Spicy roasted chickpeas, benefits and recipe

When I first tried out spicy roasted chickpeas, I said to myself, now, here is a high protein snack that doesn’t compromise on taste, and leaves me full and satisfied. I was overjoyed, still am. Now, I would like to pass on this to you and, I’m pretty sure you’ll appreciate roasted chickpeas as much as my whole family does.

What are chickpeas?

Chickpeas are also known as Garbanzo beans. They belong to the Fabaceae legumes family, which includes pinto, kidney and black beans, and peanuts. There are two types of chickpeas- small and irregularly shaped, usually found in the Middle East and large round ones, mostly available in the USA.

Benefits of chickpeas

Chickpeas have superpowers. They are a great way to get protein, potassium, iron and fibre into your diet.  You should take advantage of chickpeas as a plant-based source of protein whether you are vegetarian or not.  Chickpeas will help you burn fat, boost metabolism, build muscle and keep your appetite in check.

How to make spicy roasted chickpeas

It’s simply incredible that this great tasting snack has less than 5 ingredients and apart from soaking, takes very little of your time.

Chickpeas: I used dry chickpeas because they taste better than the ones out of a can.

Cayenne pepper: Not only does cayenne pepper spice up your taste buds, but it also offers so many health benefits including improving blood circulation, curbing appetite and burning calories, among other science-backed benefits.

The other two ingredients: Salt for enhancing flavor and oil for roasting.

Tips for the perfect spicy roasted chickpeas

I soaked the dry chickpeas overnight in a bowl (about 17 hours- from 8pm to about 1pm) but, you can leave them in water from anywhere between 6-12 hours.

If you are big on rich flavors, you can substitute oil with butter. You also can add garlic powder, or use cumin and coriander in place of cayenne pepper. There’s no end to how creative you can be with this recipe.

There are days when I feel like I don’t have time to roast the chickpeas, so what I do instead is put them in a skillet on the stovetop, and roast over medium heat for 10 minutes. You can also make these crispy chickpeas in an air fryer if you have one.

Storage and leftover recipes

Roasted chickpeas can be made ahead, stored for up to a week in an airtight container, and still remain crispy.

The popular foods that are made from chickpeas include falafel and hummus. With leftovers from this recipe, you can make chickpeas salads by adding spicy roasted chickpeas to it.

You can also add roasted chickpeas to wraps and sandwiches or make soups and curries with it during those cold winter days.

Spicy roasted chickpeas recipe

Ingredients

2 cups dry chickpeas

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

For soaking

3 cups water

Method

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and pour water on it. Soak for 6-12 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to roast, preheat oven to 400°F (about 200 °C).

Drain the chickpeas in a colander and rinse.

Pat dry the chickpeas with paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Place the peas in a large bowl and add oil and seasoning. Mix until all the chickpeas are well coated.

Spread the chickpeas onto a baking sheet (use parchment paper if you have).

Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until crispy, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven when ready, and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy every bite!

More recipes with chickpeas

Other healthy snacks

Healthy old fashioned oatmeal cookies with raisins