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crunchy roasted chickpeas

Course Snacks
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  • 2 cans 15 oz each chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • seasoning of your choice (I used za'atar, sumac and harissa spice)

Instructions

  • Drain and dry chickpeas very well. Dry them up using some paper towels and leave them in a colander until they have dried as much as possible (OR you can spread them on a large baking sheet lined with a paper towel for a while.)
  • Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and position a rack right in the middle.
  • Spread the chickpeas well on a bare baking sheet (do not line the baking sheet with parchment or foil.) Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and season with kosher salt. Toss chickpeas and make sure they are well-coated with the olive oil. Spread them out well on the sheet.
  • Roast in heated oven anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan every 10 minutes or so for even cooking. When chickpeas turn a deeper golden brown and the exterior is nice and crispy, they are ready.
  • Season roasted chickpeas. Once you take the chickpeas out of the oven, immediately season with spices of your choice. This time, I used za'atar, sumac, harissa blend (up to 2 tsp each) for warm Middle Eastern and Moroccan notes. Play with the amounts to your liking, and even change up the spices according to what you have. (see more flavor ideas up in the post)

Notes

crunchy roasted chickpeas

Make these crunchy chickpeas for an easy, healthy, flavor-packed snack! Salt and olive oil is all you need for the roasted chickpeas, but if you want to jazz them up, add some spices or seasoning as soon as they're out of the oven!
  • Cook's Tip: roasted chickpeas are best warm right out of the oven, they are crispiest at this point. Once they cool off and are stored for a time, they will maintain some crunch, but they will soften a bit on the inside. Still a very tasty and addictive snack.
  • Cook's Tip for Making Roasted Chickpeas Using Dry Chickpeas instead of canned: If you'd like to make this recipe from dry chickpeas, do not cook them! Simply soak the dry chickpeas in plenty of water for 24 hours. They will expand and at least double in size, that's what you want.  Follow the same instructions for drying and roasting.
  • Storage Tip: You can store cooled roasted chickpeas in a glass jar. They'll last for 4 to 5 days. And Leaving the jar lid a bit loose allows the chickpeas to breathe, keeping them crispy for longer.  You can also freeze them for
This time, I went for warm Middle Eastern and Moroccan flavors.
I used a combination of two of my favorite blends: za'atar (made of Mediterranean wild thyme and toasted sesame seeds) and harissa (a unique North African blend of three types of chili along with warm cumin, coriander, and more.) I also like to add a bit of sumac for tang. (By the way, you can find these spices at our online shop).
The beauty here is that you can play with all sorts of flavors to dress up your roasted chickpeas. Here are a few more flavor combinations you might like:
  • Feeling something more herby and bright? Use finely minced fresh herbs like parsley, mint, or basil + sumac or lemon zest!
  • For Greek or Italian, try adding a bit of thyme, oregano, or even piney rosemary (chop up your dry rosemary as it can be too hard.)
  • Want something warmer or on the spicy side? Add cayenne or a bit of your favorite chili pepper (I like Aleppo pepper, which is not too hot but has a nice, easy kick!)