Roasted chickpeas are all the rage on food sites far and wide. So, I may be the last one to the party (I usually am), but here comes my obligatory roasted chickpea post. I shall feel like an outsider no more!
These crunchy nuggets are popular for very good reason. Reasons, really. Some are…
- They’re delicious!
- Only 4 ingredients
- Ridiculously easy to make and fool-proof
- Addicting
- Good for you! (Pure protein and fiber!)
- Did I mention that they are delicious?
They’re also versatile little guys. They add great crunch to salads, fill in nicely for croutons on soup or simply make a perfect snack while you watch the Top Chef season finale. I seasoned this batch with Garam Masala, which gave them a nice Indian flavor. Last time, I used smoked paprika. Sigh, I am obsessed with smoked paprika. And now, I’m obsessed with roasted chickpeas. Make these and you’ll soon be addicted, too.
Garam Masala Roasted Chickpeas
Feel free to use any spice you like, or a blend of spices. Indian curry powders are great here, as are all kinds of paprika or chili powder. Experiment!
2 15-oz cans chickpeas
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Garam Masala
1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
Preheat the oven to 375°. Drain the chickpeas in a colander and rinse very well. Let them dry for 5 minutes or so, then place them in a big bowl. Add the olive oil, Garam Masala and sea salt. Using your hands (or a spoon, I suppose), toss until the chickpeas are evenly coated.
Spread them out on a rimmed cookie sheet so that they’re not overlapping, then bake for 40 – 45 minutes, tossing the pan occasionally. They’re done when they’re crisp and crunchy.
Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to a week (as if they’d last that long).
I must be out of the loop because I haven’t heard much about roasted chickpeas. Garam masala and smoked paprika both sound like great ideas for these. I’m going to start dreaming up other flavors. Have you thought to do any salty-sweet combinations?
Great idea! I love roasted chickpeas, but it never occurred to me that I could make them myself. Duh! BTW: I’m a colleague (and friend) of your brother, Danny “the somewhat less than bitchin’” Camero :-)
The female half of this Duo makes these ALL THE TIME! Literally. It’s crazy. Usually it’s cumin, garlic powder, cayenne and salt, but you’ve got a great idea with the garam masala.
Yum… I adore chick peas. I have pan fried them w/ rosemary & sea salt in olive oil, but like the idea of roasting them much better.
I brought back some garam masala from my trip to India in January. Thanks for the tip!
how about using dried chickpeas after soaking and cooking? any thoughts on how texture would be affected? this sounds like such a great recipe, and i just picked up some chickpeas.
i just made these and ate them allll….so, so good!
Brittany – The Garam Masala kind of reminds me of sweet because it’s got a lot of cinnamon. Next time, I made try a cinnamon sugar mix. What are you thinking? I love salty/sweet!
Colin – Thanks! And yes, Danny is much less bitchin’ than I am :)
Duo Dishes – Sounds like the female duo and I would get along. I want to try sugar and cayenne…Might be weird, might be good. We’ll see!
Shazza – They’re great roasted with rosemary and salt
redmenace – Yum! I bet that’s good stuff!
catherine – Yep. Any chickpeas would work. I’m just lazy and use cans :)
. – Hahaha! Told you they were addicting!
I came late to the chickpea party too but like you became quickly addicted to them especially since I am trying to lose some weight and need lots of fiber and not a lot of fat. I did a black pepper and finely grated parmesan version that were really fantastic also.
Danielle – Black pepper and parmesan will be my next batch. Thanks for the idea :)
Those look lovely! Must add garam masala to grocery list.
i do love these. they are addictive. our local pub serves them with your drinks and if i’m hungry i’ve been known to go thru a few bowls myself.
I made these this weekend. You’re right– they are the perfect snack… like chewy hummus (and hummus is the OTHER perfect snack).
those look perfect. I have to try them!
Tried these yesterday – did half with garam masala and half with Tony Chachere’s cajun seasoning. I love the gm ones, and the rest of the family enjoyed the cajun version. I cut the seasoning in half (not on purpose; forgot how much I was supposed to use), but they came out great. Thanks for posting the recipe.
These look amazing, and so easy! I have some garam masala at home that’s just waiting to be used, I think I’ll try this tonight.
They are in the oven now. Can’t wait to try roasted chickpea for the first time!
This looks way yum. I can just taste it. Sometimes I have a garam masala “attack” and will just have potatoes or veggies and rice with that spice added. I also love garbanzos and never thought of marrying the two together like in this fabulous recipe. Thanks so much!
These sound great! I think it would totally be worth trying using chaat masala. It’s an indian spice that they use a lot in street food. Very tangy! I think it would be delicious on these. I dust any kebabs I make with it too. It’s relatively easy to get, at least here in Canada. And now I’m getting hungry. Blast!
Thanks for the recipe! :)
Awesome recipe! If you want a lazygirl tip for this one, I put everything in a large freezer baggie, sealed it, and rolled the chickpeas around until they were coated. Then I rinsed out the bag to use next time. It was really easy and quick with virtually no mess.
Molly – Love lazygirl tips! Thanks :)