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Crispy and crunchy, this Air Fryer Chickpea recipe will soon be your low calorie, good for you snack go-to. Only 15 minutes of air fryer cook time is needed for this healthy and protein packed snack.
Air Fryer Chickpeas
Crispy chickpeas...betcha can’t just pop one of them into your mouth!
And if you’re not having a healthy snack with these crispy air fryer chickpeas, you’ll be adding them to the top of every salad that crosses your dinner plate!
I’ve had my Cuisinart air fryer and toaster combo for almost two years now, but I’ll be honest.
It spent a lot of time just sitting on the kitchen counter, making air fryer chicken nuggets and frozen french fries on the repeat.
Until this year.
I don’t know what changed, but now I’m whipping up lots of air fryer recipes, making everything from air fryer apple crisps to air fryer zucchini fries and air fryer sweet potato wedges.
I’m basically the unofficial spokesperson now for the Instant Pot and air frying basically everything.
My daughter calls home from college because my instagram feed is making her hungry. As basically, she wonders why I wasn’t making this food when she lived at home.
Unlike deep frying, the air fryer works by circulating hot air around the food, making foods crispy without just a little bit of added fat. If you have a convection oven, you basically already have an air fryer, because they cook the same way.
I’ve tried, without much success, to make roasted chickpeas in the oven. I never quite nailed the crispy chickpea result I wanted.
But making these in the air fryer was a game changer. Because the air circulates around the chickpeas, every single seasoned chickpea is just as delicious as the one that came before it.
Everything gets this perfect crispy texture and I'm gonna call this my favorite discovery of the year.
It’s gonna be a busy holiday break for the air fryer, I have a feeling.
Air Fryer Chickpea recipe ingredients
- chickpeas - these are also called garbanzo beans
- spice blend of your choosing - I used Za’atar seasoning but the options are endless. I'll cover more of them in just a sec.
- maple syrup - not all roasted chickpea recipes call for this addition, but I think it makes a big flavor difference to offset the spices.
- olive oil
When it comes to the seasonings for air fried chickpeas, you can use almost any seasoning mix you like to make these crunchy chickpeas!
Some ideas for you are ranch seasoning, fajita seasoning or taco mix (hello, Taco Tuesday!), Italian Seasoning (fantastic in a chopped salad), a sweet version with cinnamon sugar, Everything but the bagel seasoning, or plain old salt.
As you can tell, I'm not running short on ideas for you!
How to make crunchy air fryer chickpeas
The full printable recipe card is below, but here's a quick low down of how to make these...
Important Tips for Air Frying Chickpeas
The fat in any air fryer recipe is needed. It helps the food get crispy and also helps with browning. It also keeps the food from sticking to the air fryer tray.
Don't overfill your air fryer tray. Single layered food is the way to go, and make it in batches if needed. If you cram too much food into your air fryer, it will steam and it will not be crispy and delicious. And you'll probably be grumpy, so there's that, too.
Seasoned chickpeas make a perfect snack and they're a great substitute for potato chips. You know, when you're just dying for a crispy snack but trying to stay on the healthy food train...
Pat food try before air frying. You've probably seen this is steak or meat recipes, where the instructions ask you to pat the surface dry. This is for a reason! When you use a paper towel to try your chickpeas, everything (including the oil and seasoning) will adhere better and brown better. I'm always sure to tell you when there's a shortcut, but this isn't one of them.
Shake the pan or gently give the chickpeas a stir a few times during the cooking process to ensure even browning.
More healthy snacks
If you make this air fryer chickpea recipe, come on back and leave a recipe review or comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
Air Fryer Chickpea Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can 19 oz garbanzo bean rinsed and drained
- 1 Tablespoon Za’atar or other spice blend
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Use a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to pat them dry. You want to reduce as much moisture as possible so you can maximize crispness.
- Place the chickpeas in a large bowl, add a tablespoon of your seasoning of choice, maple syrup, and olive oil. Mix well to combine everything.
- Place the chickpeas in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Select 400 ˚F, and cook for 15 minutes. Every 5 minutes remove the basket of the air fryer and give it a good shake so that all the chickpeas are cooked evenly.
- Serve as a snack, or on top of salad.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
