Air Fryer Barbecue Seasoned Chickpeas

Hello and welcome to Djalali Cooks. Today I have an easy snack that is positively addictive! Air Fryer Barbecue Seasoned Chickpeas are crispy, a little crunchy, with some tender centers. Seasoned with chili powder, cayenne, sugar, garlic powder and kosher salt to give the crispy chickpeas a wonderfully savory barbecue flavor. A protein-packed snack perfect for topping salads, or just snacking right out of the bowl (with an icy cold beverage). Let’s get to it!

I am using 2 cans of chickpeas for this recipe. You can halve the recipe if you want less, but if you’re planning to set out a bowl of these crispy savory morsels for a few people, you will likely need to make the full 2 can recipe!

Start by draining the chickpeas, but do not rinse them. Get a bowl large enough to toss the chickpeas in olive oil. Pour about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl, then pour in the chickpeas. Stir or toss the chickpeas in the olive oil until well coated.

Air Fry

Pour the chickpeas into the basket of your air fryer. The capacity of my Cosori Air Fryer is 3.7-quarts, and the 2 cans of chickpeas fit in just about a single layer in the basket. A little bit of a double layer will work out ok, but if your air fryer has a smaller capacity, you will want to do this in two batches.

Set the air fryer to 300 degrees F and the timer for 25 minutes. Pause the air fryer every 8 minutes to shake or stir the chickpeas for even cooking.

Seasoning

Meanwhile, whisk together the chili powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and sugar. The chickpeas are done when they are golden and many have split open. You can test a few for doneness. The doneness is really up to how crispy and crunchy you want them. Because these weren’t in a single layer, I have crispy exteriors; with some of the chickpeas being totally crunchy throughout, and some still have a creamy interior. Personally, I like the variety of textures. If you want them all to be crunchy, let the air fryer go a little longer and just keep testing them (chef’s treat!).

When the chickpeas are done to your liking, transfer them from the basket directly into the seasoning blend. Toss to coat the hot chickpeas in the seasoning. I added a little drizzle of olive oil to help the seasoning stick to chickpeas a little more.

Air Fryer Barbecue Seasoned Chickpeas

Pour the Air Fryer Barbecue Seasoned Chickpeas into a bowl and serve! Like I mentioned at the top, these would also be great to use as a topping for a salad, chili, or hummus… We pretty much ate the whole bowl, between sips of ice cold beer while we watched the baseball game on TV. A great little snack alternative to chips or pretzels.

The method we used for these Air Fryer Chickpeas will work for any other seasoning you want to try. I was thinking I might try them again with a ranch dressing seasoning packet; or mix a little curry powder with cumin and kosher salt; or how about taco seasoning, or try Italian seasoning for a Mediterranean flavor. The possibilities are endless. They’d be a perfect addition to a Snack Board. I do hope you give these a try, let me know in the comments how and if you tweak the seasoning to make it your own! Take care and be well, xo Kelly

Key Equipment

Print Recipe

Air Fryer Barbecue Seasoned Chickpeas

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Snack – American

By Adapted from America's Test Kitchen – Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 5 Minutes – Cooking Time: 25 Minutes – Total Time: ~30 Minutes

Air Fryer Barbecue Seasoned Chickpeas are a fantastic protein-packed snack perfect topping salads, or just snacking right out of the bowl.

Ingredients

• 2 (15-ounce) Cans Chickpeas
• 2 tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1.5 tsp. Sugar
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1-2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Instructions

1

Start by draining the chickpeas, but do not rinse them. Get a bowl large enough to toss the chickpeas in olive oil. Pour about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl, then pour in the chickpeas. Stir or toss the chickpeas in the olive oil until well coated.

2

Pour the chickpeas into the basket of your air fryer. A little bit of a double layer will work out ok, but if your air fryer has a smaller capacity, you will want to do this in two batches.

3

Set the air fryer to 300 degrees F and the timer for 25 minutes. Pause the air fryer every 8 minutes to shake or stir the chickpeas for even cooking.

4

Meanwhile, whisk together the chili powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and sugar. The chickpeas are done when they are golden and many have split open. You can test a few for doneness. The doneness is really up to how crispy and crunchy you want them.

5

When the chickpeas are done to your liking, transfer them from the basket directly into the seasoning blend. Toss to coat the hot chickpeas in the seasoning. I added a little drizzle of olive oil to help the seasoning stick to chickpeas a little more.

6

Pour the Air Fryer Barbecue Seasoned Chickpeas into a bowl and serve.

This post may contain affiliate links; when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission on qualifying items.