• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Conscientious Eater
  • START HERE
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Meal Plan
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • 8-Week Meal Plan
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • 8-Week Meal Plan
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home | Recipes | Sandwiches

    The Best Buffalo Chickpea Salad

    Jan 11, 2023 by Faith VanderMolen

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Made with just 6 ingredients and flavorful Frank's Hot Sauce, this Buffalo Chickpea Salad is a quick and delicious base for a hearty snack or meal!

    Saucy buffalo chickpea salad sandwiched between an english muffin with some lettuce.

    Chickpea salad never lasts long in our house. I personally love chickpea salad because it's super versatile. For a classic chickpea salad, I love to make this Vegan Chickpea "Tuna" Salad and eat it with some whole wheat no-knead sandwich bread. But if I want some extra flavor and kick, I love to make this 6 ingredient Buffalo Chickpea Salad. If you like buffalo sauce, you're going to LOVE this buffalo chickpea salad!

    Jump To
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe!
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • How to Make Buffalo Chickpea Salad
    • Top Tips:
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Vegan Chickpea Recipes!
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love This Recipe!

    • Made with just 6 ingredients, this buffalo chickpea salad takes minutes to put together. It's the perfect weekday lunch or snack recipe!
    • If you're a fan of buffalo chicken wings but want to eat a more plant-based diet, this chickpea salad will satisfy your buffalo sauce cravings.
    • This salad is perfect for meal prep. I like to make a double batch at the start of the week for quick and easy lunches or snacks. It tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge. Make it as one of your vegan bento box recipes for adults!
    • If you're looking for a savory, protein-rich snack, this buffalo chickpea salad is perfect. Pair it with some cut up veggies or crackers and you'll be good to go!

    Ingredients

    All of the ingredients for buffalo chickpea salad measured out into bowls.
    • Chickpeas - You can either cook dried chickpeas from scratch (which would be about 1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas) or just use 1 can of chickpeas.
    • Tahini - Instead of mayo, I use tahini. This still gives the buffalo chickpea salad its desired creaminess, but with a single, more nutritious ingredient and no dairy!
    • Buffalo Sauce - I always use Frank's Red Hot Original sauce in this recipe. It's perfect every time!
    • Celery - The celery is optional, but buffalo sauce and celery are a match made in heaven in my opinion. The celery adds the perfect crunch as well!
    • Onion & Garlic - I love to use fresh onion and garlic as fresh onion adds some crunch. If you're in a pinch, you could also try ground onion and garlic powder, but I've never tried that so can't say how it will turn out!

    See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.

    Substitutions & Variations

    • Tahini - I haven't tried this with any thing other than tahini, but I think mayo would make a good, creamy substitution if needed.
    • Celery - If you don't like celery, you could try another kind of crunchy vegetable. Shredded or finely chopped carrot could work.
    • Frank's Hot Sauce - If you can't get your hands on the Frank's brand of hot sauce, you could try another brand/type such Tabasco sauce, Sriracha, buffalo sauce, etc. However, all of these hot sauces very in flavor and spice level so just start with a small amount and add more as needed.

    How to Make Buffalo Chickpea Salad

    Chickpeas, frank's hot sauce and tahini in a food processor.

    Step 1: Start by placing the drained and rinsed chickpeas into a food processor along with the buffalo sauce and tahini.

    Chickpeas, hot sauce and tahini processed into a chunky dip in a food processor.

    Step 2: Pulse these ingredients until everything is well combined, yet fairly chunky.

    Celery and onion being stirred into buffalo chickpea salad.

    Step 3: Add in the chopped celery, minced onion and garlic and pulse again to combine. Alternatively, you can simply stir the celery, onion and garlic into the chickpea mixture.

    Buffalo chickpea salad in a glass storage container.

    Step 4: Enjoy right away as a buffalo chickpea sandwich with some vegan ranch dressing or as a dip with veggies. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

    A side shot of a loaded buffalo chickpea salad sandwich with lettuce on it.

