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These crispy air fryer chickpeas are just what you expect from that title - light, airy, and crispy. They’re packed with protein and fiber for a perfect healthy snack or salad topper.
We all love the idea of crispy fried chickpeas, but often the reality is a little disappointing. Instead of light and crispy, we end up with hard and chewy. I knew there had to be a way to get consistently crispy fried chickpeas, so I set out to figure it out.
I found out the best way to get a light and crispy texture was by using an air fryer. And it turns out there is a trick to getting it just right - and the great news is - it’s so easy!
These golden brown nuggets are a favorite salad topper and taste amazing sprinkled on top of hummus. You can find these in my Chopped Salad Recipe with Crispy Chickpeas and Cucumbers . These would be a great accompaniment to a salad bar, and if you make a big bowl of salad greens you can have some really delicious healthy salads all week!
I mentioned they are a great snack on their own. I’ve also got a bunch of healthy snack ideas that are all under 200 calories.
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Here’s the Secret to Crispy, Crunchy Chickpeas
1. First, you need to cook the chickpeas in the air fryer for a bit to drive off the moisture.
2. After that’s done, you need to toss them in oil and air fry them again - that’s how they get really crispy, crunchy, and flaky!
Scroll down to see the step by step photos and recipe card.
Simple Ingredients
- Canned chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) - any kind you prefer
- A little olive oil or avocado oil - 3 tablespoons total will do the trick
- Garlic powder and salt - it seems like no matter what other seasonings you use, garlic powder and salt are (in my family’s opinion) essential. But of course, if you are looking for less sodium, season it the way you prefer.
- Seasoning of choice, and there are SO many choices! Scroll down to see some of our favorites.
- Ground black pepper, optional
👉 Make sure to check out the recipe card for the full recipe info.
So Many Flavor Choices!
The sky’s the limit when deciding how to season this easy recipe.
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or parsley. Chop them very fine.
- Lemon zest or lime zest would be a great addition to some of the spices in this list
- Curry powder
- Smoked paprika is one of our top choices
- Coconut oil is a fragrant stand-in for the oil in this recipe
- Spice mixes of all kinds are worth a try ( how about dill pickle seasoning?)
- Chickpeas seasoned with Trader Joe’s Elote seasoning taste amazing on a burrito bowl!
- Salad Supreme seasoning - makes chickpeas that are excellent as a salad topper
- Kinder’s Buttery Garlic Seasoning (this is my personal favorite!)
- Lemon pepper seasoning (probably my #2 fave)
First You Need an Air Fryer
I highly recommend a basket style air fryer (the kind with a drawer that slides out) instead of a larger air fryer that looks like a toaster oven. Here's why:
- It's the safest. The heating element is inside the top where your hand would never go.
- It gives you easy access to the food because of the drawer. It slides in and out easily and quickly.
- The food is in one compact area, which makes it cook faster because the air circulates around it evenly. It makes things crisp with less oil because it’s cooking in such a confined space.
- The ones with the 2 shelves that look like a toaster oven tend to cook unevenly, because the cooking area is more spread out, like a regular oven. You’d have to move the food around halfway during the cooking time since the food on the bottom level doesn't get as hot as the upper level.
⭐️ One more tip: if your air fryer grate has holes large enough for chickpeas to drop through, consider getting a silicone liner for your air fryer. Otherwise, just plan on fishing the stray chickpeas out of the bottom of the drawer.
Here's What I Recommend
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → How to Make Really Crispy Chickpeas
Step 1. Drain the liquid from a can of chickpeas and blot dry with paper towels.
Step 2. Add a little oil and seasonings.This first little bit of oil is basically to help the seasonings stick.
Step 3. Air fry at 400℉ for 10 minutes to drive off as much moisture as possible from the chickpeas.
Step 4. Now toss with the rest of oil, then air fry for another 10 minutes (or more) or until really crispy.
The chickpeas will get more crisp as they cool.
What’s the Best Way to Store Air Fried Chickpeas?
Roasted chickpeas can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.They may lose their crispness a little, but you can refresh them by roasting them for a couple of minutes in an air fryer before serving again.
I wouldn’t recommend storing them in the refrigerator because I think they will pick up too much moisture. But if you plan on reheating them in the air fryer before serving, it might work.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you try this recipe, or even if you just think it looks great, it would really support my blog if you take a sec and give it a star rating. Scroll down to the end of the post to the Comment section and let me know what you think! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you so much 🥰
How to Get the Best Crispy Chickpeas with an Air Fryer
These crispy air fryer chickpeas are just what you expect from that title - light, airy, and crispy. They’re packed with protein and fiber for a perfect healthy snack or salad topper.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 can of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), 15 oz.
- 3 tablespoons oil, such as olive oil or avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon seasoning of choice (see Notes)
- Ground black pepper, (optional) to taste
Instructions
- Empty the can of chickpeas into a colander and rinse with water. Drain well. Blot dry with paper towels and remove any loose chickpea skins
- Put the dried chickpeas in a small bowl and add your chosen spices along with 1 tablespoon oil.
- Cook in air fryer at 400℉ for 10 minutes to drive off the moisture from the chickpeas.
- Remove the air fryer basket, toss with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and heat for 10 minutes (or more) until they are really crispy.
Notes
Melted coconut oil can be used in place of the other oils mentioned.
For seasoning ideas, read "So Many flavor Choices!" in the post above
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: sauces, dressings, seasonings
- Method: air fryer
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 191
- Sugar:
- Sodium: 311.4 mg
- Fat: 12.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.1 g
- Fiber: 4.9 g
- Protein: 5.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Common Questions About Fried Chickpeas
Chickpeas contain 35 grams of carbs per cup, so they could not be considered low in carbs. They do contain 9.6 grams of fiber and 10.7 grams of protein, making them a good choice for a healthy diet.
Chickpeas contain 10.7 grams of protein per cup
Cooked chickpeas contain a lot of water. That water needs to be evaporated away in the cooking process first before adding the oil, or the chickpeas will turn out chewy or hard instead of crispy. After adding oil they can then b e cooked until crisp.
Recipe creator: Kristie Winget, who absolutely loved air frying chickpeas when testing this recipe 🙂
