Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
Spicy roasted chickpeas are an easy, healthy snack when you’re looking for something with a delicious crunch.
They’re made with just a few simple ingredients in barely any time at all.
In just a few simple steps, you’ll have a scrumptious treat ready to pop right into your mouth!
About the Recipe
Spicy roasted chickpeas are an excellent crispy, crunchy, salty snack.
They’re perfect for grabbing by the handful and shoveling them into your mouth or in place of traditional croutons on a salad.
They add a wonderful punch of flavor and texture.
This recipe is made in just over 30 minutes with a few pantry ingredients and only 3 steps.
It’s a quick and easy way to eat healthy when you’re craving something snackable.
The absolute best part: the spices I use here are just a start. With the basic outline on how to roast chickpeas, including the process, oven temperature, and cook time, you can feel free to experiment with flavors however you choose.
If you like sweet snacks, season the chickpeas with brown sugar and cinnamon.
And for a slightly less spicy, yet still savory idea, season with a simple combination of garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
It’s entirely up to you and your tastebuds!
Ingredients
A note about each component of this dish
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are the main component of this recipe. They are filled with healthy fiber and protein, making them a healthier snack than chips.
- Spices: Specifically cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes. Each of these seasonings lends smokey, spicy, subtly salty flavor to the chickpeas. Depending on your preferences, you can tone any of these spices up or down.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil aides in the roasting of the chickpeas. It helps them cook through and turn crispy.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Lay chickpeas out on a sheet pan and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Remove the towel from the pan.
- Combine spices in a bowl. Sprinkle the spices over the chickpeas and drizzle them with the olive oil.
- Toss until the chickpeas are coated with spices.
- Place in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake 25-35 minutes, until crispy, stirring once about halfway through.
- Remove from the oven, set aside and allow to cool.
- Store the roasted chickpeas in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.
Substitutions and Alternatives
You can make these roasted chickpeas sweet or savory, using any mixture of spices: For example, a Mexican spice mixture would include chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. For an Indian spice mixture, include coriander, cardamom, turmeric, and cumin. And for Italian, use basil, oregano, and thyme.
If you don’t have olive oil: you can use any oil, such as avocado oil. Just be sure to choose one with a mild flavor.
Fun Facts
If your chickpeas aren’t crunchy, it could be due to a few different issues. Always make sure to dry the chickpeas thoroughly before roasting.
Then, make sure to roast them for the full time listed in the instructions. If they’re still soft when that time is up, you may need to leave them in a bit longer.
Additionally, only use a moderate amount of oil. Do not drown the chickpeas, or else they’ll get soggy.
If the chickpeas are fully roasted, dry, and crispy, they do not need to be placed in the refrigerator.
Instead, allow them to cool completely and store them in an airtight container on your counter or in your pantry.
For this recipe, you do not need to boil the chickpeas before roasting, since canned chickpeas are already cooked.
However, if using dried chickpeas, you do not need to boil them, but you will need to let them soak overnight.
Then, dry them with a towel before roasting.
Chef’s Tip
This recipe is great on a salad. Instead of using traditional croutons, top your salad with these spicy roasted chickpeas.
They truly take your salad to the next level, while providing additional flavor and protein. This kale and crispy chickpea caesar salad is a fantastic option!
More Delicious Recipes
- Kale and Crispy Chickpea Caesar Salad
- 10 Ways to Use Up a Can of Beans
- Cheesy Zucchini Bread
- Simple Healthy Snack Ideas
- Stovetop Popcorn
Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
Crispy roasted chickpeas made with olive oil, spices and salt. The perfect crunchy snack!
- Prep Time: 5-10 mins
- Cook Time: 30-35 mins
- Total Time: 35-45 mins
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 15–ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Lay chickpeas out on a sheet pan and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Remove the towel from the pan.
- Combine spices in a bowl. Sprinkle the spices over the chickpeas and drizzle them with the olive oil. Toss until the chickpeas are coated with spices.
- Place in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake 30-35 minutes, or until very crispy, stirring once about halfway through.
- Remove from the oven, set aside and allow to cool.
- Store the roasted chickpeas in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Cooking Tips: Try half regular chili powder and half ancho chili powder for more heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 246
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 162mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
This totally looks like a great beginning for a salad… love it! I never would have thought to just have dressing for roasted chickpeas.
Hi Janet! I am with ya… I just like to put odd combos together sometimes and see what happens 😉 I hope you enjoy it!
These roasted chickpeas are super crispy, have the perfect amount of spice and satisfy my salty snack craving. They’re yummy!
Glad you’re loving the crispy chickpeas, Dave! I hope you make them again. 🙂
Great recipe! I love these and they are a great source of fiber and protein. Next I am trying Ranch seasoning…. And then maybe after that a sweet brown sugar with a bit of heat!
YUM! Both of those renditions sound amazing. I’m glad you enjoyed them, Candace!
This is delicious! Love the spice combo!
Awesome to hear, Wanda! Enjoy!!
I’m getting ready to try this recipe now. Would they turn out better if I remove all the skins first, or are the skins part of the crispiness? LMK. Thanks.
Hi Colleen – no need to remove the skins! They will turn out super crispy with them on. Enjoy!
Hello! I used dried chickpeas and let them soak overnight (16 hours) without boiling them, as stated in the recipe. Unfortunately it did not work. The chickpeas were hard as rock, as if I’d never soaked them. I tried to keep them in the oven for longer, up until a point where they burned. I do not recommend this method and will try again with canned chickpeas
Hi Karin, this recipe is for using canned chickpeas only, not dried chickpeas. Even after soaking dried chickpeas, they’d still need to be fully cooked. I’d definitely recommend trying them with canned – they’re delish!
These are delicious . . . after 35+ minutes in 425, they were still not crispy, so I cooked another 5+ minutes, still not crispy, so I sprinkled with more olive oil, put quite a bit more salt and a generous sprinkling of Trader Joe’s chili lime seasoning, turned oven down to 350 and cooked at least another 10 minutes. We like foods on the spicier side- delish!
Oh yum! It’s funny how much ovens differ with temp/time. Glad you found the perfect method. Enjoy!!