How To Make Crispy Roasted Chickpeas in the Oven

Photos by Emma Christensen

Those cans of chickpeas sitting in your cupboard have been hiding an amazing secret. Roasted in the oven, chickpeas transform into a crispy, salty, savory snack. So tiny. So easy to eat by the handful. So irresistible. This is dangerous knowledge.

If you haven’t yet been introduced to this snack, please allow me to do the honors. Here is our step-by-step recipe for roasting chickpeas in the oven.

Tips for Roasted Chickpea Success

Oven-roasted chickpeas are about as simple as it gets — toss with olive oil and salt, roast, eat — but there are a few key things to keep in mind.

First, dry the chickpeas as much as possible. I like to gently roll them between two clean dishtowels.

Also, don’t skimp on the olive oil. You can use less, but your chickpeas will be less crispy.

Lastly, wait to toss the chickpeas with any spices or seasonings until you pull them out of the oven, otherwise the spices have a tendency to burn and become bitter.

Play Around with Spices

Those spices are really where you can have fun with this recipe. I love using spicy chili powder or curry powder. You could also toss the roasted chickpeas with fresh herbs, like rosemary or lemon zest (or rosemary and lemon zest!). It’s hard to go wrong here.

Eat Them Hot!

Unlike deep-fried chickpeas, oven-roasted chickpeas don’t stay as crispy once they cool, so I recommend eating them while they’re still warm from the oven for optimal crunchiness. This said, once they cool, the roasted chickpeas become intensely nutty and addictively chewy. It’s a different kind of snack, but one that’s equally worthy of your love and affection.

How To Make Crispy Roasted Chickpeas in the Oven

Yield: Serves 8, Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 2 to 4 teaspoons spices or finely chopped fresh herbs, such as chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, cumin, smoked paprika, rosemary, thyme, or other favorite spices and herbs
  

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F.

2. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Open the cans of chickpeas and pour the chickpeas into a strainer in the sink. Rinse thoroughly under running water.

3. Dry the chickpeas. Pat the chickpeas very dry with a clean dishtowel or paper towels. They should look matte and feel dry to the touch; if you have time, leave them to air-dry for a few minutes. Remove any chickpea skins that come off while drying, but otherwise don’t worry about them.

4. Toss the chickpeas with olive oil and salt. Spread the chickpeas out in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt. Stir with your hands or a spatula to make sure the chickpeas are evenly coated.

5. Roast the chickpeas for 20 to 30 minutes. Roast, stirring the chickpeas or shaking the pan every 10 minutes. A few chickpeas may pop – that’s normal. The chickpeas are done when golden and slightly darkened, dry and crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle, 20 to 30 minutes total.

6. Toss the chickpeas with the spices. Sprinkle the spices if using over the chickpeas and stir to coat evenly. Serve while the chickpeas are still warm and crispy. They will gradually lose their crispiness as they cool, becoming addictively chewy.

Emma Christensen is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories.