Crispy, Crunchy Air Fryer Roasted Chickpeas are snack goals! Chickpeas or garbanzo beans coated with spices and air-fried to perfection.
If you are someone who loves late afternoon snacks, roasted chickpeas in air fryer is the perfect solution to ward off those cravings and keep you away from deep fried stuff.
Air fried chickpeas are budget friendly and super versatile. You can experiment with a variety of toppings or seasoning. Add roasted chickpeas to salads, gyros or enjoy it straight from the jar.
I always stock healthy snacks in my pantry. Perfect solution to satiate quick hunger pangs. Buckwheat crackers, Granola, Healthy Trail Mix, roasted peanuts and cashew nuts.
Roasted chickpeas are great to pack for camping, hiking or road-trips. Pack it in small containers or zip-lock covers.
Do read the complete post for step-wise recipe, tips for perfectly crunchy chickpeas, variations (seasoning ideas), Instructions to bake chickpeas in oven and ways to include roasted chickpeas in a variety of dishes.
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Ingredients
Chickpeas - We love cooking chickpeas from scratch. Dry beans soaked overnight until double in volume. Cook beans either in a pressure cooker or instant pot.
This is a part of my weekly meal-prep as we use chickpeas for curries, pilaf, salad and sundal.
I love Instant Pot Chickpeas - It's super convenient, requires zero monitoring and yields perfectly cooked beans every single time.
You can simply rinse and drain a can of chickpeas.
Excess moisture increases cook / roasting time. Ensure you pat dry the chickpeas with a kitchen towel before seasoning and adding to the air fryer basket.
Olive Oil - For 1 & 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas, I have used 1 tsp of oil, making it a fairly low-oil snack.
You can completely skip the oil but do not add excess as it makes the chickpeas greasy (also totally unnecessary).
Any neutral oil works for this recipe.
I have also tried roasting chickpeas using Ghee or clarified butter.
Seasoning - For this recipe, I have used Indian Spices - Chaat Masala Powder and Red Chilli Powder.
Tips for perfect Air fryer roasted chickpeas
- Drain the cooked chickpeas in a colander. This is applicable for chickpeas cooked either in a pressure cooker, instant pot or canned chickpeas. Use a kitchen towel to dab excess moisture.
- Do not over crowd the air fryer basket. A cup of cooked chickpeas takes approximately 15 - 20 minutes in an air fryer.
- Depending on the size of your Air Fryer, you can double or triple the recipe. For 3 to 4 cups of cooked chickpeas, it takes approximately 30 - 40 mins for roasting.
- Air Frying at low temperature for long time ensures the chickpeas do not burn and are evenly roasted. Anywhere between 160 to 180 degree Celsius is a sweet spot.
- This recipe does not call for excess oil. And yes, you can certainly make Oil Free Roasted Chickpeas using the Air Fryer.
How to make roasted chickpeas in air fryer
Drain the cooked chickpeas, pat dry with a kitchen towel.
Coat the chickpeas with oil and salt. Mix well and add to a pre-heated air fryer basket.
Air Fry chickpeas at 180 degree Celsius for 15-20 minutes. Shake the basket at regular intervals and spray some oil, if required.
Add the air-fried chickpeas in a bowl, sprinkle red chili powder and chaat masala powder (while the chickpeas are hot) and toss well, until the spices coat the chickpeas. Allow to cool completely and transfer to an airtight container / jar.
Variations
Since I have been making roasted chickpeas in the Air Fryer for over 4 years now, I have fairly experimented with a variety of flavors.
I have listed below some of my favorites which I hope your family will love.
Basic Salt and Vinegar - Best when craving for chips
Indian Flavors - Chaat Masala Powder, Chili OR Turmeric with Black Pepper Powder
Italian - Dry Herbs like Oregano, thyme or parsley with red chili flakes for heat.
Mexican - Garlic Powder, Onion powder and Ground cumin with a hint of cayenne or paprika for heat.
Mediterranean - Zaatar or Sumac
Cajun Spice or Taco Seasoning
Chili Lime Seasoning
Sweet Tooth? - Toss the chickpeas with cinnamon and powdered sugar OR honey / maple syrup.
