Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Crispy air fryer chickpeas are ready in less than 15 minutes.

Garbanzo beans are seasoned with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast flakes, granulated onion, and a pinch of salt.

Eat them on their own or as a salad topping. Vegan & gluten-free.

Crispy fried chickpeas are a tasty, protein-packed snack.

They’re great warm, eaten by the handful, like a beany alternative to popcorn.

They’re also a satiating kale salad topper.

I started roasting chickpeas a million years ago when I first went vegan.

I regularly made roasted chickpeas in the oven on a baking sheet.

But once I got an air fryer, I realized I could make the same snack in less time with even better results.

(Want more air fryer ideas? Here are 30 vegan air fryer recipes I know you’ll love!)

In this post:

Jump to:

No fuss cooking
Use homemade or canned beans
Ingredients
Step by step instructions
Make them your own
Serving suggestions
📖 Recipe

No fuss cooking

When I roast them in the oven, I always recommend drying them first on a clean kitchen towel.

However, when you’re cooking in the air fryer, you don’t need to dry them first.

Instead, let the first few minutes of cooking time do the drying for you while the machine blows hot air around the beans.

Also, when cooking in the oven, I use parchment to make sure the chickpeas wouldn’t stick.

But in the air fryer, that’s not necessary.

Finally, the beans cook more quickly than they do in the oven & no preheating is required.

Use homemade or canned beans

You can use cooked-from-scratch chickpeas or the canned variety for this recipe.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that chickpeas vary in their softness.

Softer chickpeas will take longer to get crispy.

Depending on how crispy you like them, you may want to decrease or increase the cooking time a bit.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Chickpeas: You can use canned (drained & rinsed) or homemade chickpeas that have been fully cooked.

Cooking spray: A spritz of oil makes the chickpeas golden brown.

Nutritional yeast flakes: Nutritional yeast flakes add cheesiness & umami.

Look for it at natural grocery stores or Trader Joe’s.

If you don’t have yeast flakes, they can easily be omitted.

Granulated onion: I prefer granulated onion over powder because of its pop of flavor. However, it can be replaced with onion powder if you prefer.

Salt: A pinch of salt brings it all together.

Step by step instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Drain a can of chickpeas in a colander.
Pour them into the air fryer.
Set the timer to 12 minutes & 400 degrees.
After five minutes, open the air fryer basket.
Spritz the chickpeas with oil.
Then season them with nutritional yeast flakes, granulated onion, and a pinch of salt.
Close the basket & let them finish cooking.

Make them your own

You can make these chickpeas your own by varying your seasonings.

If you don’t have nutritional yeast flakes (which add a cheesy taste) or granulated onion, simply leave them off.

Add the spices you prefer instead.

Start with just a sprinkle. Then work your way up to your desired intensity.

Keep in mind that the chickpeas will shrink a little, intensifying the flavor.

Flavorings that work well include:

Garlic powder
Dried parsley
Dried oregano
Chili powder
Cumin
Paprika or smoked paprika
Curry powder

Serving suggestions

Close up kale salad with dolmas, air fried garbanzo beans, and olives.

Here are a few ways to enjoy air fried chickpeas:

Eat them by the handful as a snack
Pour them over a salad with creamy cashew salad dressing
Add them to a dinner of artichoke pesto pasta
Use them as a bowl topper with pesto rice
Enjoy them in bowtie pasta salad

📖 Recipe

Content, recipe, and photos updated May 2020. Originally posted January 2017.

Comments