Crispy chickpeas are are crisp on the outside, and creamy inside. Seasoned with dried spices they make a great snack on their own or try adding them to salads, tacos, or baked sweet potatoes.
Almost every recipe benefits from something with some crunch. I love the crunch of tortilla strips, candied almonds, and wonton strips. But the leader of the bunch might be crispy chickpeas. They're packed with protein, can be seasoned any way you want, and are easy to make.
I toss my chickpeas in a spice mixture that is sweet, salty, and a bit smoky. I always take a cue from Bon Appétit and finish them with fresh citrus - lemon or lime will work. These are the best right after they've been made but can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Honestly, we usually end up eating these piping hot right after they're made - it's hard to resist them for much longer.
Here's how to cook them using any method you'd like.
How to Make Crispy Chickpeas
- Dry the chickpeas - Rub them dry using a clean dishtowel or paper towels. (They must be very dry in order to get crisp.)
- Toss in oil - Toss dry chickpeas with a neutral oil like grapeseed, avocado, or vegetable oil.
- Toss with seasoning - Toss chickpeas with dried spices or dried herbs and salt and pepper.
- Cook chickpeas - Cook chickpeas until they are very dry and golden- crisp on the outside. Do this in a skillet at medium-high for 8 to 10 minutes, in the oven at 425°F for 20 to 30 minutes, in the air fryer at 375°F for 12 to 16 minutes.
- Add citrus - Top chickpeas with lemon or lime juice and zest.
- Let the chickpeas cool slightly (if you can stand to wait!).
Make sure they are dry
The key to crispy chickpeas is to get them very dry. Dry them well to remove any moisture on the outside of the chickpeas. Next, be sure to cook them until they have released all of the moisture they are holding inside.
Oven Instructions
Spread chickpeas out on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake at 425°F for 20 to 30 minutes, shaking the pan a few times during cooking.
Stovetop Instructions
Cook chickpeas in a skillet over medium-high heat with a Tablespoon of oil, shaking the pan every few minutes for 8 to 10 minutes total.
Air Fryer Instructions
Preheat an air fryer to 375°F. Spread chickpeas out in the basket and cook, shaking the basket occasionally, for 12 to 16 minutes.
Why does the cooking time vary?
As the chickpeas cook (using any method), they will release moisture. This is why they pop and sizzle as they release water during cooking. The more water that is cooked out of them, the crispier they will be. Because the amount of moisture inside the chickpeas will vary, they may take more or less time to cook.
Absolutely. As written, these are not noticeably sweet but they have a hint of sweetness that balances the spices. Feel free to omit the sugar - no other changes are needed.
Yes. Food52 has great tips for cooking chickpeas from dried. Once they are cooked to tender, dry them well before cooking them to get crispy chickpeas.
They will be the most crispy if you eat them right away and will soften as they sit. Store them, covered at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
These are two names for the same thing. Use them interchangeably in recipes that call for garbanzo beans or chickpeas.
Ways to Use Crispy Chickpeas
- Serve them as a snack all on their own. (They're great in lunches.)
- Use them to add some protein to gazpacho.
- Add them to salads, like a Kale Salad, Italian Salad, Greek Goddess Salad or (my favorite) Fattoush.
Favorite Tools
- Lodge Cast Iron Skillet - I use this 10.5-inch cast iron skillet nearly every day. To keep it seasoned, just be sure to dry it well and rub it with some oil before storing it (this will prevent rust and keep it seasoned).
- Half Sheet Pan - The perfect size pan for everything from roasting vegetables to baking cookies.
- Global Chef’s Knife - You only really need one chef's knife to use for everything and this is my favorite. I've had it for 7+ years. It's incredibly lightweight. If you, like me, are under 5'4", the 6-inch is a perfect size (if you're taller, get the 8-inch).
Crispy Chickpeas {Oven, Stovetop, and Air Fryer} Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Saute Pan or Skillet
- Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil use vegetable, grapeseed, avocado, or another neutral oil
- Zest and Juice from ½ Lemon or Lime
Instructions
- Rub the chickpeas in a clean dishtowel until they are very dry.
- Toss chickpeas with 2 Tablespoons oil until evenly coated. Sprinkle paprika, chili powder, sugar, salt, and black pepper over top and stir gently.
- Cook chickpeas using one of the following methods:
- Oven: Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread chickpeas out on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake, shaking the pan a few times during cooking for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Stovetop: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a Tablespoon of oil (not in ingredients list). Add chickpeas and cook, shaking the pan every few minutes for 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer chickpeas to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Air Fryer: Preheat an air fryer to 375°F. Spread chickpeas out in the basket and cook, shaking the basket occasionally, for 12 to 16 minutes.
