them to a freezer-safe bag and laying the bag flat in the freezer until solid (this makes it easier to store and move around the freezer once frozen solid). Use within 5-6 months for best quality. When you're ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge.

How To Reheat

Toss leftovers into a pan on the stove over low heat to warm them back up! Add a tablespoon of water to loosen up the thick, syrupy sauce. You can also heat individual servings in the microwave for a minute or two.

More Vegan Takeout Recipes:

• Vegan Sweet and Sour Chickpeas
• Vegan Orange Chicken (Orange Chickpeas)
• Vegan Butter Chicken (Indian Butter Chickpeas)
• Vegan General Tso's Chickpeas
• Vegan Teriyaki Chickpeas
• Vegan Chickpea Tikka Masala

Print

You can't get any easier than a one-pan dish with canned chickpeas and a 4-ingredient sauce! Vegan Mongolian beef will have even the biggest meat-eaters down to demolish a plate of plant-based takeout any day!

So tell me:

+ Are you team sweet, salty, or spicy? You kinda get it all here!

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