I Finally Figured Out How to Make the Crispiest, Crunchiest Chickpeas—And They're Seriously Good on Everything

Crispy chickpeas are one of those things you either need to nail, or it’s a total disappointment. Almost crispy chickpeas just don’t cut it. In my opinion, they need to be golden and crispy and salty and crunchy—as in, so crunchy I disrupt others around me when I bite into them—and I need to be able to achieve that every single time.

Until recently, my results were inconsistent. My best attempts came from pan-frying, but I was determined to find a method that required less oil. After a fair amount of research and a lot of chickpea taste tests, I’m confident I’ve discovered the best, most reliable method there is. Here’s how to make crispy oven-baked chickpeas:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven while it preheats. I've found this to be the ideal oven temperature because it’s hot, but not so scorching hot it will burn the outsides of the chickpeas without cooking the insides. Pre-heating the baking sheet ensures the chickpeas crisp as soon as they hit the hot pan.

2. Drain and rinse a 15.5 oz. can of chickpeas, then pat very dry with paper towels. Any residual moisture will cause the chickpeas to steam instead of crisp.

3. When they’re dry, toss the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven, place the chickpeas on in an even layer, and return to the oven. Roast, shaking the pan halfway through, until crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. If you want, try switching up the seasonings—smoked paprika is a great option for spicy food lovers.

Now for the best part—eating them!! They're irresistable as is (you'll find yourself eating them by the handful off the baking sheet), but they can also be used anywhere you'd want a crouton or something crunchy. Try them on salads or soups, paired with roasted veggies (just cook the veggies in the oven alongside them, rotating the baking sheets halfway through), or as a topper to a grain bowl. Most recently, I paired them with roasted cauliflower, a lemon-y kale salad, and a punchy tahini dressing. Dee-lish. Just be sure to eat them right away—they'll soften as they sit.