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Mole-Spiced Chickpea and Grilled Zucchini Tacos

Mole-spiced chickpea and grilled zucchini tacos with charred zucchini, crispy pan-fried chickpeas, and a cool avocado crema. Pile everything into warm corn tortillas with cotija, pickled red onion, and fresh cilantro for bright, summer taco flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Mole Spice Blend
  • 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 black pepper to taste
Tacos
  • 3 zucchini medium, sliced into planks
  • 2 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained and dried
  • 3 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 8 corn tortillas small, warmed
Avocado Crema
  • 2 avocados ripe
  • 0.25 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 lime juice of 1 lime
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 salt to taste
Serving
  • 1 pickled red onion
  • 1 fresh cilantro
  • 1 cotija cheese
  • 1 lime wedges

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make mole spice blend
  1. Mix ancho chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cocoa powder, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl until evenly combined.
Crisp the mole-spiced chickpeas
  1. Toss drained and dried chickpeas with 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil and half the mole spice blend.
  2. Pan-fry chickpeas in a cast iron skillet over high heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp with browned edges.
Char the zucchini
  1. Toss zucchini planks with remaining olive oil and remaining mole spice blend until coated.
  2. Grill zucchini on medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes per side until charred.
  3. Cut grilled zucchini into bite-sized pieces for easier taco stacking.
Blend avocado crema
  1. Blend avocados, Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic, and salt until smooth and pourable.
Assemble and serve
  1. Warm corn tortillas, then spread avocado crema on each tortilla.
  2. Top tortillas with grilled zucchini, crispy mole-spiced chickpeas, pickled red onion, fresh cilantro, and cotija cheese.
  3. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

Pro tip: drying the chickpeas matters—pat them dry so they pan-fry crisp instead of steaming. Store assembled components separately in the fridge up to 3 days (crema 2 days); reheat tortillas and zucchini gently. Freezing: chickpeas freeze well up to 2 months, but crema and tortillas are best fresh. Dietary swap: keep it plant-based by using dairy-free yogurt in the avocado crema.