You're going to love these Crispy Roasted Chickpeas! They're crunchy, salty, and a little bit spicy. Totally vegan and gluten-free, these oven baked chickpeas make a great snack and they're a perfect topping for salads. Your roasted chickpeas will turn out extra crispy thanks to a simple trick I'll teach you below.
Welcome to snacking heaven
Many years ago I was sitting at a bar in Rome having a glass of bubbles when our server plunked down a bowl of crispy roasted chickpeas to nibble on. Man, were they ever good!
Soon after that, I learned how easy it is to make your own roasted chickpeas at home. I'm going to show you how, too, so you'll be in crispy, crunchy snacking heaven any time you want. Like our internet-famous Italian Rice Balls, our roasted garbanzo beans are made without deep frying.
It's no secret that we're huge fans of beans here on HNL, and if we can make a delicious snack out of our favorite superfood, all the better! These babies are as moorish as potato chips, but as a nutritionist, I love that they're healthier and much more satisfying.
There's just one catch—I'm going to ask you to peel your chickpeas. But trust me on this one! It doesn't take long, and the extra crispy roasted chickpeas you get at the end are totally worth it.
Are you ready for this?
Let's make roasted chickpeas together
Step 1: peel those beans!
I promise you this step will only take a few minutes of your time. It's almost meditative work to pinch a chickpea between your fingers and feel it slip out of the skin, plop it into a bowl, and repeat. Here's a guide on how to peel chickpeas if you need a visual.
If you're really opposed to it you *can* skip this step, but I must warn you that taking the time to peel your beans really does yield *much* crispier roasted chickpeas in the end.
Step 2: Dry 'em off
Whether or not you've peeled your chickpeas, you also need to dry them. Are these beans high maintenance or what?! I use a clean and lint-free kitchen towel and give them a good pat dry. Paper towel is also fine for this job.
Step 3: Oil + salt
Once dried, place your garbanzo beans into a bowl and add the olive oil, salt, and pepper. But - and this is important - we're not going to add any other seasonings until AFTER the beans are roasted.
Step 4: Roast 'em up
Spread your oiled beans out on a baking sheet and give it a shake it to spread them out in an even layer. Then place this pan into a oven to roast for about 30 minutes. We're going to give the pan a shake about every 10 minutes and keep a very close eye on it.
Beware of exploding beans! As your roasted garbanzo beans get close to done, the odd bean will POW! Pop when you reach in to shake the pan.
Step 5: Season!
Season your roasted chickpeas! We're going to add our seasonings the second they are done baking. This will prevent the spices and seasonings from burning while the chickpeas are roasting, and also will help ensure the best crunch.
Tips for the Best Roasted Chickpeas
There are a few steps you can make to ensure your roasted chickpeas are as crispy and delicious as possible! Here's what you need to know:
Peel your chickpeas
Many people will choose to skip this step. That's ok! I have always found that peeling the beans does yield the crispiest roasted chickpeas, but it's totally up to you.
Make sure your chickpeas are really dry
The thing with removing the skins and then patting them dry is that you're removing as much moisture from the surface of the bean as you possibly can. Trapped moisture = not crispy. A dry, bare naked bean, on the other hand, will crisp up like an old man at the nude beach. I know you know what I'm talking about.
Coat the chickpeas in oil
Make sure that each and every chickpea is fully coated in oil - and don't skimp on it! If your beans are looking a little dry, add a little extra oil to the pan to ensure they're all fully coated.
Do not use parchment paper
Skip the parchment, silpat, or any other sort of non-stick liner. You want your chickpeas to have direct contact with the hot sheet pan in order to achieve optimal crispiness. Be sure to give the pan an occasional shake while roasting so you move the beans around and different sides of them get contact with the pan.
Cool before storing
Roasted chickpeas will always be crispiest when they're fresh out of the oven, but if you're planning to store them it's super important that they're fully cooled before you transfer them into any sort of storage container. Warm beans packed into a container will create steam and steam will create soggy beans.
Roasted Chickpeas Recipe
Ingredients
- 28 oz chickpeas Approx 2 cans, or 3 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika.
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- Drain and rinse your chickpeas. Pat dry, and then gently roll them between two clean kitchen towels to start removing the skins. Remove the remaining skins by pinching each bean between your fingers and sliding the skin off.28 oz chickpeas
- Place the peeled and dried chickpeas into a bowl, and combine with olive oil, salt, and pepper.2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, using two sheets if necessary to prevent over crowding (crowded beans will steam rather than crisping).
- Place into the oven to roast for 30 minutes, shaking the pan every 10-15 minutes to turn the beans.
- When the roasted garbanzo beans are golden brown and crispy, remove from the oven and toss with any desired seasonings.½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika.
- Use immediately or store in a container without a lid for one week.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only and are based on six snack-sized portions
Marci Risch says
if using dry - then soaked - beans, do you still peel them?
'You can also use dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight - you don't even have to cook them first! Simply soak for 12-24 hours until the chickpeas have doubled in size, dry thoroughly, coat with oil, and roast in the oven. These babies will be extra crispy.'
Katie Trant says
Hey Marci - the skins aren't usually loose enough to slip off when the beans have only been soaked overnight. So this step can be skipped in this case!
Leah says
Is it really necessary to peel the chickpeas? I know some do this when making hummus, but I never have. I would think the crispy skins would be great.
Katie Trant says
Peeling the chickpeas will always yield a crispier roasted chickpea since there will be a bit of moisture trapped between the skin and the bean. But you can certainly skip this step if you prefer - this is addressed in the recipe FAQ section 🙂
Maria says
Do you think removing the hull will reduce the amount of fiber in the finished product, akin to what happens with grains and produce? Surely still high fiber and better for you than most snack foods, but it does make me wonder ...
Katie Trant says
You will definitely lose a bit of the fiber, but yes, overall a very healthy and still high-fiber snack.
Katie says
I always peel chickpeas!! I can’t help it - it’s like bubble wrap & sort of addicting haha.
Polly says
Hi there, I made them and I love them! It reminds me a lot of a south moroccan street food snack, they do something similar with the chickpeas and then serve it mixed with salted peanuts
Lucy says
Love chickpeas. And paprika. Mixing the two sounds like heaven!
themuffinmyth says
They are pretty heavenly! I hope you give them a try.
Leanne says
These look like a fantastic snack! I'm proud to say I may even have all three kinds of paprikas on hand ... I wouldn't have thought to try rosemary and thyme with them, but that makes it sound even better (Is thyme even inappropriate??). Thanks for the recipe!
Leanne says
Oops, meant "ever" inappropriate. Doh.
themuffinmyth says
Ha! Thyme is *never* inappropriate!