Crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside, these Crispy Air Fryer Parmesan Chickpeas are the perfect snack on their own, or toss them on top of salads or into a snack mix. Making chickpeas in the air fryer is a quick and easy way to achieve the perfect crispness.
Chickpeas, otherwise known as garbanzo beans, have always been one of my favorite additions to salads, certain chicken dishes and obviously hummus. Truth be told, I can open a can of chickpeas and eat them with a fork. I have always loved their subtle, earthy flavor and somewhat grainy texture. Anyone else with me on that?
Up until now, I have always made my chickpeas in the oven, one sweet and one savory version are particularly my favorites. However, I recently told you all about how much I love cooking things in my new air fryer. It’s honestly one of my absolute favorite appliances. I don’t think a day goes by without making use of it in one way or another. It’s going to be great for summer too as it does not heat up the kitchen. Bring on the warm weather!
Anyway, I used a handful of ingredients in these Crispy Air Fryer Parmesan Chickpeas and they are packed with flavor. The understated flavor of the chickpea allows it to take on spice and really let the flavor shine through. And let’s make note of how crispy they turn out! The perfect crunch. Chickpeas as a snack are also great for gluten free or plant-based diets.
One of the tricks to making crispy chickpeas is making sure they are completely dry before adding olive oil and spices. I always rinse my chickpeas and then place them on top of paper towels to dry, blotting the tops with more paper towels.
Once the chickpeas are dry, they are tossed with all the goodness you see here.
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Here I have added the seasoned chickpeas to the basket of my air fryer. You don’t want to overcrowd them. I let each batch air fry for 5 minutes and I give them a shake and air fry them for another 5 minutes or until they are the desired crispness I prefer.
As you can imagine, these play nicely with beer.
They are perfect for your next cocktail party or game night.
There is a secret to keeping the chickpeas crispy after you’ve made them, especially if you want to store them for a couple of days. Air flow is very important so plastic bags are out. Storing them at room temperature in parchment bags keeps the crunch factor alive.
If you are putting to together a snack mix, don’t forget to add these to your ingredient list.
I seriously love my air fryer and all the versatility it has in the kitchen. If you are on the fence about getting one, I hope you finally take the plunge. Besides my Air Fryer Salmon I mentioned above, you can also make these Crispy Buttermilk Parmesan Chicken Tenders or Buffalo Chicken Air Fryer Chicken Legs. Did you know you can make Air Fryer Hot Dogs? They have the perfect snap. I have not tried Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs, but clearly I need to. And Air Fryer Apple Pie Fries sound like a really great idea.
Five years ago I posted this recipe for a Gnocchi-Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich, have you made it yet? It’s time.
Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? I want to see you there!
Crispy Air Fryer Parmesan Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and patted completely dry
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated (crumbly) Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
- Drain and rinse your chickpeas under cold water, patting completely dry with a paper towel.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently until chickpeas are covered uniformly in seasonings.
- Set air fryer to 390 degrees F. Divide chickpeas into three batches, air frying one batch at a time as to not overcrowd them. Air fry for 5-6 minutes, remove and shake the basket and air fry for another 5 minutes or until desired crispiness is reached. Repeat with each batch until done.
- Serve immediately or cool chickpeas in a single layer on paper towels or parchment sheets before storing in parchment bags for up to three days.
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Erin says
Caicos I just make thee on a oven- I don’t have a air fryer
Missy says
I have to admit i didn’t even know that “air fryers” were a thing! So cool. Checking them out right now so that I can healthy make snacks like this.
Cathy says
Enjoy.
Catalina says
Thank you for the recipe, Cathy. I really liked them, the taste is amazing.
My only issue is that they were not crispy enough when done, even by leaving them in the air fryer a couple of minutes longer.
Any suggestions?
Cathy says
Make sure they are completely dry before adding seasonings. Let them cool completely. Also, do not overcrowd your air fryer basket.
Kim Mann says
Do you have the nutritional breakdown on this recipe? I’m following weight watchers and would like to calculate the points. Thanks!!
Cathy says
I don’t. However, you can pop the information into a website like My Fitness Pal and it will give you the information.
may fong says
Do you have to rub the skins off the garbanzos before seasoning?
Cathy says
No.
Amanda L Gonzalez says
Can I use chickpeas that are dried? Not canned? Can I just hydrate them for some hours?
Cathy says
I don’t believe that would work well.
Jessica says
Actually you totally can! I hydrated a bag of beans in cool water for 24 hours then patted them dry and used this recipe! So good!
Mason says
I am a vegan but these look very good. Is there any way I could not use parmesan cheese.
Cathy says
That’s up to you.
Sandy Fox says
Try using Nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.
Cathy says
Great idea.
Dawn says
What brand of air fryer do you have that has a square compartment and what is the size capacity? Thanks.
Cathy says
There is a link to my air fryer in this post.
Jannine says
I don’t have an air fryer but am going to try doing in oven. Would you know how many carbs they would be at all as my daughter has type1 diabetes but I think they would be good as a snack
Amy Houfek says
I have the new Instant Vortex that has a rotisserie basket would it work to put them in this?
Cathy says
I don’t have any experience with that, but you can always try it.
Donna DAndrea says
Thank you for posting! I, too, am a chickpea lover… right out of the can. Since I don’t have an air fryer, I’ll continue to roast these in the oven – how different is the texture? Are they crisper? May push me to go out an buy an air fryer!
Cathy says
Much crisper!
kenji says
These air fryer chickpeas are amazing. They were so addictive! Thank you for a great recipe.
Cathy says
Chickpeas in the air fryer are the only way to go! Enjoy.