Description
This recipe creates crispy, savory, sweet, and smoky air fryer chickpeas using canned chickpeas and pomegranate molasses, perfect as a healthy snack or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and thoroughly patted dry
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Chickpeas: Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas under cold water. Spread them on a clean kitchen towel and pat them completely dry; remove loose skins to improve texture.
- Make the Glaze Base: In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the pomegranate molasses, the olive oil, ground cumin, smoked paprika, fine sea salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth.
- Coat the Chickpeas: Add the dried chickpeas to the glaze base mixture. Gently toss until all the chickpeas are evenly coated with a thin layer of the glaze.
- Air Fry the Chickpeas: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes. Arrange the coated chickpeas in a single layer in the air fryer basket, cooking in batches if necessary. Air fry for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket vigorously every 5 minutes until the chickpeas are golden brown, crispy, and slightly caramelized.
- Finish and Serve: Transfer the hot, crispy chickpeas immediately to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses and garnish generously with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
To achieve maximum crispiness, thoroughly dry the chickpeas after rinsing. If the chickpeas aren’t crisping after 10 minutes in the air fryer, they may not have been dried enough or the basket is overcrowded; shake more frequently or cook in two batches.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 120g)
- Calories: 125 calories
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: air fryer, chickpea, healthy, snack, side dish, appetizer, plant-based, vegan, crispy, savory, sweet