Buffalo chickpea salad is flavorful, easy to make and perfect for lunch or dinner. This spicy chickpea salad with ranch tahini dressing is budget friendly and made with simple pantry ingredients, Ready in about 15 minutes. Prep the chickpeas in advance for a quick and easy meal that is sure to fill you up and leave you feeling satisfied!
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make – the buffalo chickpeas are so easy to make, you just need a few minutes and a large skillet to make these spicy chickpeas. Once the chickpeas are done, all you have to do is assemble the salad and enjoy.
- So flavorful – the creamy homemade tahini ranch dressing paired with the spicy buffalo chickpeas create the most delicious and filling salad.
- Simple ingredients – the buffalo chickpeas are made with pantry staples that are easy to find and budget friendly. Use whatever veggies you have on hand to make the salad, or even serve this on a wrap for a simple meal.
- Great meatless meal – this buffalo chickpea salad is anything but boring and will easily become one of your go-to meatless meals. This recipe is vegan, dairy free and gluten free and is great for a plant-based Whole30.
Ingredients and substitutions
Salad
- Lettuce – crunchy romaine lettuce is a great base for this salad. You could also use spring mix, arugula or spinach for a slightly different flavor/texture.
- Tomato – tomatoes add a pop of color and are always on my favorite salads. If you don’t love tomatoes, omit them.
- Red onion – red onion adds crunch and that unique red onion flavor. I really like it paired with he rest of the ingredients. If you don’t love red onion, you can use green onions or simply omit.
- Celery & shredded carrots – carrots and celery are very common veggies that are often paired with buffalo hot wings. I like the crisp flavor and crunchy texture they add to this salad. I use store bought shredded carrots, but you could also shred them in a food processor or with a grater. If you don’t have these veggies, check the list below of other veggies to add.
Buffalo Chickpeas
- Chickpeas – canned chickpeas make this recipe really quick and easy. For the best digestion possible, I recommend using organic chickpeas and draining the liquid and rinsing the chickpeas a few times. I find that the liquid the chickpeas are packed in is what causes gas and bloating. If you don’t have chickpeas, use any white beans you have on hand.
- Hot sauce – use your favorite hot sauce for this recipe. This is not the same as buffalo sauce. Hot sauce is usually just made from peppers, vinegar and spices. You can also use store-bought buffalo sauce in place of hot sauce, avocado oil and spices.
- Avocado oil – avocado oil helps to thicken the hot sauce creating the buffalo sauce when paired with the spices. Typical buffalo sauce recipes uses melted butter but I like using avocado oil to keep things dairy free. You could also use dairy free butter, olive oil, melted coconut oil or ghee (not dairy free).
- Spices: Smoked paprika, dried chives, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, dried dill – these spices give the chickpeas lots of flavor – a cross between a smoky flavor from the smoked paprika and ranch dressing from the ranch inspired spices. If you don’t have one of these spices, simply omit it.
Tahini Ranch Dressing
- Tahini – tahini is made by grinding up sesame seeds (it has a texture similar to peanut butter or almond butter). It’s nutty and has a slight sesame flavor and is really great at making creamy, dairy free sauces. I like using tahini to make ranch dressing because you don’t need a blender or any fancy equipment. If you don’t have tahini you could use sunbutter or almond butter or make my cashew ranch dressing instead.
- Apple cider vinegar – apple cider vinegar gives the dressing that same tangy flavor you would get by using buttermilk with ranch dressing. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use lemon juice.
- Water – water helps to thin out the tahini to make the dressing a good consistency.
- Spices: Dried chives, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt, dried dill – these are my go to ranch spices. You could also use a packet of ranch mix or use your own go-to ranch seasoning mixture. Note that many of the store bought ranch dressing mixtures contain dairy. If you don’t have one of the spices, simply omit it.
How to make buffalo chickpea salad
Start by preheating a large skillet over medium heat.
Combine the buffalo sauce ingredients together in a bowl (the hot sauce, avocado oil and spices). Stir well.
When the skillet is preheated, add the rinsed and drained chickpeas and pour the buffalo sauce over the chickpeas. Stir well making sure all the chickpeas are well coated.
Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken and coats the chickpeas. You will know when the chickpeas are done when you run your spatula through the chickpeas and the sauce says separated (see photo).
While the chickpeas are cooking, make the tahini ranch dressing. Combine the tahini, apple cider vinegar, water and spices in a bowl. Stir well until well combined and let sit 5 minutes to thicken. Note: this will look thin and soupy in the beginning, just keep stirring then let sit to thicken.
Chop the lettuce, tomato, onion, and celery and add to your salad bowl.
Top the salad greens with shredded carrots, buffalo chickpeas and drizzle the tahini ranch dressing on top.
Top tips
- For this recipe, you are making your own buffalo sauce with hot sauce. If you already have a buffalo sauce you love, you can use that in place of the hot sauce, oil, and spices.
- Be sure to simmer the chickpeas with the buffalo sauce until the sauce is coating the chickpeas well. This helps to makes them super flavorful.
- Make the tahini ranch dressing up to 3 days in advance. It will thicken in the fridge, so take it out when you start cooking the chickpeas. If it’s still too thick once at room temperature, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches a consistency you enjoy.
- If you don’t have tahini, try my dairy free ranch dressing instead.
- Time saving tip: Chop your veggies in advance. Although chopping the veggies only takes a few minutes, this can save you time when assembling the salad.
Other additions
- Cooked quinoa or rice
- Croutons
- Veggies: Bell peppers, cucumber, radish, green onion, roasted red peppers, jalapeno
- Pickled red onions
- Avocado
- Feta cheese (regular or dairy free), parmesan cheese or blue cheese
Other ways to serve
- In lettuce boats or on a lettuce wrap
- In collard green wraps
- In a tortilla, pita or wrap (like my buffalo chickpea wraps)
- Over broccoli slaw or shredded cabbage instead of romaine.
Common questions
Can you use dried chickpeas?
This recipe uses canned chickpeas, which are cooked. If you have dried chickpeas, cook them first before using them in this recipe.
I find one of the easiest ways to cook chickpeas is to use the instant pot or a pressure cooker. When you cook chickpeas this way, you don’t have to soak them in advance.
- To cook chickpeas in the instant pot, add 1 pound of dried chickpeas and 6-8 cups of water to the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for about 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release, then drain and rinse the chickpeas. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Can you make this with other beans?
You can make this meatless buffalo salad with any white beans you have on hand, but the chickpeas have av very substantial texture. This would also be good with cannellini beans, great northern white beans, fava beans (butter beans) or navy beans.
What if you don’t have tahini
If you don’t have tahini, you can use sunbutter or almond butter. The flavor will be slightly different but still good. You can also use cashews (you will have to soak them then blend the dressing – see my cashew ranch dressing).
What is the difference between hot sauce and buffalo sauce
Hot sauce is a condiment that is made by combining hot peppers with liquid (usually vinegar). Hot sauce is typically used to add spice to all kinds of dishes and it’s very thin sauce. The ingredients are usually aged peppers, vinegar, and spices.
Buffalo sauce is usually made by combining hot sauce with melted butter to create a sauce that is rich, flavorful and will easily coat whatever it’s been added to.
I like to make my own dairy free buffalo sauce by combining hot sauce with avocado oil and spices to make a flavorful, vegan sauce that you can use anywhere buffalo sauce is usually used.
What is the best hot sauce to use
The hot sauce you use will determine the flavor and how spicy the buffalo sauce is. I like to use Frank’s Red Hot (aged cayenne red pepper, vinegar, water, salt and garlic powder) or the Aldi dupe Burmans Hot Sauce which has the same ingredients as Frank’s but also has xanthan gum.
Another great option is Crystal Hot sauce (just 3 ingredients – cayenne pepper, vinegar and salt).
To make the buffalo chickpeas less spicy use Texas Pete as it’s not as spicy as Franks.
Can you use store bought buffalo sauce
If you want to use store bought buffalo sauce (or have your own favorite recipe), simply replace the hot sauce, avocado oil and spices with your favorite buffalo sauce. You will need about ½ cup.
