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
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.
These air fryer chickpeas are a great meal prep snack. Here are some tips to help with your prep: Find my kitchen equipment in my shop!Meal prep tips
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.
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
ULTRA Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 19 oz can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Instructions
- Heat air fryer to 390°F / 200°C.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas (no need to dry). Toss with olive oil and spices.
- Dump the whole batch of chickpeas in the air fryer basket. Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking a couple of times.
- When chickpeas are cooked to your liking, remove from air fryer, taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Store in an open container.
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
keri says
These have changed my snacking game ! Delicious and easy and healthy ! Thanks so much
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Keri, that's amazing! They are such a great savory snack, aren't they?! Crispy and flavourful - the perfect combination! Thanks for leaving a rating and review 🙂
Julia says
Are we meant to remove the chickpea skins, or does it not matter? Usually when I'm roasting chickpeas in the oven they do come out a lot better when I've removed the skins 🙂
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Julia, no - just drain & rinse the chickpeas, no peeling necessary! The easier, the better! Hope you enjoy!
Lorraine says
Soggy as anything by the morning. Really thought they would be crispy. They were pretty good when they first were done but the crispiness didn't stay
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Lorraine, sorry to hear! Did you store them in an airtight container? This can cause sogginess. They are best stored in an open bowl or jar to keep them crisp 🙂 I hope this helps!
William says
Jennifer in case these are great! As a diabetic I'm always looking for a healthier snack food.
isac says
thanks for this recipe. I'm using raw chickpeas...any thought on modifications for the recipe?
Thanks again!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Isac, you use dried chickpeas that are not canned (I assume this is what you mean by raw). Check out this recipe for Instant Pot chickpeas for directions on how to cook them first, before using them in this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Daniela says
My chefman air fryer does not preheat. I have 2 racks, so I put the chickpeas in an even layer. I set it for 15min. After 7min I switched the trays and continued. After 15min they were not crispy so I added 5 more min. Then I let the crisp up. Some were perfectly crisp, but most just steamed like French fries. Outside crispy and inside creamy. Very tasty, but not what I wanted. Perhaps I should dry them first and also add more time???
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Daniela, I suspect that the air fryer not pre-heating is causing the issue, and would add on extra cook time. You might experiment with cooking for 25 minutes, and it couldn't hurt to dry them first if you are finding they are quite steamy/ soggy. Also, I quickly looked up the Chefman air fryer - it looks like you could preheat it by setting it to your desired cook time, then setting the time for 5 minutes to allow it to come to temperature. Hopefully this helps!
Emms says
These chickpeas make a great snack! They're healthy and easy to make. I'll definitely be making them again.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Emms, we have to agree with you! Really glad you enjoyed it, thank you so much for taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review!
Allison says
Hello! I made a lb of chickpeas in the instant pot- how many do I use with the seasonings in the recipe? Thanks!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Allison, 1 lb is ~ equal to 16 oz - this recipe is written for 19 oz. Therefore, you should be ok to use the entire 1 lb (or 16 oz) for this recipe! I hope this helps!
Allison says
Thanks! When I measure the chickpeas it is well over a pound. I used 1 pound of dried chickpeas but it makes quite a bit more in the instant pot if that makes sense
Angela DeLucia says
Amazing!!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Angela, thanks so much for leaving a rating and review 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
Nancy says
Finally crispy chickpeas
Bre says
How long can these be stored?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hello Bre, these chickpeas can be stored in the cupboard for about 1 week! They likely won't last that long though, as they are so tasty!
Maureen says
Made these easy Air fryer chick peas, they were great! very easy and tasty!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Maureen, so glad to hear that you enjoyed these Air Fryer chickpeas (such a great snack)! Thanks for taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review.
Nicole says
Love how fast it is in the air fryer and still tastes as good if not better then in oven roasted thank you
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Nicole, right?! Glad you enjoyed. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review!
Vic says
Try using Bobs Red Mill Nutritional Yeast and olive oil, add what you like to taste , also good on popcorn...DEE Licious
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Vic, yummm, that sounds delicious! Thank you for the suggestion, and for coming back to leave a rating and review! We're so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Diane says
I would love to make these. However, I do not have canned chick peas, but dried ones. I know I will need to cook these first, however I find anywhere from 30-90 min cook time before I add them to the air fryer. Any ideas?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Diane, you can definitely use chickpeas that are not canned. Check out this recipe for Instant Pot chickpeas for directions. I hope you enjoy!
Ashley says
Hi. I had to adjust the cook time from 15 minutes to 19 minutes then to 25 minutes to get them crisp but the recipe is great. I also sprinkled them w a tad more salt. Really enjoyed them! Thanks!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Ashley, thanks for sharing your feedback, so glad you enjoyed it!
Raigen says
I’m worried about dust getting in an open container, and leaving them on the counter isn’t an option because I have counter surfing dogs. Is there a way to store them that doesn’t involve a lidless container?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Raigen, if you do need to store these air fryer chickpeas in a closed container, you could add a piece of paper towel to the container to soak up any moisture and prevent them from going soggy! If you find that they do end up losing some of their crispy texture, you could always reheat them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes. Lastly, be sure to allow them to cool completely before storing them in a closed container. I hope that some of these tips help!
Sandy says
This is the first time I’ve made these and they are so good! I doubled the spice mixture and cooked them for 20 minutes in my Ninja Foodi. I can see them becoming very addictive! Thanks for the wonderful and easy recipe!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Sandy, we are so glad to hear you enjoyed these air fryer chickpeas! Thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review, and for sharing your variations!
Bella says
Thank you for the foodi time! Just mixed up some spices and wondering if I needed to adjust. Now I know. Can't wait to try these!
Cristy says
My husband and I love these as a snack and also use them on our salads in place of croutons. We have the 4.2 quart Ultrean air fryer and I cook mine at 390 for 15 minutes using extra virgin olive oil and just some Himalayan sea salt…they do pop a bit the first 5 or 6 minutes but turn out crunchy everytime…perfect!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Christy, we are so glad to hear that you both enjoyed this recipe! Great idea to use them up as croutons - that sounds delicious! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review.
Victoria Collins says
Love the idea and the flavoring. However, No one mentioned that they pop during the process. Heard the noise coming from my fryer and when opened it, the peas were exploded out of the basket.... almost like popcorn.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Victoria, a few other readers have reported back that they also heard a popping sound as they were air frying. We have never had this issue - do you mind sharing which air fryer model do you have, and if you were using 390°F? Thanks!
Sara says
Amazing base recipe. I made an old bay batch that was fun, too.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Sara, we're so happy to hear you enjoyed these air fryer chickpeas! Thanks for sharing your flavor variation, and for coming back to leave a rating and review!
John in NE Ohio says
Thanks for this idea! Mom mom loves old bay!!!
Heather says
I wanted to leave the same comment regarding the chickpeas popping. I am using the smallest Dash air fryer.
It was quite shocking at first hearing and then seeing them popping. I was on the phone with my mother and said "I didn't see this in the recipe that I could have exploding chickpeas!"
Chelsea says
Mine did pop as well - 390° preheated for 5 mins - Insignia 10qt digit air fryer. I turned them down to 365°, then 300° (shaking once).
My air fryer has trays, so I feel that since they were being cooked on an even surface they popped quicker. And with the fryer being preheated.