Air-Fried Chickpeas Can Get Even Crispier
Crispy chickpeas are a classic air fryer snack. What once took 30-40 minutes in a conventional oven can now be done quickly in a countertop convection oven. This is one of the first things you should cook when buying an air fryer, but if you haven’t tried them yet, I’m glad. This means your first air-fried chickpea experience could be one to remember, because I’m going to share a quick trick for getting the crispiest garbanzos every time—just add cornstarch to them first.
See. I’ve baked and air-fried a fair amount of chickpeas and the only problem I’ve had is chewing. It’s not really a problem because I’ll eat them anyway, but sometimes a batch turns out dry and still lacks that rattling crunch I’m craving. If you sprinkle the chickpeas with a thin layer of cornstarch before cooking, the beans will turn out delicious.
A quick addition of cornstarch before cooking in hot oil creates a crispy, airy coating because the hydrated starch molecules rearrange themselves slightly. As the American Test Kitchen explains: “The hydrate granules swell when initially heated in oil, allowing the starch molecules to move and separate from each other. As water is removed during the frying process, these starch molecules are locked in place, forming a tough, brittle network with a porous, open structure.” You can get a crispy crust on orange chicken in the same way, and that’s the reason why naturally starchy potatoes were born for frying.
How to make the crispiest deep-fried chickpeas
Drying chickpeas
Place the can of chickpeas in a sieve or colander. You need to dry out the excess water from the chickpeas. While you can usually do this in the air fryer while it’s preheating , I think this will remove too much water. In order for cornstarch to become crispy, it must first be slightly moistened. Either shake the colander and let the chickpeas air dry for 10 minutes, or blot up the excess water with a paper towel.
Mix them with cornstarch
Place the semi-dry garbanzos in a medium bowl and toss them with a quarter teaspoon of fine salt and two tablespoons of cornstarch. Lightly stir everything around with a fork. All chickpeas should be coated with breading. Some may appear white while others may appear spotted; it’s just normal. Let sit for five minutes while you preheat the air fryer to 350°F on the air fry setting.
Drizzle them with oil and air fry.
Once the fryer is hot, spray the chickpeas with neutral vegetable oil. Throw them away and spray again. You want to get a light but complete coat of oil on all of them. If you don’t have a spray bottle, you can mix the chickpeas with a tablespoon or two of oil. Place them in the air fryer and cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on how well you like them. Be sure to shake the chickpeas every five minutes to ensure even cooking.
When you are happy with the doneness, remove the chickpeas from the fryer and toss them with finely ground salt and spices to taste. The cornstarch coating creates an irresistibly brittle, brittle crust—the kind of crunch that makes you reach for the bowl again and again. My simple spice blend for this recipe is below with a warning: do not use cayenne pepper as it can pack a punch.
The Crispiest Air Fryer Chickpea Recipe
Ingredients:
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1 can (15.5 ounce can) chickpeas, drained and patted dry
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2 tablespoons cornstarch
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¼ teaspoon fine salt
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1-2 tablespoons of neutral vegetable oil (ideally in a spray bottle)
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¼ teaspoon garlic powder
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¼ teaspoon onion powder
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¼ teaspoon fine salt
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A pinch of cayenne powder
1. In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together the chickpeas, one-quarter teaspoon salt and cornstarch. All chickpeas should be coated with cornstarch. Let sit for five minutes while you preheat the air fryer to 350°F on air fry setting.
2. Spray vegetable oil on the chickpeas. Throw them away and spray again. Try to give them a light but complete coat of oil. Place the chickpeas in the air fryer and cook them for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking every five minutes or so to ensure even cooking.
3. Toss the cooked crispy chickpeas with the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and another quarter teaspoon of fine salt. Have a snack.