This Roasted Chickpea Gyros recipe is an easy vegetarian dinner for feeding everyone on busy weeknights!
After discovering and subsequently eating far too many roasted chickpeas yesterday, I wanted to find a way to make these flavor bombs into an actual, sustainable meal.
And at this point, “meal” really means anything that doesn’t involve just eating a bowl full of roasted chickpeas. I suppose as I get closer and closer to moving and really begin whittling away at my pantry stock, I’ll have to become more lenient in what I consider a “meal”…but for now I can still justify buying some fresh veggies and flatbreads to make these vegetarian Roasted Chickpea Gyros!
Making these vegetarian gyros is really simple actually. Season and roast up some chickpeas, throw together the World’s Best Tzatziki, and put it all on a pita with some lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions.
We won’t roast the chickpeas for quite as long today, just 20 minutes, until they’re cooked but not hard. This will give them a hearty texture, replacing any desire you may have had for putting meat into this vegetarian sandwich. We don’t need no meats up in here!
Roasted Chickpea Gyros Video
How do you roast chickpeas?
Drain the can of chickpeas and pat dry with paper towels. Toss with 1 tablespoon of oil per can of chickpeas, along with whatever spices you like (today we’re using gyro spices!) Then roast chickpeas at 400 degrees F (204 C) for 20 minutes, until a bit crispy.
Have an air fryer? You can also roast chickpeas ultra-quickly in the air fryer!
Other Easy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas
- 20 Minute Taco Soup
- Zucchini Pasta with Avocado Pesto
- Roasted Cauliflower Street Tacos
- Roasted Chickpea Stuffed Avocados
- Cook it Fresh: 31 Days of Easy Vegetarian Dinners
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas 425 g, 1 ½ cup soaked chickpeas if starting from dry, drained and rinsed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
- 1 Tbsp paprika* 7 g
- 1 tsp ground black pepper 3 g
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1.5 g
- 1/4 tsp salt 1.5 g
- 4 pita flatbreads
- 1 cup tzatziki (click for recipe) 250 g, use ⅓ recipe if you’re just making it for these gyros
- 1/4 red onion cut into strips
- 2 lettuce leaves roughly chopped
- 1 tomato sliced
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C). Pat dry chickpeas with paper towel, removing any skins that may come off. Gently toss chickpeas with oil, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Roast: Spread chickpeas onto a greased rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned but not hard.
- Assemble: Spread some tzatziki onto one side of the pita, then sprinkle in ¼ of the chickpeas and add veggies. Fold in half and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- *If you don’t like spicy foods, halve the amount paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Taste a chickpea before baking and adjust flavors as needed.
- If your pita breads crack when you fold them, cover them with a moist paper towel and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Assemble your sandwich immediately after microwaving.
- Wanna bring these to lunch? Try them in meal prep-able form!
Heather says
I made this tonight and my husband and I loved them! I actually roasted them with Greek salad dressing, some black pepper, garlic and paprika! Yummy!
Sarah says
Oh yum, that sounds like such a tasty substitute! 😀
Michael J says
Too bad it says vegan but the yogurt sauce is clearly not vegan😈
Sarah says
You can use any dairy-free yogurt you’d like to make it easily vegan 🙂
Kat says
NOT VEGAN!!! It’s labeled as vegan on the top, though, possibly a mistake? It’s easy to make it vegan by substituting the Greek yogurt with a nut yogurt. The first time I tried it with vegan mayo, but it’s not the same. Then I found kite hill almond yogurt (plain, Greek-style) and it was really good! I served them to friends and they thought I had cheated and used dairy! I also added black olives and highly recommend others do the same
Sarah says
Hi Kat! I usually categorize it as vegan if it is very easy to make it vegan, in this instance, using soy or nut-based yogurt (don’t want to deprive vegans of something so tasty!). Happy you found a tasty substitute and your friends liked them! 😀
Regina says
Just made these, and they were really good! Will definitely make them again!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Regina! 😀
Kris says
Made this for my vegan and non vegan family and EVERYONE loved it! Skipped the tzatziki as an ingredient and used only as a topping for the non vegans. Instead, I spread roasted garlic hummus on the pitas and heated them up in the oven. Then everyone added the toppings they wanted. SO GOOD! Added this recipe to my favorites so I could make it often! Thanks for your awesome recipe!
