Monday, August 9, 2010
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

Before I even get into this addictive little snackity snack, I just want to say thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes yesterday on Twitter and Facebook. You all are so thoughtful to send a little message of good wishes. I was sitting at the airport waiting for my flight home and everytime a new message came in, my phone would sound a happy little *ping!* They came so fast and furious, it just about sounded like I was having my own little Vegas jackpot moment on my phone!
I’ve been traveling nonstop for the past 2 weeks and my body sorta feels a little tired and laggy, so I thought I’d share with you a snack that’s healthy (they’re roasted, not fried), easy (5 minutes hands on time), easy (using canned garbanzo beans), addictive (you might as well double the recipe when you’re making it).

The texture of Roasted Chickpeas is surprisingly crispy/crunchy – they make that lovely, loud crunch in your mouth like potato chips. And when you tell people that this recipe starts with 1 can of garbanzo beans, they won’t believe you. Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing.
Just one warning. as I ate the entire batch by myself in one sitting: These Roasted Chickpeas are really are perfect as a little bar snack to nibble on with beer. And I emphasize nibble and little. As addictive as they are, they’re still beans. And if you eat the entire batch…which is 1 can of garbanzo beans…well, let’s just say I spent a lot of time saying ‘xcuse me.
How to make Roasted Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
Four ingredients – salt, seasoning blend of your choice, garbanzo beans and olive oil

First drain the can of garbanzo beans.

You’ll want to rinse the beans for a few seconds to rid the surface of the cloudy, starchy, slippery water it was packaged in.

Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with paper towel.

Pat dry with another paper towel.

You’ll see that some of the beans have a thin skin on them…you can leave them on, or use the paper towel to rub them off.

Discard the skin.

Now they should be completely dry.

Remove the paper towels and now drizzle just a bit of olive oil.

Toss them about to distribute the oil.

Ready for the oven!

400F for 30-40 minutes (I’m on a convection and I used 325F) – until golden brown, crunchy (not soft).

Beautiful.

Season with salt.

Whatever spice blend you want.

That’s it!

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Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
I highly recommend doubling a batch of Roasted Chickpeas, the bowl will be empty in 10 minutes! This is a one of the simplest snack recipes - four ingredients and it starts with a can of chickpeas pulled from your pantry. You can use any spice blend - I'm really enjoying Creole or Cajun seasoning, but don't limit yourself there! At the end of the post, I have a list of spice/fresh herb combinations that you can use.
Ingredients:
One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Spice blend of your choiceDirections:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Drain the can of garbanzo beans in a strainer and rinse with water for a few seconds to clean off the beans. Shake and tap the strainer to rid of excess water. Lay paper towl on a baking sheet, and spread the beans over. Use another paper towel to gently press and absorb the water on the beans. Roll the beans around with the paper towel to also remove the thin skin from any of the beans. Discard the skins and the paper towels.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the beans and use your hands or a spatula to toss around and coat. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the beans are a deep golden brown and crunchy. Make sure that the beans do not burn.
4. Season with salt and spice blend.
More Roasted Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans!
We Are Not Martha – this is where I first saw the recipe! They use a Moroccan spice blend
Kalyn’s Kitchen: Moroccan spices
My Man’s Belly: garlic powder, chile powder
Chez Us: curry powder
The Kitchn: list of 15 different flavors
Family Fresh Cooking serves ‘em up in a cute popcorn container
Bitchin Camera: garam masala
Big Red Kitchen: cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika
Anne’s Food: cayenne, cumin
Life’s Ambrosia: garlic seasoned

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interesting recipe, trying it as we speak.
only thing; if you rub it with oil and put it in the oven, that is FRIED.. not baked.. tastier, less healthy.
baked would be without the fat/heat combination
still, thanks for the idea!
I seasoned a double batch with a packet of ranch dip mix and pinch if cayenne pepper… Awesome! Thank you for the recipe/cooking technique!
No, Gui, they are NOT fried!!!! Potato chips are fried, i.e., frazzled in deep fat/oil, not touched with a light touch of oil and baked!!!! ‘Fat’ is not evil…..if you think so, try living without it!!!! Fat is required for health, and a few drops of olive oil is GOOD for the body, not bad!!!
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Olive oil is very good for you, so they are baked in olive oil instead of say, vegetable oil, therefor it’s not the same as the bad oils.
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Well they are being cooked in oil heated by an oven which is just as much of a heat source as a deep fryer, there just isn’t nearly as much oil. But do you need to be submersed in water to be wet?
So….anything that has olive oil on it and goes in the oven is fried???
Just made them, and they are super tasty. My only complaint is mine ended up pretty oily afterwards. Then again, I made mine from beans I soaked instead of in a can and I tried to eyeball the amount you made, so my oil-to-bean ratio might have been off. Used sea salt and cajun spices, but will definitely make again and play with different flavors. I think a sweet batch might be in order…brown sugar and cinnamon maybe?
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I have done the brown sugar and cinnamon and they are tasty. A friend of mine likes to cook them plain the drizzle honey on them; thats pretty tasty too
When something is considered “fried” it is immersed in an oil bath at a high temperature. I’m sorry, these are not fried. They are baked.
I’m not trying to nitpick here, this is a great recipe. There is a different types of frying: deep frying, frying, stir frying, and oven frying. Some of these methods use a lot of oil and some very little. In the pictures the beans do appear to be sitting in a pool of oil, I’d say maybe two tablespoons. In a recipe like this one is free to use as little oil as they desire so it’s not really a big deal.
Should be ‘are different’
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Just macethesewith Cajun seasoning and chili powder, and instead of using oil I used cooking spray. Delicious, and solves e issues between “frying” and “baking”
Yum! Just a bit of input, and a suggestion if I may be so bold… To help with that “scuse me!” problem, cook the Garbanzo beans yourself. I find that presoaking, rinsing well, and adding a piece of Kombu (a type of seaweed, easily found in health food stores or online) to a crock pot full of beans significantly decreases the incidence of gas. Plus, the miracle that is a slow cooker means you can toss in the beans, turn on the mean machine, go to work all day (or sleep all night) and make a lot more beans for a fraction of the cost – even if you’re buying organic beans, which are much pricier if you buy them in cans. So, doubling the recipe would be easy and cost-effective.
Thanks for the recipe!! I am munching on these right now, as I type this, made with delicious garam masala spices.
I just made these and they are great! I’ll feel less guilty snacking on these then on potato chips! I used dried beans and soaked them over night then boiled them for a half hour. If you want you can make the beans in advance and freeze them till you’re ready to make them. It will take some defrosting (soak in warm water for about a half hour). If you decide to make your beans in advance and freeze them just be sure that you dry them off good to get rid of the moisture before you throw them in the freezer. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!! I’m already soaking my next batch so I can make more!