Chickpeas oh chickpeas, why are you so good? I’ve already written a post or two about the first time I tried chickpeas (here). I believe the first time I tried roasted chickpeas was after I saw a recipe posted on PopSugar. I was instantly hooked and I’ve been eating them pretty consistently ever since. I’ve read other posts on how to roast chickpeas (Hi Amanda!), but this is how I roast chickpeas.
About a month ago, I was chatting with my mom over the phone and she told me she tried to make roasted chickpeas but that they didn’t turn out very crunchy.
“That’s because you have to dry them off REALLY well,” I said, to which she replied “Oh ok, well then I will have to try again.”
Her comment got me thinking: was that really the problem? What if she did dry them off well enough but they still didn’t turn out crispy for a different reason? Over the past month I’ve done some experimenting with my own chickpea-roasting and I’ve found a few solutions to why your chickpeas may not be roasting properly and how to make perfectly crunchy roasted chickpeas.
First, preheat the oven to 400°. Hot oven=crunchy chickpeas. Next, gather your ingredients. For these, you will need olive oil, salt, pepper, and a seasoning of some sort. I prefer mine spicy so I tend to gravitate towards a Chipotle seasoning, but feel free to use cinnamon if you prefer them sweet.
Next, open your can of chickpeas but not all the way; drain the juices from the can.
Pour the chickpeas into a strainer and pat dry with paper towels. You’re going to need a few paper towels to get them dry–and they won’t be completely dry–but try to get them as dry as you can.
Once dry, pour chickpeas into a bowl and add seasoning. I make these chickpeas so often that I don’t measure ingredients anymore. Drizzle olive oil over the chickpeas (approx. 1 tbsp), add a pinch of salt and pepper and a lot of seasoning; stir with a spoon so that everything is mixed.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pour chickpeas on top of the foil and spread them out. Add more seasoning. Once again, I don’t measure, I just sprinkle so that the chickpeas are evenly covered.
Place the baking sheet into the oven for 25-30 minutes. Truth be told, I used to be very diligent about keeping them in for exactly 30 minutes. I would set my timer and after 30 minutes take them out. These days I throw them in, go watch TV for a bit, and then take them out. I know that’s so NOT the correct way to go about it, but I have yet to burn a batch so I think I’m good. You’ll also have to test out your oven. If your oven tends to be on the hotter side then yes, you should probably only leave them in for 30 minutes. But, if you can get away with 40 minutes then do that!
Once they are done, take them out of the oven and place in a bowl. DO NOT COVER. Either A) eat them right away (nom nom nom) or B) let them cool in an uncovered dish. One problem I used to run into is that I used to put them in a Tupperware container to take to work the next day and I would put the lid on right away. DON’T DO THIS. It will cause moisture to form in the container and your chickpeas will not be as crispy.
Hopefully this was helpful. Once again, there are several ways to roast chickpeas, but this is my way and I promise you if your follow these simple instructions then you will have yourself a batch of delicious and crunchy roasted chickpeas!
How to Make Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
Learn how to make roasted chickpeas with this step-by-step tutorial! Perfectly crispy and the best afternoon snack.
Print Pin RatePrep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 1 -2
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas garbanzo beans
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp cajun seasoning or more
- Pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Pour chickpeas into a strainer, then rinse them off until all the liquid from the can is gone.
- Use several paper towels to pat the chickpeas dry. You don't be able to get them completely dry, but partially dry is the goal. Then, pour them into a bowl and add olive oil, cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
- Pour chickpeas out onto a lined baking sheet, then sprinkle additional cajun seasoning on top (1-2 tsp).
- Bake chickpeas for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and wait 5 minutes before transferring them to a bowl.
- Enjoy!
We’re going to try this tomorrow on our movie night! I can’t wait because we’re so bored with popcorn! Thanks for sharing!
I tried this tonight and it was wonderful! It was approached of by my picky husband, and my even pickier father so you know for sure its a winner 🙂
I’m so glad you and your family liked them! They’re one of my favorite snacks.
How many servings are in this recipe and how much do I put of the olive oil and spices?
For servings, it depends what you’re using them for. If you’re just eating them by themselves it’s about 1 serving (I typically eat them all at once) but if you’re putting them on top of a salad or something else, I’d say 2-4 servings. It’s 1 can of chickpeas, so however many servings you’d break that in to. As far as measurements, I’m not sure. I drizzle 1-2 tbsp olive oil before adding a lot of the spice–enough so that all of the chickpeas are covered. I hope you try them!
Okay, super obsessed with roasted chickpeas right now. I mad Alexis’s maple cinnamon and now I’ll have to make these! xo
Thanks for the tips! I’ve struggled with not so crunchy roasted chickpeas in the past…
omgosh I haven’t made crunchy chickpeas in forever! I’m thinking this should change realll soon
I DIE FOR THESE! DIE! Jump in front of a bus – ANYTHING! mmmmm!!!
This girl loves Chickpeas so i NEED to make these! Delicious!
Totally gonna try this. I feel like these would be a great salad topper? Or even yoghurt if i went the sweet route …
Loooove roasted chickpeas but haven’t made them in way too long. I went the sweet route with them last time, so I’m going to have to try a more savoury route this time. Nothing TOO spicy, though, since I’m a complete wimp when it comes to the hot stuff!
I really need to make these! They seem really yummy and I’m looking for a healthy snack now that I’m in serious XC training mode.
Roasted chickpeas are the best! Especially when they’re crunchy. Mmm…
Yummy! I shouldn’t have just thrown all my chickpeas in the slow cooker….they are on their way to being soft….should have kept them hard and made this as I much prefer crunchy. Oh well, thats an excuse to buy more chickpeas right? 🙂
Yum!! I still have yet to try these! I really want to try them out when my boyfriend is here because he loves chickpeas so much. I’m think spicy too!! Definitely the flavor I always gravitate towards. Hmmm maybe chili lime???
Thanks for the step-by-step guide! I have yet to try roasted chickpeas, but have been seeeing them pop up everywhere! Between you and Amanda, I think I’ll have to give them a go ;)!
Pinned!
I need to try roasting chickpeas (finally). Last night for the first time, I sauteed them in a pan with salt, pepper, and chipotle seasoning to top on a salad. They were AMAZING and I definitely need to blog the salad recipe (my latest instagram post), but it was a quick way to get the same crunchy outside and creamy inside 🙂 I love beans lol – maybe I should try this with another type of bean/legume!
Yes I’m so happy you posted this. My mom and coworker make these but I haven’t been able to figure out a good recipe because they keep theirs so well hidden 🙂 Can’t wait to try
Great guide! I wanted to make these as a snack but I was worried they would get soggy if I tried to eat them the next day. Chickpeas are a wonder food! You can do so much with them!
This was way helpful. I’ve been wanting to roast the chickpeas sitting in my pantry, but I probably would’ve made soggy ones if I hadn’t seen this first!
Yay, roasted chickpeas!!! You know I’m a fan! I can’t wait to try them out!