Prep Time 5

Total Time 20

Servings 15 1 ounce servings

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Extra crispy air-fryer chickpeas are an easy, crunchy, dairy-free snack. I like to eat them in place of potato chips, in a Mediterranean bowl, or as a crunch salad with gluten-free croutons.

A small bowl filled with crispy chickpeas with a Texas spoon in it.

Why Air-Fry Chickpeas?

Air-frying chickpeas gives you the perfect crunch with less work and less oil! Yes, you can make them in the oven or even on the stove. However, I prefer air-frying chickpeas because it gives the perfect crunch and keeps them good for up to two days! How is that for perfect technique?

What Do I Eat Them With?

I love having them around the house and eating them as a snack. I keep it simple with sea salt and eat them instead of potato chips. Honestly, I think they’re better than chips! I also put them as croutons on a salad, like my crunchy kale salad or golden beet salad. I also like them inside my Mediterranean veggie wrap for texture.

The Trick To Make Chickpeas with an Audible Crunch

Removing as much water as possible is the only way to make your chickpeas extra crispy. After rinsing, pat them dry and remove the skins. You don’t have to remove all the skins, but aim to remove most of them.

The next trick is coconut oil! I was so surprised at the difference it made. The chickpeas cooked quicker, were crunchier, and stayed crunchy. On the opposite end of the spectrum was olive oil. Those chickpeas needed 35% more cooking time and were softening within an hour!

A plate filled with crispy air fried chickpeas. One cooked in coconut oil and the other in olive oil. The coconut oil was much darker when cooked for a shorter time.

Ingredients

Chickpeas: For this recipe, you can use canned or dry chickpeas. Note: You must cook dried chickpeas before air-frying them.
Coconut Oil: I tested this recipe with several different oils. Coconut oil was the best. The chickpeas toasted faster, dried out more, and stored longer.
Sea Salt: I kept this recipe simple, using oil and sea salt. This recipe is the perfect potato chip replacement—a little salty and a lot of crunchy. See the suggestions below if you want to add more flavor, like potato chips.

A bowl filled with crispy chickpeas where you can see the chickpeas up close.

Frequently Asked Questions

The three things you need to do to have crunchy chickpeas:

Thoroughly dry them after rinsing them.
Remove the skins. (They trap moisture!)
Use coconut oil. It works better than any other oil!

Indeed, chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing! The term “chickpea” is common in English. “Garbanzo bean” is common in Spanish.

No, you cannot pop chickpeas like you do when making popcorn. However, you can air fry them until they become a crispy, crunchy snack like popcorn.

Chickpeas often pop in the air fryer, especially if they are moist. When heated, the moisture in chickpeas turns into steam, making them pop and jump. To reduce popping, dry the chickpeas before placing them in the air fryer.

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If they lose their crispiness, you can reheat them in the air fryer for a few minutes to revive their crunch.

Pair This Recipe With

Authentic Lebanese Hummus – Scattered on top of the hummus.
Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad – For a true crunch.
Mediterranean Veggie Wrap – Add Texture.

If you tried this Crispy Air Fryer Chickpea recipe or any other recipe on my blog, leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below.