Looking for a healthier, savory, flavor-packed snack?! These easy roasted chickpeas are your ticket! Roasted in the oven, chickpeas are transformed into a nutty, crunchy, super addictive snack! This is a super easy recipe, but a few tips make all the difference in achieving actual crispy roasted chickpeas (be sure to grab them all and watch my video below!)
You can make roasted chickpeas to use as a snack, or throw them on top of salads and soup instead of croutons. You don’t need much more than salt and some good extra virgin olive oil for crunchy roasted chickpeas, but if you want to add some even more flavor, hit them up with spices as soon as they’re out of the oven. The flavor combinations are endless; I have a few for you!
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a regular item on my shopping list! I use them in my cooking all the time–from making creamy hummus (obviously) to warm-your-belly pots like Mediterranean bean soup, Greek braised eggplant, and Moroccan vegetable tagine.
On busy nights, dinner often turns into a large salad bowl, like this Mediterranean couscous salad, appropriately augmented with chickpeas and all sorts of goodies!
You get the point. It’s not hard to find delicious ways to use chickpeas! And lucky for us, they are a great resource of plant-based proteins and fiber, among many other health benefits.
And if you’re after a crunchy, savory, flavor-packed snack: roasted chickpeas!
Roasted in the oven, chickpeas magically transform into an amazing crunchy, salty, savory snack. I like to eat them hot out-of-the-oven. Irresistible!
Roasted chickpeas make an amazing snack, but you can also throw them in salads or on top of your soups in place of croutons.
How to make crunchy roasted chickpeas? Important Tips
Roasted chickpeas are super easy to make and requires three main ingredients: chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil, and salt. And my roasted chickpea recipe is so simple–toss in olive oil and salt, roast, eat! But there are a few tips that make all the difference in achieving the best, crunchy roasted chickpea snack. Here they are
1. Rinse, Drain and Dry Chickpeas very very well! In this recipe, I start with 2 cans of chickpeas. The most important step is to make sure the chickpeas are absolutely dry. So once you’ve rinsed the chickpeas, use paper towels to dry them very well. Then leave them in a colander for a while so that they would release any moisture. The dryer and less moist (not my favorite word btw!) the chickpeas, the crispier they will be once roasted.
Want to go the extra mile? Peel the chickpeas (garbanzo beans.) I’m lazy, and I don’t peel my chickpeas. But, because the skins of the chickpeas can hold some moisture underneath them, it’s not a bad idea to peel them off and dry them some more with a paper towel.
2. Do NOT skimp on the olive oil. I use about 3 tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil (Private Reserve Greek EVOO.) I may even use more if I don’t feel that the chickpeas are well-coated with the oil. You can use less if you like, but your chickpeas will not be as crispy.
3. Hold Spices or Other Seasoning Till After Roasting. In this recipe, only kosher salt and olive oil are applied to the chickpeas before roasting. I like to wait until I pull the chickpeas from the oven before adding any more spices or seasonings. This way, the spices don’t interfere with the “crisping” process. More importantly, spices have the tendency to burn and become bitter.
My biggest tip for best flavor: As soon as you pull the roasted chickpeas out of the oven, hit them up with spices or seasoning of your choice. I find, the spices cling better to the chickpeas while they’re still nice and hot. Of course, do this carefully and use a spoon to toss everything until the chickpeas are well-coated with the spices.
Flavor combos to jazz up your Roasted Chickpeas Snack!
There are so many ways to season ans spice up roasted chickpeas. The possibilities are litererally endless.
This time, I went for warm Middle Eastern and Moroccan flavors. I used a combination of two of my favorite blends: za’atar (made of Mediterranean wild thyme and toasted sesame seeds) and harissa (a unique North African blend of three types of chili along with warm cumin, coriander and more.) I also like to add a bit of sumac for tang. By the way, you can find these spices at our online shop.
The beauty here is that you can play with all sorts of flavors to dress up your roasted chickpeas. Here are a few more flavor combinations you might like:
- Feeling something more herby and bright? Use finely minced fresh herbs like parsley, mint, or basil + sumac or lemon zest!
- For Greek or Italian, try adding a bit of thyme, oregano, or even piney rosemary (chop up your dry rosemary as it can be too hard.)
- Want something warmer or on the spicy side? Add cayenne or a bit of your favorite chili pepper (I like Aleppo pepper, which is not too hot but has a nice, easy kick!)
Can I use dry chickpeas instead to make this roasted chickpeas recipe?
