Crispy air fryer chickpeas

The savory snack that replaces a bag of chips. Crunchy, with protein and fiber.

20 min
Total time: 20 min
Hands-on: 4 servings
Servings: 160 cal
Per serving: Easy
Difficulty: Air fryer
Method

Photo: Fumikas Sagisavas · CC0

Ingredients

4 servings

Nutrition facts

per serving

160cal

Protein: 9 g24 %
Carbs: 18 g47 %
Fat: 5 g29 %
Fiber: 6 g
Sugarstotal, including the natural sugars in fruit and dairy: 1 g

Approximate values, calculated from food composition tables. They vary with the brands and cuts you use.

Step by step

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Cover

Crispy air fryer chickpeas

The savory snack that replaces a bag of chips. Crunchy, with protein and fiber.

1Step 1 of 5

Rinse and dry very well

Drain the chickpeas, rinse them and spread them on a kitchen towel. Dry them by rubbing gently: the drier they are, the crispier. If some skins come off, even better.

Tip: This step is the whole recipe. A damp chickpea will never get crispy, no matter how many minutes you give it.

2Step 2 of 5

Just oil and salt

Toss them with the oil and salt. Not the spices yet: inside the air fryer they burn and turn bitter.

3Step 3 of 5

15 minutes, shaking

Preheat for 3 minutes at 400 °F (200 °C). Spread the chickpeas in one layer and cook for 15 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes.

15:0015 min · 15 minutes, shaking

4Step 4 of 5

Spices when they come out

Transfer them hot to a bowl and add the paprika, cumin and garlic powder. Toss: the residual heat releases all the aroma without burning anything.

5Step 5 of 5

Cool for the final crunch

When they come out they're hard but not fully crunchy. It's as they cool, about ten minutes, that they finish drying and reach that perfect crunch.

10:0010 min · Cool for the final crunch

About this recipe

When you're craving something salty and crunchy, this is the best alternative to a bag of chips I know. One can of chickpeas, fifteen minutes in the air fryer and you've got a snack that crunches, with nine grams of protein and six of fiber per serving.

It all depends on one thing: the chickpeas must be completely dry before they go in. A damp chickpea puffs up, steams inside and comes out chewy.

The spices go on when they come out, not before: inside the air fryer they burn and turn bitter.

Tips for getting it right

Eat them the same day. Stored, even in an airtight jar, they soften within hours.
If they're not fully hard at 15 minutes, give them 3 more minutes and check again.
Curry powder, hot paprika or herbes de Provence also work really well.

Storage

Best on the same day. If there are leftovers, 5 minutes at 400 °F (200 °C) brings back some of the crunch.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Why are my air fryer chickpeas soft?

Almost always moisture: they weren't dried well before going in. It can also be an overfilled basket or not enough time. Dry them thoroughly and give them 3 more minutes if needed.

How long do roasted chickpeas stay crispy?

A few hours. Once completely cool they're at their best, and from then on the humidity in the air slowly softens them. It's a make-and-eat snack.

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