One of the first recipes that I wanted to try to make in my rice cooker is Spanish Chickpeas and Rice, and I finally got a chance to do so this week. This simple mix of rice, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and TONS of smoky spices is one of my favorite vegan meals, and perfectly suited for making in a rice cooker. The original stove top version was already pretty simple, but when you add in the ease of a rice cooker, it’s pretty much fool-proof. You just dump all the ingredients in, press go, and about 30 minutes later you have a totally killer meal. This Rice Cooker Spanish Chickpeas and Rice is seriously as easy as it gets!
Check out my other Rice Cooker Recipes: Rice Cooker Teriyaki Shrimp and Rice, Rice Cooker Mac and Cheese, Rice Cooker Chili.
Do I Have to Use a Rice Cooker?
Nope! You can make this same dish on the stove top in a deep skillet with a lid, or a Dutch oven. You can find the original stove top instructions here: Spanish Chickpeas and Rice.
Rice Cooker Adaptations…
I did have to make a couple of changes from the original for this Rice Cooker Spanish Chickpeas and Rice. First, I had to reduce the quantities of ingredients a bit because I was afraid that it wouldn’t all fit in my 8 cup capacity rice cooker. I reduced the amount of artichoke hearts and chickpeas, and swapped out the diced onion for onion powder. Swapping the fresh onion and garlic for powdered versions also served to make this version of the recipe even easier more beginner-friendly. The only chopping you need to do is slicing the lemon, and chopping the parsley garnish at the end! I also reduced the broth slightly, to account for the fact that less evaporation occurs in a rice cooker compared to a skillet on the stove top.
What Rice Cooker am I Using?
I chose to work with one of the most popular and most basic rice cookers on the market to make sure the rice cooker recipes I develop have the broadest compatibility. That being said, every model rice cooker is slightly different, and may yield slightly different results, so you may have to tweak the recipe to work with your equipment. I’m using the Aroma Housewares 8 cup cooked/4 cup uncooked Digital Rice Cooker (affiliate link).
Can I Make This in an Instant Pot?
The “rice” function on the Instant Pot cooks food in the same manner as a rice cooker, so this recipe should work just fine in an Instant Pot, providing you are using the rice function and not a pressure cooking function. That being said, I have not had a chance to actually test this recipe using an Instant Pot.
Rice Cooker Spanish Chickpeas and Rice
Servings 4 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 cup long grain white rice ($0.39)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained ($0.55)
- 1 15oz. can petite diced tomatoes, with juices ($0.49)
- 1 6oz. jar quartered artichoke hearts, drained ($1.79)
- 1 cup vegetable broth ($0.13)
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped ($0.22)
- 1 fresh lemon ($0.43)
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil, rice, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill) in the bowl of the rice cooker. Stir until the rice is coated in oil and spices.
- Next add the chickpeas (drained), diced tomatoes (with juices), artichoke hearts (drained), and vegetable broth. Give everything a brief stir, then closes the rice cooker and turn it on to the white rice setting (or the basic “cook” setting).
- Let the rice cooker cook the mixture until finished, then once the cook cycle has completed let it rest on the “keep warm” setting for at least 5 minutes. After resting, open the cooker and gently fluff and stir the mixture to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
- To serve, spoon the chickpea and rice mixture into a bowl, sprinkle chopped parsley over top, and serve with a couple wedges of lemon. Squeeze the lemon over top just before eating.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Rice Cooker Spanish Chickpeas and Rice – Step by Step Photos
The spices you’ll need for this dish are 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/8 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, and some freshly cracked pepper.
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 cup of long grain white rice, and all of the spices listed above to the bowl of the rice cooker. Stir until the rice is coated in oil and spices.
Next, add one 15oz. can of chickpeas (drained), one 15oz. can of petite diced tomatoes (with the juices), and one 6 oz. jar of artichoke hearts (drained).
Finally, add 1 cup vegetable broth to the rice cooker and stir briefly to make sure everything is combined.
Close the rice cooker and set it to the white rice setting, or if your rice cooker just has one basic “cook” function, choose that. Once it has finished the cook cycle, let it rest on the “keep warm” setting for at least 5 minutes. This helps the rice absorb any excess steam and makes everything cooked a little more evenly.
After resting for at least 5 minutes, open the cooker and it will look a little like the photo above.
Gently fluff and stir the mixture to make sure everything is evenly combined.
To serve the Rice Cooker Spanish Chickpeas and rice simply spoon the rice mixture into a bowl, top with chopped parsley, and serve with a couple wedges of lemon. Squeeze the lemon over the rice just before eating. Enjoy!
Made this last night with jackfruit instead of artichokes. We really enjoyed this. We will definitely use this as a base moving forward. (My family complains about needing meat.) Thank you!
Solid recipe. A bit mild with the flavor, so it would be forgiving with a little extra of your herbs/spices. Otherwise, really filling and keeps well for the next day.
Another keeper. If anyone is interested in what it’s like to make with parboiled rice here’s my experience: I used my instant pot as a rice cooker (normal setting) and used the usual 1:2 rice:water ratio as I’ve read you should with parboiled rice (I included the broth and tomato juice in the measurement of water, not additional). I found it a bit mushy. Probably will scale it back about a 1/2 cup of liquid. I also threw in some sautéed kale after it was cooked. Going in the rotation for dinners. Thanks!
Made this tonight and it took all of 3 minutes. One of the best quick-dishes that I’ve ever tried!
If you take the artichokes out (I’m not a fan!), what would be a good replacement? Or would the recipe be fine with taking the artichokes and not substituting anything for it?
You could maybe try some capers. They have a similar briny flavor. :)
This recipe is so easy and really hits the spot! I feel like it will become one of our go-to meals when I return to work after my maternity leave. I was wondering if there’s anything you can suggest instead of artichoke (my husband doesn’t enjoy them) and if this is something I can prepare in advance and freeze portions for lunches? Thank you! :)
I think capers would give that nice briny touch in place of the artichokes. :)
I have been making this recipe with brown rice in an instant pot for a few months. I use the saute function on the instant pot to cook the garlic and onions, then pressure cook everything on high for 35 minutes. I also let It sit for 5 minutes before releasing the pressure. It turns out great everytime!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing that technique!
I am confused because there are no garlic and onions in this recipe?
She might be referring to the original stove top version, which has fresh onion and garlic instead of powdered.
This was phenomenal! This meal is becoming a regular. It was so easy and came out perfect!
A very satisfying meal . . . “tres Magnifique”! My son made this for dinner, along with Blackened Tilapia (https://www.budgetbytes.com/blackened-tilapia/#wprm-recipe-container-31812). I thought all the spices came together very well (in both recipes) and it paired well with the tilapia.
Have you done this with brown rice?
I haven’t. You’d likely need to increase the cooking time and liquid ratios, which may affect how the rest of the ingredients cook as well.
This turned out SO GOOD! It was a perfect lunch, used for leftovers the next couple of days.
Eating this as I type because it’s SO GOOD.
If you were to cook this in a slow cooker instead (don’t have a rice cooker) how would you do that, if possible? Thanks!
I don’t think this would work well in a slow cooker, unfortunately.
This turned out great! I may serve with shrimp or sausage next time! Used half a bag of frozen artichokes and cut them up after cooking. I am enjoying using the rice cooker for more than just rice! (The mac n’ cheese in the rice cooker has been a hit in my house lately too!!) Keep these recipes coming!
How long do you think this would last in the fridge?
About 4-5 days. :)