I often use canned chickpeas in this recipe because that’s what I buy more of, but if you have a bag of dry chickpeas you want to use up, that will work…even better!
To use dry chickpeas in this roasted chickpeas recipe, you do NOT have to cook the chickpeas first!
All you do is soak the chickpeas in plenty of water for about 24 hours. They will expand and at least double in size, which is what you want. Be sure to dry them well as I mentioned earlier, and from there, follow recipe instructions for roasting.
Wanna know a secret? If you use dry chickpeas to begin with, you might get even crunchier, crispier roasted chickpeas!
More Tips and Storing Instructions
You might wonder, “do roasted chickpeas stay crispy?” In my experience,unlike deep-fried chickpeas, oven-roasted chickpeas are best right out of the oven.
When they sit for a while and cool off, roasted chickpeas will lose some of that crunch. BUT, they turn nutty, intense with flavor, and a bit chewy on the inside. In my opinion, still irresistible.
If you’ve used fresh herbs or lemon zest, I recommend you enjoy the chickpeas as soon as possible. But otherwise, if you just used some dry spices to give them flavor, you can store cooled roasted chickpeas in a glass jar. They’ll last for 4 to 5 days. And I’ve actually found, after some trial, that leaving the jar lid a bit lose, allows the chickpeas to breath, keeping them crispy for longer.
And by the way, you can freeze roasted chickpeas for about 1 month.
Watch the Video to see How to Make Roasted Chickpeas:
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Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
- Yield: 8 servings or more 1x
Description
Make these crunchy chickpeas for an easy, healthy, flavor-packed snack! Salt and olive oil is all you need for the roasted chickpeas, but if you want to jazz them up, add some spices or seasoning as soon as they’re out of the oven!
Ingredients
- 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Extra virgin olive oil (I used Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil)
- Kosher salt
- Seasoning of your choice (I used za’atar, sumac and harissa spice)
Instructions
- Drain and dry chickpeas very well. Dry them up using some paper towels and leave them in a colander until they have dried as much as possible (OR you can spread them on a large baking sheet lined with paper towel for a while.)
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and position a rack right in the middle.
- Spread the chickpeas well on a bare baking sheet (do not line the baking sheet with parchment or foil.) Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and season with kosher salt. Toss chickpeas and make sure they are well-coated with the olive oil. Spread them out well on the sheet.
- Roast in heated oven anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan every 10 minutes or so for even cooking. When chickpeas turn a deeper golden brown and the exterior is nice and crispy, they are ready.
- Season roasted chickpeas. Once you take the chickpeas out of the oven, immediately season with spices of your choice. This time, I used za’atar, sumac, harissa blend (up to 2 tsp each) for warm Middle Eastern and Moroccan notes. Play with the amounts to your liking, and even change up the spices according to what you have. (see more flavor ideas up in the post)
Notes
- Cook’s Tip: roasted chickpeas are best warm right out of the oven, they are crispiest at this point. Once they cool off and are stored for a time, they will maintain some crunch, but they will soften a bit on the inside. Still a very tasty and additive snack.
- Cook’s Tip for Making Roasted Chickpeas Using Dry Chickpeas instead of canned: If you’d like to make this recipe from dry chickpeas, do not cook them! Simply soak the dry chickpeas in plenty of water for 24 hours. They will expand and at least double in size, that’s what you want. Follow the same instructions for drying and roasting.
- Storage Tip: You can store cooled roasted chickpeas in a glass jar. They’ll last for 4 to 5 days. And Leaving the jar lid a bit lose allows the chickpeas to breath, keeping them crispy for longer. You can also freeze them for
- Visit our online shop to browse our olive oil bundles and all-natural and organic spices used this recipe and more!
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Roasted Chickpeas, Crispy Chickpeas, How to Roast Chickpeas
These were absolutely delicious! My kids were actually fighting over chick peas! MIND BLOWN! This recipe is a keeper!
★★★★★
Yay! That’s so great to hear! Thanks, Catherine!
I just tried making roasted chickpeas for the first time. For seasoning I used a mixture I made for french fries that my family loves. It is a mix of garlic powder,onion powder,tumeric,and smoky paprika,and a pinch of salt. Love it.
★★★★★
That sounds wonderful, Charlene. Thanks for sharing!
D’you think it would be wrong to add these chickpeas to Greek salad?
I do enjoy your recipes particularly in the lockdown in the UK!
Totally not wrong! Go for it!