Sarah says
It sounds great with garlic hummus, Kris! Also loving your idea of letting everyone pick their own topping. So happy you (and your vegan + non-vegan friends) enjoyed them! 😀
helena houston says
very interesting article!
Luc says
So glad I stumbled upon this page right before I went to the store! They were absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to make them again. Thanks for the wonderful recipe! And that tzatziki sauce was delish.
Sarah says
So happy you liked them, Luc! 😀 Isn’t tzatziki just the greatest sauce ever?
Abigail says
Love this recipe! Very easy, budget friendly, and makes tons of leftovers! Cooking for one can be difficult, but this makes it very easy (and I don’t have to cook for like 4 days!!!! bonus). This has been my staple dinner since going vegetarian!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Abigail! I LIVED on these things when I lived alone. You could also play around with different sauces and spices if you start getting bored of the flavor (not that anyone could get bored with tzatziki). One variation I really like is with herby chickpeas (garlic, dried basil/dill/parsley) and hummus as the sauce. 😀
Amanda says
These are crazy easy and so good!! I even went with plain yogurt instead of tzatziki because I was pressed for time, and they were still delicious. Recommend 10/10 for super quick, easy, tasty and wholesome meal! Thank you!!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Amanda!! 😀
Janine says
This recipe isn’t vegan.
Sarah says
Hi Janine! I will list a recipe as vegan if it is very easy to make it vegan (in this case, by simply using dairy-free yogurt).
Donna says
I am making this tonight. Looks fantastic. New vegetarian lifestyle for the last 3 months and this fits perfectly. I will get back to you on the taste. Thanks for sharing
Sarah says
Hope you liked it, Donna! I think you’ll find chickpeas to be a saving grace as you get more into the vegetarian lifestyle 😀
Sandra says
I made it and it’s absolutely delicious. I did not miss the lamb meat at all.
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Sandra! 😀
Su says
Yum! Made this last night. I will make it again soon. It was very quick to make. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah says
You’re very welcome, Su! Happy you liked it 🙂
Kyria says
Very delicious and my family Loved it!
Definitely making this recipe again.
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Kyria! 😀
Chantel says
These are great! I will definitely make these again soon!! Thanks!
Sarah says
You’re so welcome, Chantel! 🙂
Liz says
O.M.G. I just made this, and I’m speechless. I didn’t know a meatless gyro could taste so good. And that sauce…if I could get all my vegetarian meals to taste like this, I’d go vegetarian TODAY. I used dried garbanzo beans that I soaked, boiled, then baked as per the recipe instructions. It took a little longer, but it was worth the effort. I used a white onion, as that was all i had on hand, and it was fine. Great recipe.
Sarah says
Hahah, thanks so much, Liz! After discovering the power of chickpeas I pretty much put them roasted on EVERYTHING. And tzatziki is an obvious kitchen staple that’s equally good on everything 😀
sierra says
These are great!
Sarah says
Thanks, Sierra! Happy you liked them 😀
Jasmine says
Hello would it be okay to pan fry the chickpeas instead of baking them?
Sarah says
Hi Jasmine! Absolutely 🙂 I’ve found they don’t get quite as crispy, but it’s a lot faster and the results are nearly the same 🙂
Alex says
I made these last night for dinner. AMAZING! I am a weenie and thought they were super spicy so I might halve the cayenne next time but I will DEFINITELY be making these again!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Alex! Indeed, they can be a bit spicy (but I love that in combination with the cooling tzatziki) 😀
John says
This recipe is a staple in our house. In fact, I’ve probably prepared it 25 times in the last year. It’s absolutely delicious, and it’s easy to tone down the spice.
Because it’s easier to find (at WalMart), we use cucumber garlic ranch dip instead of the tzatziki.
Sarah says
Ah, so awesome to hear, John! 😀 The cucumber garlic ranch sounds great, I’ll have to try that out when I can get my hands on some!
Peter Wood says
I had a similar issue as one reader above, where the chickpeas came out too dry and crusty. I prepared the chickpeas as described and cooked them as instructed at 400F for 20 minutes. I’ve also tried cooking them for half the time, and they still come out fairly dry. Anyone have suggestions as to what to try?
