Roasted chickpeas make a great protein-packed vegan snack! Enjoy them on their own, or add them to your favorite healthy dishes for crispy texture.
If you like chickpeas, you’re going to LOVE this roasted chickpeas recipe!
It’s no secret I’m a fan of chickpeas – they’re a great addition to soups, stews, salads, sandwiches, you name it. Not only are they a good vegetarian protein source, but they can also bump up the textural contrast in a dish. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, though, you know that I’m not a fan of mushy food. Sometimes I’m craving something crispy in a salad, and chickpeas’ soft texture won’t satisfy me.
Enter: roasted chickpeas. They still have all the protein and heartiness of regular chickpeas, but they’ve become an irresistible salty, crunchy ingredient. Even better, they’re a great healthy vegan snack on their own!
How do I make roasted chickpeas?
Roasting chickpeas is simple! Start with three basic ingredients: cooked or canned chickpeas, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt. Then…
- Preheat the oven to 425° and drain and rinse your chickpeas.
- Spread the chickpeas on a kitchen towel and gently pat them dry. It’s essential to make sure they’re totally dry before you toss them with the olive oil – damp chickpeas won’t crisp up in the oven. Discard any loose skins from the outside of the chickpeas.
- Transfer the chickpeas to a parchment-lined baking sheet and toss them with a drizzle of olive oil and generous pinches of sea salt. Spread evenly on the baking sheet.
- Transfer the baking sheet to your preheated oven and roast until crispy. I start checking at 20 minutes, but it can take up t0 30 minutes for them to become really crisp.
- Remove from the oven and, while the chickpeas are still warm, toss with pinches of your favorite spices.
So simple! Your roasted chickpeas are ready to eat.
Tips & tricks for making the best roasted chickpeas!
Here are some of my favorite tips for making great roasted chickpeas.
- Eat them fast! Roasted chickpeas are best day-of, and they lose their crispiness as time goes on. I aim to finish up a batch by the second day for best texture and flavor.
- Store them at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate these guys. They become chewy quickly! I recommend leaving them in a bowl or jar on the counter, loosely covered with a piece of foil.
- Spice them up! I like to toss my chickpeas with spices right as they come out of the oven. Try using a dash of paprika or your favorite spice mix. Chili, curry, or shawarma spices would all be great here. They’re also delicious with Everything Bagel Seasoning!
I made roasted chickpeas! What should I do with them?
Enjoy them as a snack, toss them in a simple salad, or use them in any of these recipes:
- Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
- Chickpea Shawarma Wraps
- Rainbow Kale Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Tahini Noodles with Carrots & Chickpeas
- Caesar Salad
- Panzanella Salad
- Bright Spring Salad
For more snacks and appetizer ideas, check out this post!
More Plant-Based Proteins
If you love this recipe, try making Crispy Baked Tofu, Marinated Baked Tempeh, or protein-rich lentils next!
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt
- Paprika, curry powder, or other spices (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the chickpeas on a kitchen towel and pat them dry. Remove any loose skins.
- Transfer the dried chickpeas to the baking sheet and toss them with a drizzle of olive oil and generous pinches of salt.
- Roast the chickpeas for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Ovens can vary, if your chickpeas are not crispy enough, keep going until they are!
- Remove from the oven and, while the chickpeas are still warm, toss with pinches of your favorite spices, if using.
- Store roasted chickpeas in a loosely-covered container at room temperature. They are best used within two days.
I found that I can use a Foodi for the entire process. Pressure cook: 6 cups water to 1 lb chickpeas on high for 50 minutes with a 10-minute slow cooldown.
Then I dry the chickpeas with paper towels, douse with garlic-infused olive oil, and put them into the Air Crisper basket, salt, 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes tossing occasionally.
I already love oven roasted chickpeas and this recipe is much better than the one I’ve been using! And on another note, I thoroughly enjoy several of the recipes on this site. I’m very glad to have found Love and Lemons!!!
I’m so glad you’ve been loving the recipes!
I don’t know where these delectable little nuggets have been all my life, but I will be making them often!
I’m so glad you loved them!
If I’m adding these to a dish that is stored in the fridge after, is that okay? I noticed it says to store this at room temp.
Hi Echo, they’ll just get a little less crispy after the first day in the fridge, but they should still taste great. I store them this way all the time.
Just a small comment… With canned chickpeas you can also use the liquid they are soaked in. It’s called aquafaba and works as an alternative to egg whites(Im not a vegetarian but im allergic to eggs). I made some very yummy yogurt bite melts with it a few days ago, and it whips up very nicely.
Hi Angie, I also make vegan mayo with the aquafaba, you should try it! https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-mayo/
Oh no I’ve already rinsed mine away what a waste! I’ll know for next time 😀
delicious. love the different flavor ideas. i dried mine well but when I put them in the oven they started POPPING and exploding like popcorn! no harm done but I wonder if there is a strategy to minimize this. thanks! ps: shawarma spice is a really interesting idea!
You might try setting a baker’s metal cooling rack over the roasting chickpeas will help.
great idea! thank you i will do it!