Name: ULTRA Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 19 oz can of chickpeas ((drained and rinsed)); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne ((optional))

Crispy air fryer chickpeas are the tastiest and crunchiest snack you will find. Using the air fryer cuts the cook time down to 15 minutes, and they are so much crispier than in the oven! Vegan and gluten-free, these crispy roasted chickpeas are an awesome healthier snack.

We have been absolutely loving the air fryer to make Honey Lime Air Fryer Shrimp, and Breaded Air Fryer Chicken, but my favorite thing might just be these air fryer chickpeas!

I have always loved the concept of crispy roasted chickpeas, but I have often failed in execution. It always seems like some of them get crispy while others are still chewy. And still others are burned.

Not only that, but you have to wash and dry the chickpeas before roasting, and you have to roast them for quite awhile.

Well, enter the air fryer. GAME CHANGED. No need to dry these chickpeas, and they are ready for your snacking pleasure in 15 minutes. Yup. 15 minutes!

Reasons you’ll ♡ these air fryer chickpeas

they are truly ULTRA crispy
no need to dry them
they are ready 3x faster than oven roasted chickpeas

Video tutorial

Wondering how this recipe comes together? Watch the 1-minute video below! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

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Let's talk ingredients

For this air fryer chickpeas recipe you will need:

chickpeas- use 1 can drained & rinsed OR cook your own Instant Pot chickpeas
oil- I like to use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point, but extra virgin olive oil works as well
spices- I am using an adaptation of my favorite homemade fajita seasoning. I advise against using a rub with sugar as during testing, the sugar burned

That's it! Super duper simple.

Meal prep tips

These air fryer chickpeas are a great meal prep snack. Here are some tips to help with your prep:

drying- if you've made roasted chickpeas in the oven (here's my oven roasted chickpeas recipe!), you know that drying them is important to get them crispy. This step is fine to skip in the air fryer (yay!)
air fryer- This is the air fryer model I have, and have no complaints about it! Since all air fryers will cook slightly differently, use the cook time as a rough estimate and check on your chickpeas frequently during the last 5 minutes of cooking
storage- store these crispy chickpeas in an open bowl or jar to keep them crisp
serving size- this recipe has been tested with a 19 oz can of chickpeas. I cannot guarantee that the cook time will work for a double batch.

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Can I change the seasoning?

Absolutely! Try one of these 7 dry rub recipes, but do stay away from anything with sugar as in my experience the sugar can burn easily in the air fryer.

How long do these chickpeas last?

You can store them in the cupboard for 1 week or more! Bet they won't last that long 😉

How can I serve air fryer chickpeas?

We enjoy them as a snack but they are yummy as a salad topper, too. They would be great on this Kale Caesar salad!

More Air Fryer Recipes

This post was originally published in 2018. It has been republished in 2020 with new recipes tips + a video.

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