Roasted Chickpeas

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This oven roasted chickpeas recipe is super-simple to make and irresistibly crispy and delicious!

Whenever Barclay and I can’t decide what to make for dinner, we have a running joke that one of us will always eventually offer — “want me to just roast up a batch of chickpeas?” ♡

Roasted chickpeas have somehow become our default dinner protein over the years, partly because they’re so inexpensive, healthy, versatile, and super-easy to make. But mainly, we just find ourselves making them so often because my vegetarian husband and I both equally love them! They’re perfect for tossing in a big green salad, piling onto fresh buddah bowls, sprinkling over soups or pastas, or just snacking on plain (my favorite). And especially on those nights when we haven’t been to the grocery store in awhile, we know that we can always grab a can or two of chickpeas from the pantry to add some satisfying protein to our meal. They’re just so good!

That said, while there are about a million ways that you can season roasted chickpeas, we tend to make ours the same way 9 times out of 10 — with smoked paprika, sumac, garlic powder, salt and pepper. We’ve found this simple seasoning blend goes with just about anything. And I’m telling you, that smoky, citrusy, savory flavors always hits the spot.

So today, I thought I’d pop in to share our favorite roasted chickpeas recipe with you, as well as my best tips that I’ve learned over the years for how to roast legit crispy chickpeas, how to properly store them, and all sorts of delicious ways to put them to use.

Let’s roast some chickpeas!

Roasted Chickpea Ingredients

Before we get to the full oven roasted chickpea recipe below, here are a few notes about the ingredients you will need:

Chickpeas: You will need two basic cans of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) for this recipe, which we will rinse in a colander, drain and dry before using.
Olive oil: I recommend using a good-quality olive oil, especially since this recipe features such a short ingredient list.
Seasonings: We’re partial to a blend of ground sumac (a Middle Eastern spice with a delicious citrusy flavor), smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper to season roasted chickpeas in our house. But please feel free to use whatever seasonings you love best!

How To Make Roasted Chickpeas

Here are a few additional tips I’ve learned over the years for how to make roasted chickpeas that are actually crispy…

Dry the chickpeas as much as possible before baking. The enemy of crispy roasted chickpeas is moisture. So in order to make the crispiest chickpeas, we need to remove as much moisture as possible before baking. After thoroughly rinsing and draining the chickpeas in a colander, I find it’s easiest to spread them out on a clean kitchen towel and rub them gently to dry as much as possible. Some of the chickpea skins will naturally fall off during this process, which is totally okay! That said…
Remove the chickpea skins (if you’re really feeling ambitious). If you want to make the crispiest possible chickpeas, you can continue rubbing the chickpeas or pinching them between your fingers to remove all of the skins. To be honest, I never have the time or patience for this step and am still pleased with how the chickpeas bake up in the oven even with many skins still attached. However, if you really want to go the extra mile, you can take the time to remove all of the chickpea skins, give the chickpeas one final rub with the towel to remove any remaining moisture, and then toss with olive oil, seasonings, and roast.
Use parchment paper. I also highly recommend roasting chickpeas on parchment paper, which helps prevent the zesty seasonings from sticking to your baking sheet.
Serve immediately. After having roasted literally hundreds of batches of chickpeas over the years, I have to say that they are simply best eaten within an hour or two of being roasted. Unfortunately, there’s just no great way to maintain that irresistibly crunchy texture if you store them for much longer after being roasted. They’ll still be tasty, for sure, and I’ve included my best tips below for how to store roasted chickpeas. But for the best crispy texture, they’re best eaten and enjoyed right away.

Recipe Variations

This roasted chickpeas recipe is incredibly flexible, so please feel free to play around and customize it and make it your own! Here are a few suggestions of different variations to try…

Use different seasonings: The sky’s the limit when it comes to different ways that you can season roasted chickpeas! Some of my other favorite blends to use are Italian seasoning, everything bagel seasoning, za’atar seasoning, curry powder + ginger, chili powder + cumin or cinnamon + sugar.
Use a different oil: Just about any favorite neutral-flavored cooking oil that you like to use would work well in this recipe.
Add lemon juice: I also love adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving. (Don’t add it too far in advance or it may soften the crispy chickpea texture.)

Ways To Use Roasted Chickpeas

There are all sorts of delicious ways that you can use a batch of roasted chickpeas! We love using them to top salads, soups, pastas, or grain bowls. But my favorite way to eat them will forever be just on their own as a healthy snack — I find their satisfying crunch and zesty seasonings irresistible!

How To Store Roasted Chickpeas

As I mentioned above, unfortunately there is no great method for storing chickpeas that will perfectly maintain their crispy texture. (Believe me, I’ve tried everything over the years!) Again, any sort of moisture will soften the chickpeas considerably in storage. So it’s important to store them in some sort of container that is open (not airtight) where air can freely circulate. We usually toss any of our leftovers in a large mason jar or bowl, and cover it lightly with a thin kitchen towel or paper towel. They can be stored for up to a few days, but they are definitely best the first day or two.