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    Home » Dressings & Sauces

    Air Fryer Chickpeas

    Published: Jul 6, 2022 · by Nico Pallotta

    Jump to Recipe

    Air fryer chickpeas are quick, healthy, and easy to make. In less than 15 minutes, you'll have a tasty, light, and crunchy snack or topping for your soups and salads.

    You can make as many flavors as you like by changing the spices. From smokey and hot chipotle powder to aromatic curry flavor, we are sure you'll find your favorite.

    air fryer chickpeas with paprika and garlic
    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Variations
    • More air fryer recipes
    • More chickpea recipes
    • Storage
    • Recipe

    Check out our best sauce recipes.

    Crispy air fryer chickpeas are much better and easier to make than oven-roasted chickpeas. If you have an air fryer, it's a no-brainer. Use that to make crispy chickpeas.

    Air frying chickpeas will save you more than 20 minutes compared to oven-roasting them. Also, air fryer chickpeas get more evenly crips without burning, thanks to the constant and even flow of hot air that touches the whole surface of every chickpea.

    You can use crunchy chickpeas instead of croutons to top your soups or mix in salads. You can also use them to garnish and add some crunch to other dishes, such as our stuffed eggplant or stuffed peppers.

    They are perfect as a tasty and healthy snack packed with fiber and nourishing plant protein, vegan and gluten-free.

    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.
    air fryer chickpeas on stuffed roasted eggplant
    Air fryer chickpeas on stuffed roasted eggplant with avocado spread and tomatoes.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for air-fried chickpeas
    Ingredients for air-fried chickpeas: chickpeas, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spices are optional (chipotle powder, rosemary, cumin, curry, paprika, garlic powder, and more).

    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 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.

    crispy air fryer chickpeas with chipotle powder
    Crispy air fryer chickpeas with smokey and spicy chipotle powder.

    Instructions

    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.

    drying chickpeas with a kitchen cloth

    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.

    removing chickpeas skin

    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.

    seasoning the chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and pepper

    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.

    chickpeas in air fryer basket

    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.

    air fried chickpeas

    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.

    seasoning chickpeas with paprika and garlic powder

    Serving suggestions

    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.

    eggplant soup with crispy roasted chickpea
    Eggplant soup with thyme and air-fried chickpeas.

    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.

    Other dishes

    You can sprinkle a small handful of the chickpeas on top of stuffed vegetables or any other dish that might benefit from some crunch.

    We adore them on top of our stuffed roasted eggplant with avocado spread, fresh tomato salsa, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

    air fryer chickpeas on stuffed roasted eggplant
    Air fryer chickpeas on stuffed roasted eggplant with avocado spread and tomatoes.

    Variations

    Oven-roasted chickpeas

    If you don't have an air-fryer but want to make crispy chickpeas, then you can roast them in the oven.

    It takes a little longer, but in about 30 minutes, you can get delicious and crunchy chickpeas. Check out our recipe for oven-roasted chickpeas.

    oven roasted chickpeas with curry

    More air fryer recipes

    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
    • Chewy 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

    More chickpea recipes

    If you love cooking with chickpeas, take a peek at these wholesome garbanzo bean recipes:

    • Chickpea salad
    • Vegan tuna with chickpeas
    • Easy Chickpea stew
    • Quinoa salad with chickpeas
    • Chickpea pasta salad
    • Italian Rice salad
    • Couscous salad
    • Eggplant salad

    Or see our best vegan chickpea recipes with tips for how to cook with chickpea flour as well.

    Storage

    Store leftover chickpeas on the kitchen counter in a jar with the lid loosely closed. They keep for a couple of days. The next day, you can reheat them in the air-fryer for a couple of minutes to make them crunchy again.

    If you want to keep them for longer, you can store them in the fridge. However, they'll absorb moisture and get chewy in the refrigerator. Air fry them for 4 to 5 minutes to bring back the crunch.

    Recipe

    air fryer chickpeas

    Air Fryer Chickpeas

    Author: Nico Pallotta
    Air fryer chickpeas are quick, healthy, and easy to make. In less than 15 minutes, you'll have a tasty, light, and crunchy snack or topping for your soups and salads.
    You can make as many flavors as you like by changing the spices. From smokey and hot chipotle powder to aromatic curry flavor, we are sure you'll find your favorite.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 1 vote
    Prep Time 3 minutes mins
    Cook Time 12 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Snack, Topping
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 76 kcal

    Equipment

    • Air fryer

    Ingredients
      

    • 1½ cups (one 15 oz can) cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans
    • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 -3 teaspoons your favorite spice paprika, curry, garlic powder, chipotle powder, and many more.
    Keep screen on

    Instructions
     

    • 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.
      drying chickpeas with a kitchen cloth
    • 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.
      removing chickpeas skin
    • 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.
      seasoning the chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and pepper
    • 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.
      chickpeas in air fryer basket
    • 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.
      air fried chickpeas
    • 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.
      seasoning chickpeas with paprika and garlic powder
    • Serve as a snack, in salads, on roasted veggies, or in soups.
      air fryer chickpeas on stuffed roasted eggplant

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Air Fryer Chickpeas
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    76
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    2
    g
    3
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    0.3
    g
    2
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    0
    mg
    0
    %
    Potassium
     
    120
    mg
    3
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    11
    g
    4
    %
    Dietary Fiber
     
    3
    g
    13
    %
    Sugar
     
    2
    g
    2
    %
    Protein
     
    3
    g
    6
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    175
    IU
    4
    %
    Vitamin B6
     
    0.1
    mg
    5
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    1
    mg
    1
    %
    Vitamin E
     
    0.4
    mg
    3
    %
    Vitamin K
     
    3
    µg
    3
    %
    Calcium
     
    20
    mg
    2
    %
    Folate
     
    66
    µg
    17
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    Manganese
     
    0.4
    mg
    20
    %
    Magnesium
     
    19
    mg
    5
    %
    Zinc
     
    1
    mg
    7
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?Leave us a comment below or find us on Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.

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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

    Hi, we are Nico Pallotta and Louise Vestergaard, and we love cooking! Welcome to our blog.

    Here we share veggie-packed recipes for the whole family.

    Omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans, you are ALL WELCOME!

    More about us →

    Trending

    • lentil curry with basmati rice
      Lentil Curry
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      Rice Salad
    • Creamy pasta salad with mayo and olives
      Creamy Pasta Salad
    • Black bean salad with lime and avocado
      Black Bean Salad

    Seasonal

    • Broccoli salad in a white bowl
      Broccoli Salad
    • Dill Potato Salad
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      Buddha Bowl
    • zucchini fritters with tzatziki
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