- Top chickpeas with lime or lemon zest and juice.
- Allow chickpeas to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally written in 2013 and was updated with new photos and instructions in June, 2022.
Leigh
Cooks illustrated had an easy way to do this. Add 1 1/2 tsp baking soda for a can of chickpeas. Mix. Heat in microwave for 2 mins until hot. Put them in a bowl with water. Shake the chickpeas around with your hands. Do this two or three times with fresh water. Have a safe flight.
Jess
Leigh - is that right!? That's amazing - I can't wait to try it.
Darlene
I love my fried chickpeas with salt pepper garlic powder and cayenne powder fragile that crunchy than squeeze on Lemon for a few minutes. Definitely no sugar
Marie Elene
Tried this recipe and one word pleased.
The right blend of spices and not overpowering .
Thank you, it was a great topping for a salad.
Tracy | Peanut Butter and Onion
I love toasted chickpeas!!
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker
I'm not a chickpea fan but you may have changed my feelings towards them. These look delicious! I love the idea of adding spice to them and sauteing them. Great snack idea Jess! 🙂
sally @ sallys baking addiction
Crispy chickpeas are out favorite travel snack! I make them when we go on the road. I make cinnamon/sugar chickpeas but I need to try these, Jess. Safe travels!
Jess
Mmm, cinnamon sugar, Sally! I haven't tried that yet, but I definitely will now!
melissa @ my whole food life
I love roasted chickpeas, but I never thought to pan fry them! What a great idea! I am totally going to try this. Thanks for the recipe!
Jess
Thanks so much for your note, Melissa! Roasted chickpeas are my go-to, but they really do get extra crispy this way.
PolaM
Will have to try! And given I have an intercontinental flight coming up soon, I should read about flight snacks too!
Debra
So that is the secret to creamy homemade hummus. I had no idea. Have safe travels. Eat your weight in blueberries!
Ashley
First, I hope you have a ton of fun while home in Kansas : ) Second, these chickpeas sound like an awesome snack. I've always felt the same way about spending time peeling chickpeas ... but now you have me rethinking that attitude!
Doc Chez
These look great, but you have got to try them with green garbanzos.
Fresh Nature Foods makes a flash frozen fresh product out of the pod ready to use.
Miranda
Can I do it without the sugar?
Jess
Miranda - you definitely can! The sugar is not necessary, but you might want to cut back on the salt a bit as well until you taste the final product.
Katie (The Muffin Myth)
You know, I've never had crispy chickpeas get crispy enough for me. It seems the secret is, once again, peeling the little suckers. Dang. I thought I had gotten around that by figuring out chana dal for the hummus, but it seems chickpea peeling is destined to be a part of my life! I can't wait to try these out 🙂
Feast on the Cheap
These look so good. I'm obsessed with those Peapod Snap Crisp thingies from the grocery store, but I feel like these are probably so much healthier (and cheaper too). Have to make.
Jane Gramza
I am also obsessed with the pea crisp snacks that I get from the grocery store! I've even found them online for a cheaper price! Next time I go to the store it's going to be a couple cans of chickpeas instead... happy snacking!
Lezlie
Can I use dried chickpeas and soak them in water? I can't find fresh chick peas.
Jess
Definitely, Lezlie! I actually always use dried chickpeas. You'll need to soak them in water overnight and then boil them until they are tender (depending on how old the chickpeas are the boiling can vary from 45 minutes to a couple hours). I boil chickpeas in big batches and then freeze them. Just take out and thaw as many as you need to make this recipe or any other.
Jess
Hi Leslie - definitely! I love using dried chickpeas - here's how I prepare mine for roasting or for pan-frying - https://www.inquiringchef.com/2011/03/10/my-new-favorite-thing-spiced-chickpeas/.
TL
I have never made anything like this, but these were amazing! I decided to short cut the recipe, though, and instead of making the mix of spices per the recipe, I just used sprinkled Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning on them. That seemed to work well and the lime juice gave it a nice flavor.
Jess
TL - love that idea - great suggestion! Next time I'll definitely have to try another spice mix - the creole seasoning sounds so good.
Carrie muir
I have a bag of chickpeas that someone gave me. I would love to try and roast them and make a crunchy snack but I was wondering if I had to soak these first and then drain, pat dry and roast?
