Air Fryer Chickpeas (No Oil)

Learn how to make the crispiest curried chickpeas using your air fryer. This is a super tasty snack which requires no oil.  A 5 ingredient recipe that is incredibly tasty and very easy to make.

Do you guys remember this classic recipe? Well I decided to tweak it alittle by omiting any oil from the recipe because a lot of my readers like to avoid the use of oil (where possible).

This chickpea recipe was on the agenda, so I re-tested it by removing the coconut oil and instead replacing it with lime juice.

The results are virtually the same, they are still crispy, crunchy and generously seasoned without the use of any oil.

I've updated the final pictures, but the step by step pictures don't need to be adjusted since you can still follow the entire process despite the oil omission.

Making this chickpea snack without any oil means you can eat the entire batch guilt free which is a great "healthy bonus".

Also, as a side note, they take slightly longer to crisp up in comparsion to their oil based counterpart which is why I have increased the cooking time to accommodate this change.

Reasons why you should try this recipe

• Packed with great flavour from the herb and spices
• Very simple to make in the air fryer
• Contains moderate carbs and low in fat
• High in protein and a bonus if you want a healthy snack
• They are more-ish and addictive
• Great to make in BIGGGGG batches for guests or the family i.e dinner parties, movie night, game day
• It's inexpensive and budget friendly

Dried vs canned chickpeas

Okay, so now that I have listed the benefits to making this healthy, nutritious snack. Let's discuss the preparation, I made the first half of the recipe using dried chickpeas which I pressure cooked in my instant pot.

Dried legumes are soooooo cheap in huge batches here in the UK and much more cost efficient than purchasing it's canned counterpart.

It takes about 20-30 minutes (depending on the firmness) to pressure cook the dried legumes, but worth it if you want to save yourself some money.

Plus the canned chickpeas are often ladened with salt water which I don't want to contend with. The choice is yours though.

I will supply guidelines on how to cook the chickpeas in an instant pot in case you would prefer to take this route instead.

If you do not own an instant pot, simply use your stove top pressure cooker or another rapid boiling unit instead.

Can you air fry chickpeas?

Chickpeas tend to be associated with curries and stews and not a legume that you would air fry.

To answer that question, yes you can air fry chickpeas or any other legume for that matter.

However, you will need to cook the chickpeas first and not use them in there raw state.

Once the chickpeas are cooked, you are free to air fry them however you see fit.

How to cook chickpeas in a pressure cooker

• Measure out 1 ¼ (250g) cups of dried chickpeas
• Rinse the dried chickpeas in a colander several times (picture 1)
• Place the rinse off chickpeas in the inner pot and fill with water to the half way point as indicated on the inside. (picture 2)
• Switch your instant pot on, select "pressure cook" then adjust the time to "30 minutes" (for super soft chickpeas) or "20 minutes" for firm chickpeas. (picture 3)
• Allow the unit to indicate it's on and double check the pressure gauge is set to "sealing"
• Once the chickpeas have cooked perform a quick release by carefully turning the dial to "venting" to release the build up of pressure.
• Allow to cool down before draining off the excess water and the chickpeas are ready to use. (picture 4)

The Steps

• Preheat the air fryer basket
• Make sure the chickpeas are drained and (especially if you are using canned to rid the excess sodium) and blot with a paper towel. (picture 1)
• Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and proceed to sprinkle on the lime juice, curry powder, paprika, parsley, scotch bonnet pepper powder and pink salt. (picture 2)
• Use a spoon to evenly combine the herb and spices so each chickpeas is coated. (picture 3)
• Pour the chickpeas into the air fryer basket and shake so it's not over crowded. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your unit. (picture 4)
• Set the temperature to 190C/375F and cook for 15-20 minutes.
• Stop the fryer and shake a few times throughout the stated cooking time (I did this 3 times).
• Serve accordingly
• Once cooled, store in a jar/container that is slightly ajar or in a bowl covered with kitchen towel.
• Add additional pink salt, if required.

The oven version

• Preheat 190/375/gas mark 5
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper
• Drain off the chickpeas
• Place the chickpeas in a bowl and toss them with the listed herb and spices
• Place the chickpeas spread out evenly on the baking try
• Roast in the oven for 25-35 minutes
• Once cooled, store in a jar/container that is slightly ajar or in a bowl covered with kitchen towel for up to 3 days.

Additional flavour variations

Feel free to be completely creative by trying some of these different flavours

• Ranch: 1 teaspoon dried dill, dried chives, 1 teaspoon garlic powder/granules, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoon pink salt
• Sweet coconut: 1 tablespoon shredded coconut and 1tbsp of coconut sugar be sure to ground both ingredients prior to using them.
• Sweet and salted: 1 tablespoon coconut and 1 tablespoon of pink salt (ground them first)
• Cheese: 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon pink salt
• Cinnamon sugar: 1tbsp coconut sugar (ground) ½ tsbp cinnamon
• Chilli: 1 teaspoon ground chilli, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• BBQ: 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon coconut sugar, ½ teaspoon celery seed, ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon chilli, ½ teaspoon pink salt
• Lemon Pepper: 2 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning along with lemon zest and 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and vinegar: 2tbsp apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon pink salt

Notes and tips

• For best results please use my homemade Jamaican Curry Powder.
• Make sure the chickpeas are completely dried off before adding the spices/herbs/lime juice
• Make sure the chickpeas are evenly spread out and not overcrowding the basket
• Preheating the basket gives the cooking process a head start but not essential if you forget.
• The air frying time may vary, mine are ready between 15-20 minutes, yours may vary to check the basket often.
• Depending on the size/capacity of your air fryer you may need to work in batches.
• It is normal for the chickpeas to soften slightly when stored. To make them crunchy again, re-heat for a few minutes in the air fryer.
• The Scotch Bonnet Powder is optional, if you don't like it hot then simply leave it out of the recipe.

Other air fryer recipes to try