Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas – Easy Roasted Chickpea Snack
If you’ve got a tin of chickpeas sitting in the cupboard and an air fryer on the worktop, this is one of the easiest snacks you can make with them. Air fryer chickpeas become crisp and crunchy around the outside, and because chickpeas don’t have an especially strong flavour of their own, you can change the seasoning depending on what you fancy.
The actual cooking is easy. The bit that makes the biggest difference is getting the chickpeas properly dry before they go into the air fryer. Leave too much moisture on them and they’ll spend more time steaming than crisping, which isn’t quite what we’re aiming for!
I use tinned chickpeas because they’re convenient and I nearly always have some in the cupboard. You can use chickpeas you’ve cooked yourself too, but they need to be cooked before you start this recipe.
What you need to make air fryer chickpeas
You really don’t need much for these. A 400g tin of chickpeas gives you a decent batch, then you just need a small amount of oil or cooking spray, salt and whatever seasoning you fancy.
I tend to think of the seasoning as the interesting part because once you’ve got the basic method right, you can make completely different versions without learning another recipe.
Smoked paprika and garlic are lovely if you want something savoury, chilli and cumin work well if you fancy some heat, or you can experiment with whatever spice blends are already lurking in your cupboard.
The secret to crispy air fryer chickpeas
Dry them. Properly!
Drain the chickpeas into a sieve or colander and rinse them, then spread them onto a clean tea towel or kitchen paper and gently dry them.
Some of the loose skins will probably come away while you’re doing this. You can remove those if you want to, although I wouldn’t spend half an hour individually peeling every chickpea. This is supposed to be an easy snack, not a new hobby.
Once they’re dry, put them into a bowl and add a small amount of oil or cooking spray followed by your seasoning. Toss everything together so the chickpeas are lightly and evenly coated.
How long do chickpeas take in the air fryer?
I cook mine at 200°C for around 12–15 minutes, shaking the basket every five minutes or so.
Spread the chickpeas out rather than piling them into a tiny space. They need the hot air to circulate around them if you want that crisp roasted texture.
Start checking them towards the end because air fryers vary and there’s quite a small gap between wonderfully crunchy and “Oh. I probably should have checked those two minutes ago.”
They’ll also crisp a little more as they cool, so don’t assume they need another five minutes simply because they aren’t rock hard the second they come out of the basket.
Air fryer chickpea seasoning ideas
Once you’ve got the basic method sorted, this is where you can play around a bit.
For smoked paprika and garlic chickpeas, try smoked paprika with garlic powder and a little salt. It’s simple but probably one of my favourite combinations.
If you like something spicier, chilli and cumin work really well together. You could add a little lime after cooking too, although don’t drown freshly crisped chickpeas in juice unless you particularly want them to stop being crispy!
You can also make a sweeter version with cinnamon and a little sugar. If I’m making them sweet, I’d leave out the salt and savoury seasonings completely rather than trying to create some peculiar cinnamon-garlic hybrid.
Whatever seasoning you use, remember that some ready-made spice blends already contain quite a lot of salt, so taste and adjust rather than automatically adding extra.
What can you do with crispy chickpeas?
You can eat them exactly as they are, which is probably the most obvious answer. They’re lovely when you fancy something crunchy and make a change from crisps or nuts.
They’re also good scattered over salads and bowls where you’d normally add croutons, or as a crunchy topping for soup. Just add them immediately before eating rather than leaving them sitting in something wet.
As I’m vegetarian, chickpeas appear in my kitchen fairly regularly anyway. If you’ve got more tins in the cupboard, my chickpea curry is an easy dinner rather than a snack, while my cauliflower and chickpea curry is another good way of using them.
For more things to try in the air fryer, have a look through my air fryer recipes too.
Can you make air fryer chickpeas without oil?
You can air fry chickpeas without adding oil, although I prefer using a very small amount because it helps the seasoning stick and gives me the texture I want.
If you want to try them without it, there’s no harm in experimenting. Different seasonings cling differently too, so see what works for the combination you’re using.
Can you use dried chickpeas?
Yes, but you can’t put hard, uncooked dried chickpeas straight into the air fryer and use this method.
Soak and cook them properly first, then drain and dry them before following the air-fryer instructions. For convenience, I normally just use a tin.
Why are my air fryer chickpeas not crispy?
Moisture is usually the first thing I’d look at. If the chickpeas were still wet after rinsing, they’re going to steam before they start crisping.
Overcrowding can cause problems too. If you’re making a much bigger quantity than I’ve used here, cooking them in batches may give you better results.
Too much oil can work against you as well. You only need enough for a very light coating rather than chickpeas swimming in it.
Finally, remember that they’ll become a little crispier as they cool.
Why do chickpeas pop in the air fryer?
You may hear an occasional chickpea popping while they’re cooking as moisture inside heats up.
Shaking the basket regularly helps everything cook more evenly, but I’d also follow the instructions for your particular air fryer and don’t open it unnecessarily while food is actively popping around inside.
What can you do with the chickpea liquid?
The liquid from a tin of chickpeas is called aquafaba, and if you enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, you don’t necessarily have to throw it away.
It’s often used as an egg-white alternative in vegan cooking and can be whipped for things such as meringues.
I’m not going to pretend I save every drop of chickpea liquid that enters my kitchen, but if you’re already planning something that uses aquafaba, this recipe conveniently leaves you with some!
How to store air fryer chickpeas
These are at their best when they’re freshly made and properly crisp, so personally I wouldn’t make enormous quantities several days in advance.
Let any leftovers cool completely before storing them so you’re not trapping steam around them. If they’ve softened by the following day, a short spell back in the air fryer can help crisp them again.
How you store homemade roasted chickpeas can affect their texture, so if crispness is particularly important to you, I’d make the amount you’re likely to eat rather than expecting them to stay exactly as they were when they first came out of the air fryer.
More easy air fryer recipes
If you’ve bought an air fryer and are trying to get beyond chips, chickpeas are a good example of why it’s worth experimenting a little.
Have a look at my air fryer cauliflower and air fryer aubergine next if you want more vegetarian ideas, or head to my main air fryer recipes collection where I’m bringing all my recipes and cooking guides together.