Should you add seasoning before or after air frying?
It depends - If you are not using Indian red chili powder, feel free to toss the cooked chickpeas with oil and seasoning. Red chili powder, when roasted for too long, tastes burnt.
When cooking chickpeas in Instant Pot or pressure cooker, season with salt. It prevents chickpeas from tasting bland.
Serving Suggestions
These roasted chickpeas not only make a great snack but also make excellent salad toppings. I also add them to a bowl of soup instead of croutons.
Indian Style Roasted Chickpea Chaat - To the roasted chickpeas, add boiled and cubed potatoes, finely chopped - cucumber, tomatoes, onions, green chilies and cilantro. Finish the dish with some chaat masala powder and a sprinkle of ground cumin. These make excellent appetizers with drinks.
SOUPS - Ditch the croutons and serve some of your favorite soups like Tomato Soup, Carrot Ginger Soup and Mushroom Soup topped with some roasted chickpeas.
SALADS - Crunchy chickpeas add texture and bite to salads.
Topping for dips, hummus etc.
Add to Buddha Bowls with generous portions of vegetables, avocado and tofu / paneer.
Storage | Shelf Life
Roasted chickpeas should be completely cool before transferring to an airtight container. It stays crisp and crunchy for more than a week (depending on how long they last).
If for some reason, the chickpeas have turned soggy, air fry at 150 degree Celsius until crispy.
FAQ's
Made with just 1 tsp of oil, air fried chickpeas are healthier in comparison with deep fried snacks like chips or nachos.
Once cool, the air fried roasted chickpeas can be stored in an air tight container.
Air Fried chickpeas once frozen would turn soggy. It is not recommend to freeze air fried chickpeas.
Store in air tight container. Chickpeas remain crunchy for atleast a week (depending on consumption). They can be also reheated in an air fryer at low temperature (150 degree C) until crispy.
Other Air Fryer Snack Recipes
Air Fryer Falafel served with Beetroot Hummus
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Air Fryer Roasted Chickpeas
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Chickpeas cooked and drained chickpeas used
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili powder or Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Chaat Masala Powder
- Himalayan Pink Salt to taste
Instructions
Prepping the Chickpeas
- Drain 1 & 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas in a colander. Pat dry with a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Note - If using canned chickpeas, rinse, drain and pat dry.
Air Frying Chickpeas
- Pre-heat the Air Fryer at 180 degree Celsius for 2 - 3 minutes.
- To a bowl, add cooked chickpeas, oil and salt to taste. Toss well.
- Add the chickpeas to the pre-heated air fryer basket.
- Air Fry chickpeas at 180 degree Celsius for 15-20 minutes. Shake the basket at regular intervals and spray some oil, if required.
- Once chickpeas have roasted, add them to a bowl, sprinkle red chili powder and chaat masala powder (while the chickpeas are still hot). Mix well and set aside to cool.
- Once cool, transfer the roasted chickpeas to an airtight container / jar.
Notes
- For this recipe I have used 1 & 1/2 cups of Chickpeas cooked in Instant Pot. You can use a 15oz can of chickpeas.
- Add salt while cooking chickpeas.
- Use olive oil, ghee, avocado oil or any cooking oil of your preference.
- Spices - Check out the main blog post for plenty of seasoning ideas and variations.
- Once the chickpeas are air fried, allow it to cool completely. Transfer it to an airtight container. It stays crunchy and crisp for atleast a week or more (depending on your consumption).
- If you find that the chickpeas have turned soggy or have softened, simply air fry at 150 Degree C for 3-5 minutes or until they are crunchy.
- Pre-heat the oven and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Toss the chickpeas with oil and spread them on the baking tray.
- Bake at 180 degree Celsius for 20 - 25 mins while turning the baking tray once or twice for even roasting.
- Remove from tray, toss with seasoning and store.
- Note - Oven time varies so keep an eye after 15 mins of baking time.
- The snack is plant based, vegan and vegetarian. It also does not contain any nuts.
- Ensure the spices that you use are 100% gluten free. Chaat Masala contains hing or asafetida that has gluten.
- I have used Kashmiri Red chili powder.
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Vidya Narayan