    Top Tips:

    1. If you want to minimize the chopping you have to do for this recipe, you can start by mincing and chopping the onion and celery in your food processor. Remove the minced/chopped veggies and then pulse the chickpeas, tahini and hot sauce together. Lastly add back in the veggies and pulse/stir to combine.
    2. You can alter the spice level by using more or less hot sauce as desired!

    Recipe FAQs

    What to serve with buffalo chickpea salad?

    Think of chickpea salad as tuna, chicken or egg salad. However you would normally eat those foods is how you can enjoy this chickpea salad. We love this buffalo chickpea salad as the filling for sandwiches, a dip for raw veggies and/or crackers, on top of a leafy salad or right off a spoon!

    How do I store buffalo chickpea salad?

    Chickpea salad is a great food to meal prep as it stores beautifully in the fridge. To store this buffalo chickpea salad, place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Use it for quick snacks and lunches throughout the week!

    What is Buffalo Sauce?

    Buffalo Sauce is a vinegar-based hot sauce that is made spicy with cayenne peppers. The intense heat of the sauce makes it a popular choice for those who enjoy spice, while the vinegar provides a tangy contrast.

    What are the ingredients in Buffalo Sauce?

    Buffalo sauce contains the following ingredients: distilled vinegar, aged cayenne red peppers, salt, water, canola oil, paprika, xanthan gum, natural butter type flavor and, garlic powder. Buffalo sauce is commonly poured over wings, but it can also be used in dressings and dips!

    Does Buffalo Sauce have dairy?

    There are many variations of buffalo sauce and many brands that sell their version. Thankfully for all us plant eaters, Frank's Buffalo Hot Sauce doesn't contain dairy! It's a great condiment to have on hand to whip up buffalo cauliflower bites and of course, this flavorful buffalo chickpea salad!

    Is Buffalo Sauce from Buffalo, New York?

    Yes, the most widely-held origin story is that Buffalo Sauce was invented by Teresa Bellissimo in 1964 at a bar called Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York.

    How do I use buffalo sauce?

    Buffalo sauce is most famous for being the finishing touch on Buffalo Wings. Buffalo sauce can used to add flavor to burgers, sandwiches, as a salad dressing, or as a stand-alone dip for veggies.

    How much protein is in Buffalo Chickpea Salad?

    Chickpeas and tahini are the primary protein source in this recipe. My recipe below will give you 8g of protein per serving.

    More Vegan Chickpea Recipes!

    • Vegan Chickpea Salad (No Mayo!)
    • Avocado Chickpea Salad
    • Easy Chickpea Tikka Masala
    • Crispy Oven Roasted Chickpeas

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    📖 Recipe

    buffalo chickpea salad sandwich

    The Best Buffalo Chickpea Salad

    Faith VanderMolen
    Made with minimal ingredients and flavorful Frank's Hot Sauce, this Buffalo Chickpea Salad is a quick and delicious base for a hearty snack or meal!
    4.68 from 52 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 53 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
    • ¼ cup Frank's Hot Sauce
    • 2 tablespoons tahini
    • 1 stalk celery diced
    • ¼ cup onion minced
    • 1 clove garlic minced

    Instructions 

    • PREP: Place the drained and rinsed chickpeas, hot sauce and tahini in a food processor and pulse until the chickpeas are broken down and the hot sauce and tahini are evenly distributed.
    • Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the prepared celery, onion and garlic.
    • SERVE: Serve with crackers, on salad or as a sandwich!
    • STORE: Store this buffalo chickpea salad in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4-5 days.

    Notes

    - Don't over-process the chickpeas, tahini and hot sauce. You want this salad to have some texture!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 53kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 408mgPotassium: 100mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 75IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 0.5mg
    Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

    More Sandwiches

    • 11 Vegan Summer Sandwich Recipes
    • Vegan Tapenade Sandwich with Avocado
    • Vegan Tempeh Meatballs
    • 40 Minute Vegan Hamburger Buns Recipe


    Plant Biased Cookbook


    Plant Biased cover
     

    Plant Biased is my new cookbook and beginner's guide to eating a more plant based diet! I describe it as "the book I wish I had when I went vegan back in 2013."