Jess
Hi Carrie - it's a great question. I recently switched over to using dried chickpeas and will probably never go back to the canned version, but they do take a bit more work. Dried chickpeas have to be boiled for a good long time to become tender and then they're ready to be roasted. I wrote a bit more about my method in this post - https://www.inquiringchef.com/2011/03/10/my-new-favorite-thing-spiced-chickpeas/. Good call on the step you mention to pat them dry though - getting them really dry is the best way to insure they come out of the oven nice and crisp. Hope that helps!
Laura
I just got done making this recipe it's veery good. I'am not a big chickpeas fan
But these are very good.
mels
Was just about to label these as bland and tasteless...
Then I realized I had forgotten the lime...
Thank you for the yummy recipe.
Emma
How do you go about storing these after frying? Is a pantry in sealed jar okay? How long will they last?
Jess
Hi Emma. I usually store them in the refrigerator, but they easily keep there for over a week.
Emily K
Why didn't anyone mention the chickpeas exploding all over your kitchen? I dried them in a towel, I removed the skins, I put them in the pan and they exploded all over the place. The few that remained in the pan tasted great... but it was quite a risky dish to cook for how few actually made it to the end... I'm guessing I did something wrong, but I can't tell what based on the instructions...
Jess
Hi Emily - I'm intrigued. I'm not exactly sure what might have happened. Did the explode right when they hit the pan? If they still had moisture in them and hit very hot oil, that might explain it. I've never had this happen, but it sounds quite intense!
Meenakshi
can o store the fried chicken peas if yes for how long.
Jess
They will keep in the fridge for a few days, but will dry out as they are stored. These are definitely best consumed right after cooking.
Diane Brunjes
OH, MY, GOD! Did a double batch of these and thank goodness I did! Couldn't slow down enough eating them to add the lime, but once I take a breath, I will. The spice mix is going on everything in the future!
Jess
Awesome! So glad you liked them, Diane! (I use that same spice mix all the time! I just put it on roasted chicken thighs last week!)
Kara Middleton
Mine are not crunchy. In fact, they're chewy. What did I do wrong?
Jess
Hi Kara - the only time I've had this happen is when the chickpeas were quite damp when I cooked them. It's possible that they needed to be really thoroughly dried before hand, but it also may be totally out of your control. Some brands of chickpeas just have a tendency to retain more moisture that continues to release as they cook, which prevents the outside from getting crisp. It might be as simple as trying a different brand of chickpea!
Jacqueline Church
BA recipe this is based on says to fry 15-20 minutes, not five? I'm confused. BIG difference. I've tried a number of recipes that are oven baked, and never get crispy satisfaction. Now resigned to frying. Will try.
Jess
Hi Jacqueline - definitely a big difference and it honestly can depend on the brand of chickpeas. Goya or Bush's garbanzos are my favorite and they are super tender - I think they get super crispy in 5 minutes. The heat under the pan does matter though, so give them as long as they need until crisp. I'm totally with you though - I have never had success in the oven. Stovetop for the win for sure!
Julie
I'd like to try these I've never tried it.
E.C. Fisher
Fantastic! I took the time to peel the canned chick peas. Did about half the can just to try the recipe (and I got impatient). Made a much smaller amount of the spice mix (just did it by feel based on published proportions). Used a cast iron skillet to sauté the chickpeas. Took a bit longer than 5 minutes to get a crust, but I don't think I had the pan was hot enough at first. Shook them in the spice mix. Super crunchy and flavorful. Served with an okra and tomato sauté dish and cheese quesadillas. Will be making again. I was careful to pat peas dry with towel before cooking.
Kat
To peel (de-skin) chickpeas, put them in a large pot of water and just lightly squeeze handfuls together. The chickpeas rubbing against each other will separate skin from bean and skin floats to top so you can skim skins off. Takes about 2 min per can.
Andres Fernandes
Am in Chile, where they sell garbanzos already peeled. Now I understand why. Grew up eating crispy channa, ready made. Eager to try this tomorrow. Always thought it would be more complicated.
Jess Smith
Oh that's fantastic! I wish I could find some already peeled...it makes such a big difference!
Maria
Hi Jess,
I peeled half of the chickpeas 🙂. Do you think it is better to use a stainless steel pan over a non-stick pan? They tasted delicious (wish they were crispier on the outside. I read all of the previous comments).
Thank you!
Jess Smith
Hi Maria - the pan can definitely make a difference, so it's worth trying. Some nonstick pans are okay to get pretty hot but a stainless steel or cast iron will definitely let you get them to a piping hot temp before the chickpeas are added. Very dry chickpeas can also help - the drier they are the more they'll crisp up in the hot oil.