Want to roast chickpeas that are actually crispy? You’re in the right place. I’ve cracked the code, and I’m here to share it with you. These roasted chickpeas are a delightful snack rich in protein and fiber. They’re also great sprinkled over hummus and salads.
To be honest, I never loved roasted chickpeas until I learned how to make them this way. They were always just ok—warm and lightly crisp on the outside but unchanged on the inside. They didn’t feel worth the effort when chickpeas warmed on the stove are nice already.
These roasted chickpeas are legitimately so gloriously crisp that they are popcorn-level irresistible. In fact, they’re so crisp throughout that you should serve them with a drink to help wash them down.
The trick is in the method. I found some helpful clues in a New York Times recipe by Colu Henry and tweaked the method from there. It took ten tries to ensure we had landed on the very best technique, and I found several fun flavor variations along the way. Here we go!
How to Make Perfectly Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
You’ll find the full recipe below, but here are the factors that yield super crisp chickpeas.
- Pat the chickpeas as dry as possible before baking. Discard any skins that fall off as you pat them dry, but you do not need to spend extra time picking the skins off each chickpea.
- Do not add oil or salt yet! Spread the chickpeas across a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (if you want to bake two cans of chickpeas at once, you’ll need to use two baking sheets to avoid overcrowding them).
- Roast until the chickpeas are crisp and golden in spots, shaking the pan after every 10-minute interval.
- Turn off the oven and let the chickpeas rest in the hot oven for 10 to 15 more minutes. I cannot explain why this works, but it does. The chickpeas are more crisp this way than they are if you bake them for the same length of time.
- Finally, transfer the chickpeas to a bowl and stir in olive oil, salt and optional seasonings. Enjoy.
Watch How to Make Crispy Chickpeas
Roasted Chickpea Flavoring Suggestions
While the chickpea flavor shines best in its basic form, you might have fun adding spices. Here are a few options that I enjoyed:
- For Indian-inspired flavor, try 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- For Mexican-inspired flavor, add 1/4 teaspoon chili powder plus an optional pinch of cayenne pepper for extra heat
- For autumnal flavor, add up to 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice blend
Roasted Chickpea Serving Suggestions
Try these roasted chickpeas as an unexpected topping to bulk up familiar salads, like Homemade Caesar Salad, Tabbouleh or Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing.
Crisp roasted chickpeas offer an interesting contrast over creamy hummus, as you see here. They’re a fun way to dress up store-bought hummus or try them atop my Green Goddess Hummus for an extra-special snack.
Try making a wrap with my Green Goddess Tahini Dip, fresh greens and pickled onions.
Please let me know how your roasted chickpeas turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
- Author:
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
These roasted chickpeas are extra crispy! Learn the trick to perfectly crispy chickpeas in this simple recipe, plus flavor variations. Recipe yields 1 scant cup; double if desired (see the special instructions in the recipe notes).
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- Optional seasonings (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat the chickpeas as dry as possible with clean tea towels or paper towels. Discard any chickpea skins that come off readily during this process, but you don’t need to spend time picking them off.
- Spread the chickpeas evenly across the prepared baking sheet. Roast them as-is until they’re crisp and golden in spots, shaking the pan after every 10 minutes, about 20 to 25 minutes total.
- Give the chickpeas one more little shake, then turn off the oven and leave the chickpeas as-is for another 10 to 15 minutes, checking on them as time goes on to ensure they don’t burn (watch the chickpeas around the edges). This step helps them get extra crunchy and stay that way.
- Remove the chickpeas from the oven and transfer them to a low, wide serving bowl. Toss them with the olive oil, salt, and optional seasonings of your choice. Once cooled completely, store them in a sealed bag with the air squeezed out for up to 1 month. Serve them with a drink to help wash them down!
Notes
To double the recipe: Use two baking sheets with one can of chickpeas on each. Bake them on the upper third and middle racks. Halfway through baking, shake the pans and swap their positions. You’ll likely need to bake them for the full 25 minutes and let them rest the full 15 minutes in the oven after that.
Optional seasonings: Try stirring in ¼ teaspoon curry powder, or ¼ teaspoon chili powder plus a tiny pinch of cayenne for extra heat, or ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice blend.
▸ Nutrition Information
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