With just a few ingredients, you can make these crispy fried chickpeas tossed in a finger-licking good seasoning blend at home. They come together in under 15 minutes and have the same delicious flavor as your favorite seasoned fries (but with the added benefits of chickpeas that require no prep work and add a little protein)!
How do we feel about chickpea recipes? Love em, hate em, think you like them but haven’t figured out how to make them at home?
Chickpeas have protein, they’re easy to use, and cheap to prepare. So personally – I love them. Between mashing them for a chickpea tuna melt to using them as crispy croutons on a crunchy kale chickpea salad, I probably eat a chickpea every day. One of my favorite ways is to snack on them is fried chickpeas!
Why you’ll love it
- Just 2 main ingredients and some spices are needed to make fried chickpeas. The magic is in the ratio of spices and the use of both smoked and sweet paprika.
- They’re the perfect snack or topping. You can grab them for the road, add them to a savory trail mix, or add them to salads.
- Ready in 15 minutes, flat.
Ingredients for Fried Garbanzo Beans
- Chickpeas: These can be found canned or dried. I prefer using a can of chickpeas because you only have to drain them (but here’s how to cook chickpeas from dried).
- Coconut Oil: I like to use coconut oil because it has a high smoke point and great flavor, making it ideal for frying at home.
- Spices: To get that french fry-level tasty spice, this seasoning blend pairs garlic powder with smoked paprika, sweet paprika, and a good amount of salt. You can use all smoked or all sweet paprika if that’s all you have on hand.
Chickpeas vs Garbanzo Beans
Did you know that these two ingredients are the same thing?! I didn’t until I could only find garbanzo beans at the store one day. While the images on the cans looked the same, a quick Google search confirmed. So, feel free to use either one in this recipe.
How to make pan-fried chickpeas
Here’s a quick overview of just how easy these are to make. Be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full instructions.
- Fry the chickpeas in a skillet with coconut oil.
- Toss them in the seasoning blend and let cool slightly.
Can you deep fry chickpeas?
Deep-fried chickpeas would involve fully submerging the chickpeas in hot oil. This is difficult to do safely and effectively at home. So, I opt for pan frying which means the chickpeas are submerged about halfway in hot oil in a pan. It gives the same effect as deep frying chickpeas – crispy and delicious!
Storage
Fried chickpeas can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. This is one of the reasons I love them – you can make a large batch and just use them as needed!
Recipe Testing Notes
- Frying in coconut oil vs vegetable oil: I initially tried this recipe with olive oil and avocado oil. Olive oil has too low of a smoke point so the chickpeas were more burnt tasting and avocado oil was too heavy. But coconut oil has both a high smoke point and is light enough to not make the chickpeas feel greasy.
- Seasoning at the end: This is something you do to make seasoned fries. The method allows the spices to stick to the oil while it’s still hot and then “set” into the chickpeas as it cools. I did test this by adding the spices directly to the coconut oil but they just burned up.
- Let the chickpeas cool: Trust me, I tried eating these right after taking them off the heat. But, 1) they burn your mouth, 2) the spices just fall off, and 3) the chickpeas aren’t that crispy yet. So, learn from me and let them cool for 10 minutes before eating.
How to Use Fried chickpeas
- As a snack on a road trip, in a savory trail mix, on a trail, and more!
- In a wrap or taco like chickpea taco or chickpea gyros.
- As part of an adult Lunchable like this gyro lunch meal prep or Mediterranean meal prep lunch box.
Looking for other ways of cooking chickpeas? Try Air Fryer Chickpeas and Roasted Chickpeas next!
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas drained, 425 g
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil 30 mL
- 1 tsp each garlic powder, smoked paprika, sweet paprika
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Dry: Drain the 1 15-oz can chickpeas then dry them well using either a few layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. The dryer they are, the crispier they'll get!
- Fry: Heat 2 Tbsp coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium/high heat. Add the dried chickpeas, ensuring they're in a single layer in the pan. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, jostling the pan often, until chickpeas are crispy and golden brown.
- Flavor: Stir together 1 tsp each garlic powder, smoked paprika, sweet paprika and ½ tsp salt. Add spice mixture to the chickpeas and stir to evenly coat. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and enjoy!
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