Chickpeas have been apart of Middle Eastern cuisine for a long time and more recently, they are becoming very popular worldwide. The are rich in fiber and plant based protein, help to manage blood sugar levels and contain lots of vitamins and nutrients that should be added to our daily diets.
In addition to all of that, they are just plain delicious! Chickpeas can be transformed into hummus, falafel, smashed smooth and spread onto sandwiches or crackers, blended into soups, used as the protein in curry or roasted up crispy and enjoyed as a snack or as “croutons” in a salad.
I remember seeing the words “chickpea croutons” in a salad description once and was so confused as how those rubbery little beans could ever be in the same category as a crisp, seasoned crouton.
Well, they can!
When chickpeas are drizzled in olive oil, seasoned and roasted in a hot oven, they develop the most wonderfully crisp texture that really does add that special crunch factor that a crouton brings to a salad. So, the next time you are looking to add something special to your salad or simple want a healthy snack, roast up a batch of these crispy spiced chickpeas. They are the best!
Let’s get them started…
The first step is the most important one. Chickpeas or garbanzo beans have little skins on them and if their skins are left on, they trap moisture and prevent the chickpeas from becoming crisp during the roasting process. Removing the skins will allow the chickpeas to develop a fabulously crispy texture, so it is a very important step in this recipe.
With a little Googling, you can find several ways to remove chickpeas skins, but since we are working with a small batch, this is how I get the job done…
Simply rinse a can or two of chickpeas under cold water for about 30 seconds. Drain the excess water and transfer the chickpeas onto a few sheets of paper towels (photo above). Place a few more paper towels over the chickpeas and roll them around vigorously enough to loosen the skins… but not vigorously enough to smash the chickpeas.
Note: If you are new to this situation, I suggest doing this on a baking sheet to avoid chasing escaping chickpeas rolling around the floor.
Once the skins are removed, get rid of them and transfer the chickpeas onto a rimmed baking sheet. If you are making 1 can of chickpeas, a little cookie sheet is fine, but if you are making a larger batch, be sure to use a large baking sheet so the chickpeas have room to spread out.
Drizzle about 1 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over 15 ounces of chickpeas. I am doing a double batch today, so I used about 3 tablespoons. You want the chickpeas to be lightly coated, but not have a lot of excess oil on the baking sheet.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of seasoning over the chickpeas and give the baking sheet a good shake to roll them all around in the oil and seasoning. You can season the chickpeas in many different ways, but my dry barbecue spice blend is my all time favorite way to season these crispy chickpeas (and many other dishes too!). If I am looking to change things up a little, I also like using Lawry’s seasoned salt.
Now these are just my go-to ways to season these chickpeas, but your options are endless! You can use some garam masala for Indian inspired crispy chickpeas, fajita seasoning to take these treats in a more Latin direction or even just some garlic salt to keep thing simple.
However you end up seasoning them, you are going to love them!
Bake the chickpeas in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour, shaking the baking sheet every 15 minutes or so to shift the chickpeas around a bit.
As soon as they are all crispy, take them out and transfer them onto a paper towel lined plate.
These crispy spiced chickpeas are so good! They are really crunchy, but not just just hard or dried out from baking, they crumble apart almost like super crisp bacon. They work great on a salad, over some soup or in a bowl on your lap while you watch your favorite movie.
I love them and I know you will love them too!
Crispy Spiced Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 15 ounces of chickpeas, rinsed, skins removed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of barbecue spice blend, seasoned salt or your favorite seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Transfer the chickpeas into a strainer and rinse under cold water for about 30 seconds
- Drain the chickpeas and transfer them onto a few sheets of paper towels
- Add a few more sheets of paper towels over the chickpeas and roll them around to gently remove the skins
- Discard the skins and transfer the chickpeas onto a rimmed baking sheet
- Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the chickpeas and toss them around to ensure the are all lightly coated
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of seasoning over the chickpeas and toss them around again
- Bake for 1 hour in a 375 degree oven, tossing the chickpeas around every 15 minutes or so
- Once they are all crispy, transfer them onto a paper towel lined plate
- Enjoy immediately
