Healthy air-fried spicy roasted chickpeas

These chickpeas will replace popcorn as your go-to movie snack

Crispy, spicy and irresistibly moreish, our spiced chickpeas are the new snack in town. You’ve probably been feasting on high-protein chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, for a while, whether in a smooth and creamy hommus or a fragrant vegetable tagine. Roasting chickpeas concentrates their flavour and gives them a crispy exterior with a creamy, almost buttery interior. You don’t need to turn the oven on to create spicy roasted chickpeas. Instead, with a quick spin and a couple of shakes in the air fryer, you can get the same snack in half the time. The result? Smoky, garlicky pops of crunchy chickpeas that are vegan and gluten free – not to mention easy on the wallet. Watching a movie will never be the same without them.

How are chickpeas from a can different from dried chickpeas?

Both dried and canned chickpeas are a budget-friendly source of plant protein. Where dried chickpeas have to be soaked overnight before cooking, the more convenient canned version have already been soaked and cooked. All they need is a good rinse before adding to stews, curries or salads. The good news is the chickpeas’ nutrition doesn’t change when canned. The only thing to watch for is that often salt is added in the canning process. While most of this will be rinsed off, it’s good to keep your eye out for low-sodium or no-added-salt versions.

Why should you air fry chickpeas?

Air fryers are basically small, fan-forced ovens and are well worth dedicating space on your benchtop to. There is a top heating element and the heat is circulated by a fan on the base which allows you to cook and reheat food in half the time, using little or no extra fat. Unlike a regular oven, they need little time to heat up, saving on energy bills, especially when you only need to cook a small batch of food. Placing the chickpeas directly in the basket means the hot air moves around the whole chickpea, cooking them evenly. Open and shake the drawer occasionally to make sure the air-fried chickpeas don’t stick to the mesh base. We set our air fryer to 180°C, which will give you crispy chickpeas without the spices burning. Don’t be alarmed if you hear popping noises coming from your air fryer chickpeas as they cook – it’s just the chickpeas releasing residual liquid.

How to make crispy chickpeas

In order to get your chickpeas crispy, you need to make sure they’re free of any excess liquid. First, they need to be drained and rinsed under cold running water to get rid of any excess salt. Spread the chickpeas onto a clean tea towel and give them a good pat to dry them. They can then be mixed with the oil and spices, ready to go in the air fryer.

How else can I enjoy air-fried crispy chickpeas?

These healthy chickpeas are not just for snacking. Pimp your store-bought hommus with fried chickpeas and tomatoes or sprinkle crunchy chickpeas over this roasted beetroot salad. 

Roasted chickpeas also provide a surprise element to a Thai-style vegetable curry.