Air Fryer Crispy Chickpeas

June 23, 2022

Air Fryer Crispy Chickpeas

Air fryer crispy chickpeas are canned chickpeas, dried, tossed lightly with oil, and air-fried until deeply golden and crunchy, then finished with a smoky spice mix. They take under twenty minutes from can to bowl and make a snack crunchy enough to stand next to a bag of chips, without a deep-fryer.

The whole method hinges on getting the chickpeas dry before they hit the hot air. Rubbing them in a towel loosens the papery skins and blots away surface moisture — skip this step and the chickpeas steam instead of crisping, coming out chewy rather than crunchy. A single layer in the basket and a few shakes along the way keep hot air moving around every chickpea so they brown evenly.

Seasoning goes on after cooking rather than before. Tossing the hot chickpeas with a little more oil and the spice mix — smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, cumin, a little pepper and optional cayenne — lets the spices stick without scorching in the air fryer’s high heat, and keeps the seasoning tasting bright rather than burnt.

They’re best eaten the day they’re made, warm or at room temperature, either on their own as a snack or scattered over salads and grain bowls for crunch. Leftovers soften on standing, but a couple of minutes back in the air fryer brings the crunch right back.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 can chickpeas (425–450 g), rinsed and drained (about 250 g drained)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided (2 tsp before cooking, 1 tsp after)
½ tsp fine salt
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp onion powder
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper, optional, for heat

Directions

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then spread them out on a clean kitchen towel or a few layers of paper towels. Fold the towel over the top and rub gently — this loosens the thin papery skins and blots up surface moisture at the same time. Pick out and discard any skins that come loose. For the crispest result, let the chickpeas sit out and air-dry for anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour; if you’re short on time, spread them in the air fryer basket and run it at 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes before oiling instead.

Tip the dried chickpeas into a bowl and toss with 2 tsp of the olive oil, saving the rest for later, until every chickpea is lightly coated.

Spread the chickpeas in a single layer in the air fryer basket — crowding them means some steam instead of crisping, so work in two batches if your basket is small. Air fry at 400°F (204°C) for 12–15 minutes, shaking the basket every 4–5 minutes, until the chickpeas are deep golden brown and sound dry and rattly when the basket is shaken. Watch them toward the end so they don’t tip over into burnt.

While the chickpeas cook, stir together the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne if using. As soon as the chickpeas come out of the air fryer, tip them back into the bowl, drizzle with the remaining 1 tsp of oil, add the spice mix, and toss until evenly coated — doing this while they’re hot, rather than seasoning before cooking, keeps the spices from scorching and helps them stick.

Let the chickpeas cool for a few minutes before eating; they keep crisping as they cool, so don’t judge them straight out of the air fryer. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Keep leftovers uncovered, in an open bowl or jar or under a paper towel, rather than sealed in an airtight container — trapped steam turns them soft. They’re crispest within a day or two and soften after that regardless of how they’re stored; a couple of minutes back in the air fryer revives them.

For a lower-oil version, skip the oil before cooking and air-fry the chickpeas plain, or with just a spray of oil, then toss with a light spray of oil and the spices at the end.

For a simpler one-bowl method, toss the dried chickpeas with the full tablespoon of oil and all the spices before air-frying instead of after. Watch more closely for scorching, and leave out any sugar-based spice blends if you go this route.

Besides eating them on their own, scatter the finished chickpeas over salads or grain bowls for crunch.