These air fryer chickpeas are the easiest healthy snack you can make at home. The chickpeas are perfectly crispy, and can be seasoned to your preferences.
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Crispy chickpeas are one of my favorite snacks. When the cravings strike, I reach for my canned chickpeas before my chips now.
For ages, I would make my roasted chickpeas in the oven. I would roast them for about 20 minutes, and the result would be kinda OK. But it was such an inconsistent method! Some chickpeas would be crispy, and others would be soft. Sometimes they would be done roasting in 20 minutes, and other times it would take 40 minutes.
This air fryer method however, has completely changed the crispy chickpea game. Every single chickpea is perfectly crisp, every single time. And it's so, so easy.
Ingredients
To make these amazing air fryer chickpeas, you will need canned chickpeas. Dry chickpeas will not work!
You will also need a cooking spray, such as Frylight, or you can buy this spray bottle which you can fill with your favorite oil.
Lastly, you will need your choice of seasoning. You can use a simple sprinkle of salt, or you can try one of the flavor suggestions below.
Instructions
First, drain and rinse your chickpeas.
Preheat your air fryer to 200 °C / 390 °F. Then, add the chickpeas to your air fryer. Try to keep the chickpeas in a single layer, and don't overcrowd the air fryer. This is key to getting them crispy!
Air fry the chickpeas for 5 minutes. Then, spray the chickpeas with some cooking oil, and air fry them for another 5 minutes.
Add your choice of seasoning to the chickpeas, and air fry for another 5 minutes, or until they are completely crispy.
Serve the chickpeas immediately, or allow them to cool down before serving.
Flavor variations
You can make air fryer chickpeas with a variety of flavors. Here are some ideas to try, but you can use any seasoning you like:
BBQ chickpeas: ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Cinnamon sugar chickpeas: Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Salted chickpeas: Add ¼ teaspoon salt.
Cajun chickpeas: Add ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning.
Spicy chili chickpeas: Add ¼ teaspoon chili powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
Top tips
Here are my top tips to get this recipe perfect:
- Make sure to preheat your air fryer before adding the chickpeas.
- Drain off the chickpeas, and air fry them until they are dry on the surface before adding any oil. This will help them crisp up nicely.
- I like to add the seasoning towards the end of the cooking time. This way, we avoid burning the spices while still giving the chickpeas a great flavor.
Serving suggestions
These crunchy chickpeas are great to serve as a snack, either alone, or with other treats for a snack table.
You can also use the chickpeas as a topping for other dishes, for example in sweet potato chickpea salad, on spicy butternut squash soup.
Lastly, you can even add plain crunchy chickpeas to granola. Try adding some directly as a topping in granola bowls, or add some to your homemade blueberry granola.
Leftovers
Leftover air fryer chickpeas can be stored in airtight containers for up to 2 days at room temperature.
The chickpeas will become less crispy after storing. To keep them crispy for as long as possible, you should avoid storing them in a refrigerator, or at high temperatures.
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Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. Air frying chickpeas will make them crispy, perfect as a snack.
No. You can only air fry cooked chickpeas, or canned chickpeas.
Recipe
Air Fryer Chickpeas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas (400 g / 14 oz)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- First, drain and rinse your chickpeas.
- Preheat your air fryer to 200 °C / 390 °F. Then, add the chickpeas to your air fryer. Try to keep the chickpeas in a single layer, and don’t overcrowd the air fryer. This is key to getting them crispy!
- Air fry the chickpeas for 5 minutes. Then, spray the chickpeas with some cooking oil, and air fry them for another 5 minutes.
- Add your choice of seasoning to the chickpeas, and air fry for another 5 minutes, or until they are completely crispy.
- Serve the chickpeas immediately, or allow them to cool down before serving.
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