Air Fryer Chickpeas

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when air frying chickpeas:

• First, rinse and dry the chickpeas with a kitchen cloth before air-frying them. The little oil we use will stick better to their surface if they are dry, making them crispier.
  
• Apply the spices after air-frying while the chickpeas are still hot. Some spices burn if added before, ruining the taste of the chickpeas.
  
• Store air fryer chickpeas in a loosely closed jar in a dry corner of your kitchen. The next day, air-fry again, for a couple of minutes, to give them an extra crunch.

Chickpeas

Canned chickpeas (sometimes known as garbanzo beans) are perfect for this recipe and the quickest way to do it since they are pre-cooked.

You can also use dry chickpeas, but you’ve got to soak them overnight and cook them in boiling water until soft (one to two hours).

Rinse the canned or cooked chickpeas well under running water, then pat them dry with a kitchen cloth or paper towel before seasoning them with olive oil. If some of their skin comes off, you can discard it.

Oil

We use extra virgin olive oil because we love how it tastes with chickpeas and because it’s stable at high temperatures thanks to its high antioxidant content.

Other good, although less flavorful, oils are regular olive oil, canola oil, and avocado oil.

Salt and pepper

Air-fried chickpeas require a bit of salt to taste good (sea salt and kosher salt are our favorites). However, if you are on a low sodium diet, you could make them without salt and increase the spices.

Alternatively, you could try replacing the salt with a potassium chloride salt substitute, but talk to your doctor first.

We also like to add some freshly ground black pepper.

Spices

Here’s where you can unleash your creativity and come up with your combination of spices. Our tip is to change the spices based on the dish you are serving the chickpeas with.

For instance, if you serve them with a carrot butternut squash soup or eggplant soup, you can use curry powder.

If you are serving them in a salad, you can add paprika. If you want something a little smokey and spicy, try chipotle powder. That’s my favorite topping for crispy air fryer chickpeas.

Other options are taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, za’atar, Italian spice mix, dried rosemary, chili powder, grated lime zest, lemon zest, or other seasoning blends.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F or 200°C for 3 minutes.

Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, then pat them dry with a kitchen cloth or paper towel.

If some of the chickpea skin comes off, you can discard it. It’s not necessary to remove all chickpea skins unless you want to.

Transfer chickpeas to a bowl and season them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss them around with a spoon to coat them evenly in the oil.

Place them into your air fryer basket, spread around on a single layer, and air fry for 10 to 15 minutes, until crispy. Shake the air fryer basket every 4 minutes.

Note: if you hear some of your chickpeas pop, that’s ok; it can happen depending on the type of chickpeas.

Important: cooking time varies considerably based on the air-fryer model. Our Ninja air fryer takes precisely 12 minutes to make perfectly crips chickpeas. In yours, it might take a few minutes longer or less, so keep an eye on the chickpeas at around the 10 minutes mark.

Transfer chickpeas to a serving bowl and toss with your spice of choice. You can use one or more spices.

Here we are using about a teaspoon each of paprika and garlic powder. You can add more or less of the spice based on your preference.

Snack

Air-fryer chickpeas are a tasty and healthy snack to enjoy at any time of the day. You can even add them on top of hummus and serve them with pita bread and fresh veggies.

Soups

Try them on soups instead of croutons. They add taste, crunch, and healthy plant protein to make your soup more nourishing and fulfilling.

We love them with our zucchini soup, eggplant soup, and butternut squash soup.

Salads

As with soups, you can use crunchy air-fryer chickpeas to replace croutons in most salads. For example, try our tofu salad, tomato cucumber salad, and shaved Brussels sprout salad.

Air frying is a quick way to make a weeknight dinner while reducing oil in your food. For more air fryer inspiration, see these light and easy recipes:

• Air fryer asparagus: for a crunchy and easy serving of asparagus
• Best air fryer tofu: jerky-like tofu perfect as a topping for salads and pasta
• Quick green beans: juicy and crunchy
• Tender air fryer eggplant: a versatile veggie for pasta, eggplant salad, and rice salad
• Juicy air fryer zucchini: an easy 15-minute side dish
• Crunchy croutons: the easiest way to make croutons with reduced oil