    Plant Biased includes...

    90+ beginner recipes! My top breakfast, main dish, dessert & snack recipes!
    Why Plant Biased? Understand the "why" behind your choice to go plant-based!
    Vegan Cooking Basics: What you need to know and what to avoid when cooking.
    Grocery Shopping: How to confidently find healthy, unprocessed foods at the store.
    Nutritional Guidelines: Make sure you meet all your nutritional needs!
    Kitchen Essentials: Learn to create a place where you'll LOVE to cook!

    Buy it now for only $18.95 $9.95!

     
    Preview & Buy!


    buy Plant Biased on Amazon  

    Customer Reviews
    ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.8 out of 5


    31 All-Time Greatest Eats Cookbook!

    For a limited time, I'm giving away a 68-page cookbook of my reader-favorite recipes called my "31 All-Time Greatest Eats"!

    Just click the cover image above or the Download button below and it will take you directly to the PDF!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. RICHARD CLINGERMAN says

      August 06, 2023 at 5:20 pm

      5 stars
      Truly delicious. Thank you for this great idea! 8oD

      Reply
      • Faith VanderMolen says

        August 10, 2023 at 2:13 am

        So glad you enjoyed this salad Richard!

        Reply
    2. Jen says

      May 30, 2020 at 10:42 pm

      This a seriously delicious recipe! Second time making it- doubled it for the family ?

      Reply
      • Faith VanderMolen says

        May 31, 2020 at 1:19 am

        Ah that’s music to my ears as this is one of my favorite recipes! So glad you like it. Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    4.68 from 52 votes (51 ratings without comment)

    Please Leave A Star Review In The Recipe Card! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm a plant-based digital nomad mom-of-two living in Malaysia. Meet Faith!

    For a limited time, I'm giving away a free cookbook of my Top 31 recipes!

    Get it while you can!

    Free Download

    Eat Healthy in 2023!

    • Healthy Cookie Dough Overnight Oats

    • zucchini bread baked oatmeal
      Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal

    • creamy tomato zucchini soup topped with grilled cheese croutons
      Creamy Vegan Tomato Zucchini Soup

    • Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup (Dairy-Free!)

    • Vegan Soba Noodle Recipe!

    • Refreshing Green Smoothie Recipe!

    Most Popular Recipes

    • whole wheat artisan bread on a cutting board
      Easy Whole Wheat Artisan Bread Recipe

    • Easy Homemade Oatmeal Date Granola Bars

    • Whole Wheat No-Yeast No-Rise Vegan Pizza Dough

    • Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cashews

    • 5 Vegan Overnight Oats Recipes You Can Meal Prep!

    • two glasses of oat milk next to a jar of oat milk
      Homemade Oat Milk Recipe

    8-Week Plant Biased Meal Plan Cover

    DON'T think about recipe planning for weeks!

    ✅ Save Time

    ✅ Reduce Stress

    ✅ Eat Healthy

    Preview & Buy!

    Sourdough Heaven!

    • Vegan Sourdough Waffles

    • Sourdough Pumpkin Bread (Vegan!)

    • Sourdough Banana Bread

    • Easy Sourdough Muffins

    • Vegan Sourdough Pancakes (6 Ingredients!)

    • Vegan Sourdough Bread (Beginner-Friendly!)

    Footer

    The Conscientious Eater

    • START HERE
    • All Recipes
    • Plant Biased Cookbook
    • 8-Week Meal Plan

    Sponsorship

    Sponsor My Emails
    Sponsor Youtube, IG, Website

    My Recipes

    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes by Cuisine
    • Main Dishes by Recipe Type
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Snacks
    • Breads
    • WIAW

    Important Stuff

    • Privacy Policy
    • Site Accessbility
    • No AI Training
    • Disclosure
    • Contact
    • Some icons from flaticon.com

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 This website was designed using the Seasoned Pro Theme from Feast Design Co.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.