Sarah says
Hi Peter, sorry to hear they didn’t come out how they were supposed to. Everyone’s oven is a bit different, perhaps yours runs a bit hotter? Try reducing the temperature a bit. Otherwise, you can also cook the chickpeas on the stove over medium heat 😀
Peter Wood says
Thanks for the advice. For all I know, our oven’s thermostat may be wrong. 🙂 I’ll look at using a lower temperature, or perhaps quick frying in a pan. We had this again the other night, and this time I just heated up the chickpeas in the microwave after seasoning them. It resulted in a less dry texture, which was good, but I’d love to be able to make it with the intended roasted flavor.
When you “pat dry” the chickpeas, before the oil and seasoning, does that mean they need to be completely dry? Or just make sure they’re not sopping wet?
Also, one thing I wasn’t clear on with this instruction:
“1 15 oz can chickpeas (425 g, 1 ½ cup soaked chickpeas if starting from dry, drained and rinsed)”
Does the draining and rinsing only apply when starting with dried chickpeas, or is that for canned chickpeas as well?
Just trying to think through all of the reasons they might have come out too dry…
Fun tidbit: the first time through this recipe I misread the measurement for cayenne pepper as 1 Tablespoon (your instructions were perfectly clear, I was just an idiot). BOY were those some spicy chickpeas. Of course I didn’t realize I had the wrong measurement until the next time I made them. THEN I had a face-palm moment, and made profuse apologies to my family for the previous occasion…
Sarah says
The frying pan method is pretty foolproof and gives for both crispy yet not dry chickpeas 😀
And all good questions! By “pat dry” I indeed just mean “not sopping wet”. I don’t want you to slave over drying each one, but roughly patting them dry helps them to crisp up when cooking. You should drain and rinse the chickpeas no matter how you prepare them (dry or canned). Hope these can help you out!
Hahah and those must have been some fire-y chickpeas!!
Peter Wood says
Any tips for how to remove the skins from the chickpeas more quickly and easily? This seems to take the longest.
Sarah says
Just remove the ones that are really hanging off, no need to remove them all (i.e. don’t spend longer than 1 minute on it, the difference it makes is pretty small!)
Lea says
Hi Sarah, thanks 4 this recipe. It’s so good, I love it! I definitely will make this often.
Sarah I was wondering if you have a healthy recipe for a pita flatbread, maybe /W/ chickpea or oat flour? Store bought pita breads contain soy, which I’m allergic to. Matter a fact when your recipes contain soy sauce, I use balsamic vinegar in it’s place & it’s good.
Thanks
Sarah says
Ah I had no idea they contained soy! Fortunately flatbreads are easy (and fun) to make at home. I’ve used this recipe from Minimalist Baker quite a bit (contains wheat flour but some comments below the post mention success using Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose GF mix).
caley john says
Hi Sarah,
Delicious recipes I mad it last night.thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Caley!! 😀
Amar says
This was the best lunch I ever took to school! Easy to make and I absolutely love the tzatziki!
Sarah says
Yay, so happy to hear Amar!! 😀
Mum says
The whole family really enjoyed this recipe, thanks for the inspiration! We served it on freshly homemade flatbreads wraps, still warm and fluffy from yeast.
Sarah says
This is one of our favorite dinners! Love that you made the flatbreads at home, so mush tastier! 😀
Carol says
The link for above for the cauliflower street tacos takes you to the zucchini pasta with avocado pesto. Would like that taco recipe. <3
Sarah says
Oof! Thanks for pointing that out, Carol! Here is the recipe for the tacos! 🙂
DJ says
These are so good!! We topped ours with hummus, onions, tomatoes, spinach, and feta cheese. They were absolutely delicious and we will definitely be making these more often. Thanks for the fantastic recipe.
Sarah says
Yummm love the addition of hummus! Enjoy!! 😀
Megan says
I just made this (with your Tzatziki recipe) and it was great! Thank you for sharing!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Megan! 😀
Sanjay says
Dry chick peas should be soaked then drained n dried or should I cook them to soften a bit
Sarah says
Hi Sanjay! Yep, soak them then boil them to soften. Then you can dry and roast them 🙂
Jorge Martinez says
Awesome Recipe! I loved how easy it was to make.
