Pan Fried BBQ Chickpeas

These easy pan-fried chickpeas are a perfect healthy snack. Full of incredible flavor, made from pantry staples, and ready in only 10 minutes, what more could you want?

this recipe

Crispy chickpeas are one of my favorite things to make for a simple and quick meal that is full of flavor. They make a perfect savory snack, a great topping for salad, and a yummy sandwich wrapped inside a flatbread with some greens. Chickpeas are full of fiber and plant-based protein, and have a neutral nutty flavor. Coat them in your favorite spice blend, and the flavor options are essentially endless.

There are lots of ways to cook crispy chickpeas, but I make these skillet chickpeas most, for the simple reason that they are super quick and easy. Just under 10 minutes on the stove is all you need for deliciously crispy pan-roasted chickpeas.

I’ve coated my chickpeas in a medley of flavorful barbecue seasonings. This seasoning blend is so good, you might find yourself sneakily popping the last few into your own mouth before your kids can ask for seconds. You may want to make extra, everyone will be sad when these are gone.

For other delicious and simple snacks, try my no bake granola bars, loaded hummus, or air fryer honey roasted almonds.

You Will Love This

• This is a healthy and super simple chickpea recipe. The chickpeas pan fry in a little olive oil for under 10 minutes, are sprinkled in your favorite seasoning, and are done.
• Chickpeas make a great snack for after school. They are a great way to get in some extra protein and fiber.
• This is a wonderful recipe for customizing. Use any seasoning blend you love – Italian seasoning, curry powder, Cajun seasoning, or even just a little sea salt and black pepper. The flavor options are endless.

Ingredients

For this easy pan fried chickpeas recipe, you will need the following simple ingredients:

• A can of chickpeas: Also called garbanzo beans!
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Your favorite seasoning blend: I used smoked paprika, kosher salt, brown sugar, chili powder and garlic powder for a homemade BBQ seasoning blend!

Instructions

Step One: Drain and rinse your canned chickpeas. Use paper towels or a clean dish towel to thoroughly dry the chickpeas. If any of the chickpea skins start to fall off, remove them.

Note: This is the most important step to this recipe. Take a quick minute or two to dry the raw chickpeas as thoroughly as possible. This will help them crisp up when they cook. Excess moisture could result in soggy chickpeas. Nobody likes soggy chickpeas.

Step Two: Put a large skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and let the oil warm for a minute or so. Add the dried chickpeas to the hot skillet. Pan fry the chickpeas for about 7-8 minutes, until they are starting to get golden brown and crispy.

Step Three: Add your seasoning blend and stir well to cover all the chickpeas. Saute for another minute or two until the chickpeas are well coated and crispy. Serve immediately!

Storage

To be honest, I have never had leftovers when I’ve made this recipe to test their storage-worthiness!! I suspect that, for a crispy snack, these will be best eaten right away. They will likely lose their crispy texture when stored. However, if you’re planning to use these for meal prep, to top salads or put in sandwiches, I think that would work well. They will still taste delicious, and could be eaten warmed up or cold!