Some good options include Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce and New Primal Buffalo Sauce.
Can you make this salad in advance
The salad is best when assembled right before enjoying, however you can make almost everything in advance and just wait to assemble right before eating.
For meal prep you can:
- Cook the chickpeas – you can double or triple the chickpeas so you can make this salad on repeat all week.
- Make the dressing – just like the chickpeas, you can make this tahini ranch dressing in advance (it’s good for about a week in the fridge). Double or triple the recipe if needed.
- Chop the veggies – chop the lettuce, red onion and celery in advance. Wia tot slice the tomatoes until right before serving for the best texture.
You can even assemble the salads once the buffalo chickpeas have cooled completely. Just wait to add the ranch dressing until right before serving.
Can you use store bought ranch dressing?
If you don’t want to make your own ranch dressing, you can certainly used store bought. Some great options include Primal Kitchen Ranch Vegan Dressing or Chosen Foods Ranch (not vegan).
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: Try to keep the dressing off the salad greens to store the leftovers (dressing makes romaine lettuce pretty soggy after 2-3 hours in the fridge). The chickpeas are good for about 5 days in the fridge. The tahini ranch is good for about a week in the fridge in an airtight container. Chopped veggies will last 4-5 days before starting to wilt if stored properly.
- Freezer: You can freeze the chickpeas for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or container. Defrost in the fridge and reheat in a skillet or in the microwave. Freeze the tahini ranch for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Freeze in 2 tablespoon portions for a single serve portion from the freezer.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Buffalo Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 heads romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
Buffalo Chickpeas
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 1 tbsp avocado oil - or olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried chives
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp dill
- 2 cans chickpeas (1 15 oz can, drained and rinsed)
Tahini Ranch Dressing
- 6 tbsp tahini
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dried chives
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
- In a bowl combine the hot sauce, avocado oil and spices. Stir well.
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas. When the skillet is preheated, add the chickpeas and buffalo sauce. Stir well.
- Cook the buffalo chickpeas over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the sauce has thickened and it stays separated when you run a spoon or spatula down the skillet.
- While the chickpeas are cooking, make the tahini ranch dressing. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. At first it will seem like it's not coming together, just keep stirring. Let sit 5 minutes to thicken.
- Chop the lettuce, red onion, and celery and slice the tomatoes.
- Optional: If wraps seem hard to fold, heat wraps on a skillet (30 seconds) or in the microwave (10-20 seconds) to make them more pliable. Assemble the wraps. Add the tahini ranch veggies, buffalo chickpeas and any other toppings then fold the wrap in half (like a taco) or wrap it up by folding in the sides then rolling it tightly into a wrap. Secure with toothpicks if needed.
- Make the salad – add the lettuce, veggies, buffalo chickpeas and top with tahini ranch dressing. Stir well to combine.
Notes
- For this recipe, you are making your own buffalo sauce with hot sauce. If you already have a buffalo sauce you love, you can use that in place of the hot sauce, oil, and spices.
- Be sure to simmer the chickpeas with the buffalo sauce until the sauce is coating the chickpeas well. This helps to makes them super flavorful.
- Make the tahini ranch dressing up to 3 days in advance. It will thicken in the fridge, so take it out when you start cooking the chickpeas. If it’s still too thick once at room temperature, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches a consistency you enjoy.
- If you don’t have tahini, try my cashew ranch dressing instead.
- Time saving tip: Chop your veggies in advance. Although chopping the veggies only takes a few minutes, this can save you time when assembling the salad.
- Fridge: Try to keep the dressing off the salad greens to store the leftovers (dressing makes romaine lettuce pretty soggy after 2-3 hours in the fridge). The chickpeas are good for about 5 days in the fridge. The tahini ranch is good for about a week in the fridge in an airtight container. Chopped veggies will last 4-5 days before starting to wilt if stored properly.
- Freezer: You can freeze the chickpeas for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or container. Defrost in the fridge and reheat in a skillet or in the microwave. Freeze the tahini ranch for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Freeze in 2 tablespoon portions for a single serve portion from the freezer.
