Chickpeas are a fantastic source of natural, plant based protein, as well as being abundant it dietary fibre. This recipe for crispy chickpeas is a great way to make the most out of this underrated super food, as well as add a delicious texture dimension to your soups and salads.
Whether you’re an air-fryer fiend, or you prefer to stick to baking in the oven, I’ve got you covered. These are my failsafe methods for achieving the crispiest chickpeas, without the need for any flours or added starchy coatings.
Simplicity
Chickpeas have a deliciously mild, nutty flavour, and I wanted to honour that with this recipe. For this reason, I’ve just stuck to good, simple ingredients to bring out that natural flavour. There’s a whole array of different ways to season and flavour these crispy chickpeas, but it’s always good to start simple…
Good quality chickpeas. For the best texture and flavour, choose a good quality brand of chickpeas. I opted for Bold Bean Co. queen chickpeas because I just love how big and juicy they are, but there’s plenty of other great brands out there too. I also adore Bold Bean Co’s organic chickpeas for great taste.
Salt. As always, seasoning is key. My recommendation is to go for a good quality flaked sea salt. Its much better for you than table salt, and definitely brings out the best flavour. Pink Himalayan Salt is also great, just be mindful of the quantities as flaked is bigger than fine pink to adjust to taste. A sprinkling of cracked black pepper never goes amiss either.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Definitely don’t skip out on this ingredient. Olive oil is a fantastic source of healthy fats, as well as having a wonderfully rich, fruity flavour.
Serving ideas
Much like my baked tofu bites, this crispy chickpea recipe is super versatile. There’s so many different uses for them; delicious on their own, as a side, or as a topper. They’re a quick and easy meal prep idea to make ahead, and great for sneaking in some extra protein and diversity into your diet. Get creative with how you use them, but these are some of my favourite ways…
- Buddha/ grain bowl topper
- Mixed into a salad
- On-the-go snack
- Soup topper
- Toast Topper
- Daal or curry topper
Flavour variations
There’s plenty of ways to shake up this crispy chickpea recipe and play around with different spices and flavours…
- Salt and Vinegar – for a healthy take on the classic flavour combination. Once cooked toss in 1 – 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.
- Chilli and Lime – perfect for you spice lovers! Add 1/4 tsp harissa or 1/3 tsp (or to taste) or chilli powder with the oil, salt and pepper. Squeeze over some zingy lime to serve. Need to be eaten fresh to avoid going soggy.
- Paprika + cumin – for a smokey-sweet variation. Add 1/2 – 1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika + 1/2 – 1 tsp ground cumin.
- Cheesy Chickpeas – add 2 tbsp nutritional yeast.
Crispy Chickpeas (Oven + Airfryer)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tin (400g) / jar (660g) chickpeas, drained + rinsed (I like Queen Chickpeas from Bold Bean Co)
- 1 tsp - tbsp extra virgn olive oil (see method below)
- 1/4 tsp flaked sea salt, or to taste
- Good pinch of cracked black pepper
- See above for flavour option add-ins
Method
OVEN
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 180 fan.
- Roughly remove the skins from the chickpeas by rubbing between two sheets of strong kitchen paper. This takes an extra 1 - 2 minutes but is so worth it. If you suffer with IBS it will also make you less bloated.
- Place chickpeas on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Toss with 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and optional flavourings. See above for my favourites.
- Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes until crisp to your liking.
AIRFRYER
- Preheat the airfryer to 200C if your model requires preheating.
- Roughly remove the skins from the chickpeas by rubbing between two sheets of strong kitchen paper. This takes an extra 1 - 2 minutes but is so worth it. If you suffer with IBS it will also make you less bloated.
- Place chickpeas in a bowl and toss with 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and optional flavourings. See above for my favourites. NOTE the quanity of oil is less in the Airfryer method. Place chickpeas on a single layer in the airfryer.
- Airfry for 4 - 8 minutes, checking after 4 minutes until crisp to your liking. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your chickpeas and airfryer model. Option to toss with a little more oil to serve.
Nutrition (per serving)
