Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas are a great snack and can be used as a salad or soup topper. Use the suggested Mexican spice mix or play around with your favourite spices to come up with something new. Get roasted chickpeas at home without turning on the oven!

These Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas are 100% snack goals! Crunchy and spiced to perfection, you'll love just how easy these are to throw together.
I've made roasted chickpeas in the oven many times but I always found that the result was never quite what I was hoping. That all changed with the air fryer. My chickpeas are now super crispy every time!
While I do love eating these roasted chickpeas as snacks on their own I also use them as toppers for salads and soups for extra crunch.
I generally use a classic mix of Mexican spices for my chickpeas but feel free to play around with your favourites. The opportunities are endless!
Why you'll love this recipe...
- Quick and easy.
- Great snack.
- Experiment with new flavours.
New to air frying? Be sure to get your free printable Air Fryer Cooking Chart filled with cooking times & temperatures for all your favourite foods, plus tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your air fryer.
WHAT IS AN AIR FRYER?
An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that uses convection to rapidly circulate hot air around food to cook and crisp it up. It’s essentially a mini convection oven that fits perfectly on your countertop.
Should you rinse canned chickpeas?
When you open a can of chickpeas you'll notice they are stored in a gloopy, cloudy liquid. This liquid is extra starchy and full of sodium.
Unless the recipe you're making calls for using it, always drain and give your chickpeas a good rinse in a colander before using them.
How do you make chickpeas crispy?
When making chickpeas in the oven I found I had to remove all the skins from the chickpeas to get them crispy. Ain't nobody got time for that!
All you need to do to make crispy chickpeas in the air fryer is to dry them a bit with some paper towel, then cover in oil and spices. Then the air fryer takes over. Just make sure you are shaking the basket every 5 minutes or so.
INGREDIENTS
One of the things I love about crispy chickpeas is that I always have the ingredients on hand. Here's what you'll need (full measurements listed in the printable recipe card below)...
- Canned Chickpeas
- Olive Oil
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
- Salt
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas - Step by Step
Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, then dry in between sheets of paper towel. It's ok if some of the skins fall off during this process but don't worry about removing them all individually.
Pour the chickpeas into a bowl with the oil, spices and salt and mix well.
Pour the seasoned chickpeas into your air fryer basket and cook on 200C / 390F for around 15 minutes, or until they are nice and crispy. You'll want to shake the basket every few minutes to ensure they all cook evenly. Watch them carefully from the 10 minute mark onwards as you don't want to overcook and every air fryer can act differently.
Serve immediately, or pour onto a plate until cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days.
Tips for making this recipe
- Rinse your chickpeas thoroughly, then dry between paper towel.
- Play around with the spice mix - start with something simple and work your way up from there. I've even seen sweet spice mixes like cinnamon sugar that would be great to experiment with.
- Check in on your chickpeas regularly the first time you try this recipe - chickpeas can go from crunchy and delicious to burnt and overcooked very quickly, so monitor them closely.
- Ensure your chickpeas are completely cool before storing them in an airtight container.
- Use your crispy chickpeas as snacks or as salad or soup toppers.
MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES
- Air Fryer Roasted Almonds
- Air Fryer Baked Apples
- Crunchy Roasted Peas (Air Fryer or Oven)
- Air Fryer Carrot Fries
- Air Fryer Banana Muffins
- Air Fryer Croutons
- Air Fryer Tater Tots
- OR see all Air Fryer Recipes
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📋 RECIPE
Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas
Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas are a great snack and can be used as a salad or soup topper. Use the suggested Mexican spice mix or play around with your favourite spices to come up with something new. Get roasted chickpeas at home without turning on the oven! Â
Ingredients
- 400g / 15oz Canned Chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Power
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- â…› teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, then dry in between sheets of paper towel. It's ok if some of the skins fall off during this process but don't worry about removing them all individually.
- Pour the chickpeas into a bowl with the oil, spices and salt and mix well.
- Pour the seasoned chickpeas into your air fryer basket and cook on 200C / 390F for around 15 minutes, or until they are nice and crispy. You'll want to shake the basket every few minutes to ensure they all cook evenly. Watch them carefully from the 10 minute mark onwards as you don't want to overcook and every air fryer can act differently.
- Serve immediately, or pour onto a plate until cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days.
Notes
TIPS FOR MAKING CRISPY AIR FRYER CHICKPEAS
- Rinse your chickpeas thoroughly, then dry between paper towel. Â
- Play around with the spice mix - start with something simple and work your way up from there. I've even seen sweet spice mixes like cinnamon sugar that would be great to experiment with. Â
- Check in on your chickpeas regularly the first time you try this recipe - chickpeas can go from crunchy and delicious to burnt and overcooked very quickly, so monitor them closely. Â
- Ensure your chickpeas are completely cool before storing them in an airtight container. Â
- Use your crispy chickpeas as snacks or as salad or soup toppers. Â
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 180Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 408mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 7gSugar: 4gProtein: 8g
Rhonda Biddle says
I usually bake my chickpeas in the oven. Since it’s 90 here today, I gave them a go in the air fryer. Followed the recipe exactly as written, but kept hearing the chickpeas pop in the fryer (almost like popcorn). When I shook once, one popped and almost got me in the face. What did I do wrong? Or, is the popping normal? Anxious to try them when done:)
Cassie says
Hey Rhonda - I haven't had chickpeas pop on me before but it doesn't sound like you've done anything wrong at all. There could be a few factors at play - i'm thinking if the fan is particularly forceful on your air fryer it could be causing them to move around. They could also be a bit damp from being rinsed. Next time you could try just leaving them in the colander for awhile in the sink to dry off, or pat them down with some paper towel before oiling and cooking and see if that helps. I hope they still tasted delicious!
Dianne says
I like Himalayan salt and when they are done a sprinkle of sugar...sweet and salty! Store up to a few days? WHO does that? Lol
Cassie says
I love the idea of sweet and salty!! And you're right - they never last the day in our house haha