Crispy Pan-Roasted Chickpeas

Meet your new favorite snack.

Here’s the recipe for crispy roasted chickpeas, pan-fried and tossed in salt, pepper, and smoky paprika. This easy, healthy snack tastes deeply satisfying, and makes a fun topping to hummus, avocado toast, and salad, too.

Crispy Pan-Roasted Chickpeas: Recipe Notes

Whose heart races with excitement when they hear the word “legume”? Nobody. (Well, maybe this guy.) A lentil or garbanzo bean is not exactly on par with chocolate truffles or a good slice of birthday cake.

Yet, when done right, beans and legumes make truly satisfying — and even delicious — snacks or meals. At the top of my list of great bean dishes is this easy roasted chickpeas recipe, pan roasted in olive oil and perfectly seasoned.

There are a couple of great recipes out there for something similar — I riffed this one from a Bon Appetit fried chickpea recipe and this one from Food52.

How to Make Roasted Chickpeas Crispy

In order to get maximum crispiness, the first step is to drain the chickpeas, rinse them well, and let the chickpeas dry in the fridge overnight, uncovered, on a towel.

Drying the chickpeas overnight in the fridge also has the additional benefit of preventing dangerous grease spatter burns when you pan roast them in the oil.

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas: Recipe Steps

These crispy, roasted chickpeas are very easy to make. Here are the main steps to crunchy, pan-fried snacking success:

1. Dry drained, rinsed chickpeas in the fridge overnight on a towel.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Add the dried chickpeas and roast in the pan until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
4. Drain on a paper towel-lined dish or pan, then
5. Toss with the smoked paprika and salt.

Adding Smoked Paprika to the Crispy Chickpeas

I think that smoked paprika adds an incredible color and flavor to these otherwise humble beans. But the paprika is not essential. Tossing these crispy roasted chickpeas simply in salt would taste very good. You could also try grated parmesan cheese or fresh herbs.

Have fun — and let me know if you come up with a great flavor!

When I somehow manage not to eat the entire batch of fried chickpeas by the handful in one sitting, I add these to salads or sprinkle a few atop avocado or hummus toast.

If you like this crispy roasted chickpeas recipe, you will also love:

• Tomato Chickpea Stew
• Spanish Tapa: Stewed Garbanzos and Greens (Garbanzos con Espinacas)
• A Big Fat Greek Mezze Platter

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

An easy, crispy roasted chickpea recipe that's healthy and deeply flavorful from salt and smoked paprika. Eat by the handful, or use to top salad, hummus, or avocado toast.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Drying Time in Fridge8 hours hrs

Course: Snack

Keywords:: chickpeas, paprika, recipe, snack

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Ingredients 

• 1 16-ounce can unsalted chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste

Instructions

• Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander and spread them to dry on a towel-lined dish or sheet pan in the refrigerator for eight hours, or overnight.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a 10" skillet. It should be about a 1/8" layer of oil. When the oil is shimmering but not smoking, add the chickpeas to the pan, and spread them to one even layer. Reserve the towel-lined dish or pan.

  PRO TIP: A cast-iron pan will hold the temperature more evenly and steadily than other types.
• Let the chickpeas fry in the oil for about 10 minutes, or until toasty brown, shaking the skillet every few minutes to make sure the beans cook evenly. You may need to lower the heat to medium.
• While the chickpeas are frying, combine the salt and paprika in a mixing bowl and set aside.
• When the chickpeas are toasted and fried, drain them on the towel-lined pan for a minute, then add them to the salt-paprika mixture and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, and serve warm or at room temperature.