Crispy Chickpeas with Lemon and Oregano

Crispy Chickpeas are like potato chips in the afternoon, but so much better.

When it’s 3 p.m. and you’re scouring the fridge and the pantry for something to carry you through the afternoon, here is your savior snack.

Crispy Chickpeas are not a new thing, but they are a thing, and there is a reason: they are addicting. Like potato chips, you can’t eat just a little handful, but unlike potato chips, Crispy Chickpeas are on the healthy side of snacks. 

It took me a while to figure out how to get chickpeas crispy. They either tasted like tiny rocks, or they were chewy. Nothing in between. But here we made things work. Over and over again.

These Crispy Chickpeas are soft in the center and crispy outside, and they take a Mediterranean spin with lemon juice and oregano. The combination of salty and tangy (plus a good dose of protein) is just what you need to pull through.

So throw the chips out. And get ready for a new afternoon craving.

Crispy Chickpeas with Lemon and Oregano

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Spread the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and use paper towels to dry them completely. Let them sit for 10 minutes or so to dry out. Once they are dry, put the chickpeas on the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper, and toss it all together with your hands. Bake for 30 minutes and remove from the oven. Sprinkle the oregano and lemon juice over, and toss again with a fork (not your hands because they will be hot!). Bake for another 15 minutes. Let the chickpeas cool completely, about 1 hour, so that they will crisp.