These spicy roasted chickpeas are a perfect healthy snack that can be quickly prepared. They’re high in protein, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Spicy Roasted Chickpeas – A High Protein Snack
We’re all trying to live healthy lives, myself included. One way to keep healthy is to eat well.
All too often, we do well with our meals. But when it comes to snacking, we fall off the healthy wagon.
We turn to our favorites. Things like chips, cookies, and muffins.
One way to eat healthily and even lose weight is to eat high protein snacks. That’s because of all the macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbohydrate), protein is the most filling.
Eating protein also boosts your metabolism. So, it helps you lose weight.
Besides helping you lose weight protein also builds muscle. And who doesn’t want to be lean and toned?
These spicy roasted chickpeas are super addictive. They’re spicy, crunchy, and tasty.
They take only 5 minutes of prep time, and they’re really easy to make. All you need are a couple of ingredients.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Canned chickpeas
- Hot chili powder: This adds some heat. If you don’t like it spicy, you can just skip it.
- Ground cumin: This adds a nutty taste.
- Garlic powder: This adds a savory taste.
- Paprika: This adds a sweet taste. If you like it smoky, you can use smoked paprika instead.
- Curry Powder: This adds earthy flavors.
- Salt
- Olive oil spray
What I love most about them is that you can swap the spices to make any flavor of your choosing. For instance, you can make it extra spicy by adding cayenne pepper.
If you want it sweet, you can use a combination of honey, cinnamon, and sugar. And if you love barbecue flavor, you can simply use barbecue seasoning.
Aside from making a great snack, they also go great on salads. Instead of putting croutons on your salad, you can put these on instead.
Tips and Tricks
After you drain your canned chickpeas, you may be tempted to put them in the oven right away. Don’t!
After draining them, make sure you dry them with a kitchen towel. Then spread them on a large plate and let them dry naturally for about an hour.
This will ensure that they get crispy in the oven and don’t remain soggy.
Also, if you’re not in a rush, once the chickpeas have finished roasting, turn off your oven and leave them in your oven for a couple of hours, or even overnight.
By doing this, they’ll stay nice and crispy for days.
Are Roasted Chickpeas Good for You?
Yes, roasted chickpeas are good for you. One serving provides 18 grams of protein, so they’re packed with protein.
They’re also packed with fiber. Just one serving provides 44% of your daily fiber needs. Fiber is not only good for your digestion but also keeps you full.
They’re also an excellent source of plant-based iron. And unlike potato chips, they’re low in sodium.
They’re also vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Besides being good for you, roasted chickpeas are very cheap to make. So, they’re great if you’re on a budget.
How Long Will Roasted Chickpeas Last Refrigerated?
Roasted chickpeas will last 5 days in the fridge. Make sure you store them in an airtight storage container, so they stay crispy. I recommend these containers because they don’t contain toxic chemicals that will leak into your food.
How to Cook Dried Chickpeas if You Don’t Have Canned Ones
Don’t have canned chickpeas? Not to worry…you can cook dried beans instead.
You’ll need to cook about ¾ cup of dried beans to yield the amount of canned chickpeas that you need for this recipe.
You can cook them in a variety of ways, including:
On the Stovetop:
If you’re cooking dried chickpeas on your stovetop, you want to rinse them, then soak them overnight.
Once they’re done soaking, rinse and drain them. Then cover well with water, and bring to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, reduce your heat to simmer and cook for about 2 hours.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure you have some water covering your chickpeas. This way all the water doesn’t evaporate and your chickpeas don’t get burnt.
Now life happens, so you may forget to soak your chickpeas overnight. In that case, you can soak your chickpeas using a quick soak method.
To do this, add your chickpeas to a pot, then cover well with water before bringing it to a boil. Boil for a few minutes, then remove your pot from the heat and let your chickpeas soak in hot water for one hour.
Finally, cook your chickpeas the same way I mentioned earlier.
In a Slow Cooker:
If you want more hands-off time when cooking your chickpeas, using a slow cooker is the way to go.
With a slow cooker, you don’t need to cook your chickpeas. Just add your rinsed chickpeas and 4 cups of water to your slow cooker and cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours, or low for 6 to 8 hours.
Besides cooking being great at cooking chickpeas, slow cookers are great for cooking other legumes like lentils and beans. If you’re in the market for a slow cooker, there’s a deal on this high-quality slow cooker right now.
In a Pressure Cooker:
Just like with a slow cooker, you can skip soaking your chickpeas before cooking them. After rinsing your chickpeas, place them in your pressure cooker and add 4 cups of cold water.
Then cook at high pressure for 40 minutes. Then put on natural release for 20 minutes.
All in all, your chickpeas will be ready in an hour. So, if you’re pressed for time, cooking them in a pressure cooker is the way to go. If you don’t have one, you can get one at a good price here.
Watch Full Recipe
Other High Protein Snacks
Spicy Roasted Chickpeas (High Protein)
Ingredients
- 14 oz can of chickpeas 400g
- ¼ tsp hot chili powder
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp curry powder
- Pinch of salt
- Olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F (190 C). Drain the cans and dry out the chickpeas with a kitchen towel. Spread them over a large plate and let them dry out naturally for an hour or so.
- Roast them in the oven for 35-45 minutes. Stir in between for 1-2 times to make sure the chickpeas don’t burn. If they start burning, just take them out of the oven.The chickpeas should be dry and crunchy.
- Mix all the spices. Once out of the over, spray the chickpeas with olive oil and toss them into the bowl with all the spices while they’re hot.
Nutrition
Conclusion
What do you think of these spicy roasted chickpeas? A simple, vegan-friendly yet high protein snack!