Ranch seasoned air fryer chickpeas are a satisfying, healthy snack. They scratch that itch for flavor, crunch, and salt without the grease of a potato chip.
Air fryer ranch chickpeas are also simple to make and super flavorful! You only need six ingredients and less than half an hour to make them.
Raise your hand if you've been snacking like mad lately! I know that Dave and I have been snacking machines, and for the past few weeks we've been trying to be a bit more healthy about our snack choices.
Need oven directions? Get my oven recipe for ranch roasted chickpeas right here!
On the weekends, we eat whatever junky treats we want, but during the week, we've been trying to reach for healthy snacks. I tend to go for salty snacks, so seasoned almonds and these crunchy chickpeas have been my go to!
Why make chickpeas in the air fryer?
Have you tried making roasted chickpeas in the air fryer yet? It's so quick and easy!
The main advantage to using the air fryer for a recipe like this is the time-saving. Your air fryer will roast chickpeas in half the time it would take in the oven.
The other advantage, though, is that you don't have to turn on your oven. That's a real bonus during summer months, because who wants to heat up the whole house on a scorcher of a day just for some crunchy chickpeas?
Recipe notes
You only need six ingredients available at any grocery store to make these. And I bet that you already have them on hand right this second.
To make these, you'll actually be air frying your chickpeas twice. Once to get them sooooo close to the finished texture. Then, a second time to get that ranch seasoning to stick.
The reason you need to toss in the ranch seasoning later in the game is because those dried spices will burn in the air fryer if you add them too early.
Trust me, burnt dill is not delicious.
And I know that you're here to make something delicious!
You'll notice that in the instructions, it specifies not to rinse the chickpeas. That's because the liquid in that can of beans -- called aquafaba -- has a lot of properties similar to eggs in cooking. You even toss them in an extra tablespoon of aquafaba before that first round of cooking, for good measure.
That little bit of aquafaba adds moisture and crunch to the finished recipe. Read more about the magical powers of aquafaba here!
How to serve them
Obviously, you can just eat these by the handful. This is probably what I do most often, because they're so addictive.
If you can manage not to eat these straight out of the air fryer, though, they're delicious on top of salads or your next grain bowl. You can even stuff them into a sandwich or wrap for a little bit of extra protein and crunch.
How to store them
You can store your Air Fryer Chickpeas in an airtight container in your pantry. They'll keep for two to three days.
I do not recommend storing these in the refrigerator. When you stick these in the fridge, a little bit of condensation is going to form on the container, and that is going to soften the chickpeas.
You want crunchy, satisfying chickpeas!
Air fryer chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas - drained but NOT rinsed, and save the liquid from the can!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 teaspoons dried dill
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, toss together the chickpeas and 1 tablespoon of the liquid that you reserved from the can. Air fry at 400° F for 12 minutes.
- Transfer the chickpeas back to your small bowl, and toss in the olive oil, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and lemon juice, so the beans get nice and coated.
- Transfer the chickpeas back to your air fryer basket and cook at 350° F for 5 more minutes
- Serve now, or cool completely and then store in an airtight container (see Notes below).
Equipment
Video
Notes
- It's critical that you do not rinse your chickpeas. The bit of liquid from the can that clings to the beans adds an extra crunch that you don't want to miss!
- Don't try to save a step and add the seasoning at the beginning of cooking. The garlic and onion powder will be fine, but the dill in the ranch seasoning will burn if you cook it for so long at such a high temperature.
- If you need to store these, let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container on the counter. They will keep for 2-3 days.
Sam
I’ve tried several recipes for air fryer chickpeas, but this one is my favourite. They always come out the crispiest, and the seasoning is delicious! I recently moved from my parents house (and away from my air fryer :’( ) and requested one for my birthday just so I could keep making these!
Becky Striepe
Oh I hope you get that birthday air fryer! Thank you, Sam!