Crispy Crunchy Chickpea Recipe (air fryer)
Servings: 2 cups
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 19 ounce can chickpeas
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil (or cooking spray)
- sea salt to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons seasoning (more to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 390º F.
- Open and drain the chickpeas in a colander.
- Spread the chickpeas out on a kitchen towel (or paper towel) and pat dry. If there are any obvious loose skins, remove them.
- Transfer to the basket of the air fryer. Dry roast the chickpeas until desired crispiness is reached (~12-15 minutes).
- Every 5 minutes or so, shake the basket to help the chickpeas cook evenly. This is a good time to test a chickpea for crispiness level.
- After 12 - 15 minutes, spray the chickpeas with cooking oil (or drizzle 1 - 2 teaspoons of oil over chickpeas) while shaking the pan vigorously to evenly coat. Sprinkle with spice of choice.
- Return to roast for another 2-5 minutes. With my air fryer, 17-18 minutes total roasting time produces perfectly crisp chickpeas that stay crispy all week.
- Test and add more spices to taste. Pour the chickpeas onto a baking sheet to cool completely before storing in an open bowl or jar (no lid) at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
Roasting Time - with my Air Fryer* 17-18 minutes total roasting time produced perfectly crispy chickpeas that stayed crisp for days. Individual results will vary so test a chickpea everytime you shake the basket to determine perfect roasting time for your fryer.
I have a small air fryer (I will buy a larger one when it's time to replace).
Soft/Chewy - once the chickpeas cool down, if they aren't as crisp as you wanted, put them back into the air fryer for a minute or two!
Seasoning - add as much seasoning as desired (start with 1 - 2 teaspoons). Sprinkle extra seasoning on when the chickpeas come out of the air fryer as needed.
Oil - use any oil (olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, neutral oil), cooking spray* or skip altogether (use 1 teaspoon aquafaba in place of oil so the seasoning with stick to the chickpeas). *I like the cooking spray option because it doesn't take much and makes the chickpeas super crispy.
BONUS TIP: Aquafaba keeps well in the fridge all week or save it in 1 tablespoon measures in an ice cube tray. Freeze then transfer cubes to a bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months to use in baking and cooking in place of eggs.
How to Store Crispy Chickpeas - to ensure they stay crisp: spread the roasted chickpeas out on a baking sheet in a single layer and let them cool completely before storing them. Store in an open bowl, paper bag or glass jar - no lid. Not recommended to store in plastic or fridge.