This easy chickpea stir fry is basically the ideal dinner:
- Seriously simple (it’s kind of called that).
- Full of protein, veggies and lots of flavor
- On the table in 20 minutes
What more could you do?!

I love making stir fries, because it’s a quick and easy dinner, and it’s a great way to get lots of veggies in during the day, without it feeling remotely like a chore. Stir fried vegetables are irresistible!
When you add some chickpeas, a simple stir fry becomes more filling, with more protein (over 20 grams per serving!), and more flavor. I added noodles to my chickpea stir fry, but rice would be great too, if you prefer!
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❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- This is a quick weeknight meal that can be on the table in just 20 minutes!
- The stir-fry is endlessly customizable, as you can use whatever combination of vegetables you like (see below for some ideas). And if you need a fridge-clearing recipe, this is a great option, because you can use vegetables you already have on hand.
- A chickpea stir fry is a great healthy dinner idea, because it’s packed with fresh, healthy ingredients — and chickpeas are a brilliant source of plant-based protein.
- This is a great budget-friendly recipe, as a tin of chickpeas isn’t expensive and you can use whatever vegetables you can find cheaply.
🥗 Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. You will also need some cooking oil from your cupboard. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient amounts.

- chickpeas. Tinned chickpeas are very convenient, but if you have the time and energy you can soak and cook your own dry chickpeas instead!
- mixed vegetables. I used baby corn, mange tout, tenderstem broccoli, mushrooms and yellow peppers. It doesn’t really matter what vegetables you use, just something that roasts well. You can even use store bought stir fry mix – no shame here.
- Fresh noodles – Can be added directly to the wok without any pre-cooking. I used egg noodles, but you can use vegan noodles (like rice noodles) if you want.
- garlic
- pepper. I used a fairly mild pepper – you can always add more, but if you add anything too strong you can ruin the dish! Remove the seeds if not too spicy.
- honey (or agave, for a vegetarian stir-fry)
- I am Willow (I used dark soy sauce)
- cilantro, to garnish. I also like to sprinkle some sesame seeds on top!
👌 Top tip
If you prefer, use a store-bought stir fry mix, which contains a variety of pre-chopped stir fry vegetables. It’s often cheaper than buying vegetables individually, and saves a lot of time too!
🔄 Material Swap
Feel free to make this recipe your own – it’s really easy to customize.
Here are a few ways you can adapt this recipe:
- Use a mix of vegetables of your choice. Beans, cabbage, shredded Brussels sprouts, red peppers, courgettes (zucchini), and red or white onions would all work really nicely, in addition to the veggies I mentioned above.
- I made a simple stir fry sauce using honey and soy sauce, but you can use whatever sauce you like best, such as sweet chili sauce, black bean sauce, etc.
- To add a different texture, swap chickpeas for crispy tofu or teriyaki tofu.
- Use rice instead of noodles. A bag of microwaveable rice would be ideal for this quick recipe, as it can be added directly to the wok without pre-boiling.
🔪 Tools
Ideal for making a wok stir fry, if you have one.
Its wide top and deep sides give you plenty of room to stir and stir vegetables without splashing or spilling.
There are all kinds of woks on the market, but I like to use a large (30cm / 12 inch) wok with a non-stick coating, like the one on Amazon US/Amazon UK, both of which have really impressive reviews.

📋 Instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 1: Start frying chickpeas with chillies and garlic.

Step 2: Add the vegetables of your choice and cook for a few minutes until they are just tender.

Step 3: Add the sauce ingredients and let them bubble for a minute or two.

Step 4: Finally add the noodles, and mix well.

Step 5: Serve hot with some garnishes.
👌 Top tip
Some sesame seeds and some coriander leaves are sprinkled on top as the garnish looks really nice, and brings an extra little flavor to the dish. You can also use some chopped cashew nuts or some chopped spring onion.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Stir-fries are best cooked fresh and served straight away, so that the vegetables retain a nice crunchy freshness. Since it is very quick to prepare, it is best to prepare the dish just before serving.
Ideally you’ll eat the stir fries straight away, but if you have any left over, they can be stored in an air-tight tub in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated thoroughly in the microwave.
Absolutely! Just choose a vegan noodle (like rice noodles), and swap out the honey for agave.
🍜 More stir fry recipes

📖 Printable Recipes

Easy to fry chickpeas
This protein-packed chickpea stir fry is a quick and easy vegetarian dinner that’s full of flavor! On the table in just 20 minutes.
If you cook this recipe, don’t forget to give a star rating!
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Serving: 2 people
Calories: 510kcal
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instructions
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Heat oil in a wok or large, deep frying pan. Add finely chopped chillies and garlic along with dry chickpeas. Cook for a few minutes on medium-high heat until fragrant.
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Add all the vegetables and fry for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables are just tender.
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Move the vegetables to the sides of the pan to create a space in the center. Add soy sauce and honey to the place and let the sauce start bubbling and sizzling. Cook for a minute or so, then add the noodles and mix everything together.
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Cook for a few more minutes on medium heat, until the noodles are heated through and the vegetables are cooked to your liking.
Comment
I would suggest using a milder pepper. You can always add more if needed, but if you add a pepper that’s too hot, you can ruin the dish. If you prefer milder heat, remove the seeds.
nutrition
Worship: 1 the part – Calories: 510 kcal – Sugars: 80.3 g – Protein: 20.5 g – Fat: 13.4 g – Saturated Fat: 1.9 g – Cholesterol: 39 mg – Sodium: 150 mg – Potassium: 821 mg – Fiber: 11.7 g – Sugar: 15.3 g – Calcium: 123 mg – Iron: 6 mg
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if your health requires accuracy.
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