Sarah says
Glad to hear, Jorge! This is one of our favorites 😀
Tiffany says
This is my new favorite recipe! I loved everything! A+
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Tiffany!! 😀
Jessica says
Delicious!! I can’t get enough of these and had to make a double batch last time because I was craving them for both lunch and dinner for a couple days! Before this recipe, I had never ate tzatziki so I followed your recipe and now I’m addicted, yuuuum. I like to add feta and pepperoncini to my gyros as well.
Sarah says
So smart! Planned leftovers for lunch are the BEST! 😀 So happy you liked it, Jessica!
Kathy says
Very good but chickpeas to crunchy.
Sarah says
Just cook them for less time next go around, your oven might run a little hot or your chickpeas might have been a little smaller! 😀
Gontse says
Awesome
Caroline says
Love this recipe, I however marinated my chickpeas instead of roasting. I meal prep and the chickpeas don’t stay crisp when put back in the fridge, I also slightly undercook my chickpeas so they have more crunch to them.
Sarah says
You might try storing them with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture and keep them a bit crispier!
Pamela Haynes says
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Our family of 8 (including 4 high school boys) devoured these! I made a quadruple recipe … and used both smoked and plain paprika. Thank you Sarah!
Sarah says
So awesome to hear – that is a LOT of mouths to feed! 😅 Thanks for letting us know how it went!
Kristine says
I loved how this turned out for me. I made few adjustments with the ingredients and It turned out amazingly delicious. I’ve been eating the same old boring chickpea and just tossing it in salads. So glad to have found this recipe!
For the spices, I opted out cayenne and added turmeric instead. I didn’t want spicy chickpea so I followed your instruction to halve other spices. And for the sauce, I used labneh instead of greek yogurt coz it’s much cheaper here lol and I think it’s thicker???
Thanks again for sharing this recipe!
Sarah says
Yummm labneh would be great! So happy to hear you liked these, it’s always one of our favorites! 😀
Antoine says
Thanks for the idea ! I didn’t have the ingredients to make Tzatziki so I went for a Moroccan twist.
I used a Moroccan spice blend with the roasted chickpeas and also made to sauces for the gyro.
Mayo – Moroccan blend with a tad of honey, spread in the pita
Mayo and Sriracha for a spicy kick, tiny drizzle on top of the toppings.
Removing the skins on the chickpeas definitely did it for the crispiness. I’ve tried other recipes before and didn’t turn out half as good as yours. Wow !
I’ll be back with the proper ingredients and make yours in the near future, but glad I tried something different. This is definitely a keeper !
Sarah says
Yumm that sauce sounds AMAZING! I’ll have to try something like that. Enjoy for next time as well! 😀
Yana says
These Vegans are a tough crowd, do t know how you cope with the condescending “not vegan” comments! Beats me that they can’t figure out that there are tons of vegan yogurt, cheese ………options. Get over yourselves. The recipes are great. Reading these comments makes me realise that once youre vegan chances are unfortunately good you’ll become a real self centered grump 😉 Never see these types of comments on any other recipe sites.
Molly says
I made this one time for lunch, prepared chickpeas as directed. Fiancé tried a chickpea out of the pan and that was my downfall. Now I make chickpeas based on this recipe all the time but basically none make it to a gyro! The whole family loves them!
Sarah says
Aw, so happy to hear it, Molly! Enjoy! 😀
Jess says
Great recipe but you’ve got so many ads that’s its very distracting from the actual content. I totally get that it’s a revenue source but maybe limit the amount per page a bit so it’s easier to see your awesome recipes!
Sarah says
Thanks for letting us know, Jess! 😀
Brittany says
This was AMAZING! I used Trader Joe’s garlic naan bread, and avocado slices with the everything but the bagel seasoning. Can’t wait to make this again. So simple and delicious! Thank you!
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Brittany! 😀 Enjoy!
Adrienne says
I would definitely make this recipe again! I added a little turmeric and cumin to the spice rub for an extra kick! My chickpeas were done around 15 minutes so I would definitely recommend checking around then!
Mary jane shayka says
Cant wait to make these..