Smoky Fried Chickpeas
A perfect bar snack.
That's it. Only 8 chickpeas necesssary. Kidding.
Checking to see if the oil is ready. It is.
With the chickpeas, you add both the zest and the thyme, which sort of caramelize while the chickpeas cook.
Chickpeas are dangerous little legumes, and due to their "skin" it's nearly impossible to fully dry them. Thus, there is inevitable, scary splatter. By all means, if you have a splatter screen...
Slicing the garlic not too thinly allows it to cook thoroughly without burning.
When the "skins" are translucent and beginning to get golden, the chickpeas are ready.
After all the chickpeas are done, add the garlic to the hot oil.
The garlic will continue to cook after it's removed from the oil, so be sure to take the slices out before they look perfectly done.
In goes the smoked paprika. We used a combo of hot and sweet.
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A&M say: If you were to put out a bowl of these crunchy, smoky, spicy little nuggets at a cocktail party, it's likely they'd be gone in under five minutes. Aliwaks has taken an already brilliant idea (fried chickpeas with smoked paprika) and run with it. You also fry strips of lemon zest, fresh thyme leaves and later thinly sliced garlic to mix with the chickpeas, paprika and salt. This leads to an array of crispy little bursts of flavor, each more fragrant than the last. Do be careful while frying (use a splatter screen if you have one), and make sure the chickpeas are as dry as you can get them. It's worth a little experimenting to find a brand of chickpeas that spit less while frying but still stay tender in the middle. - A&M
Aliwaks says: I was making a sort of Spanish/Moroccan Moorish sort of dinner for friends one night, and was looking for something small and spicy and crunchy to serve with drinks I thought I had almonds, but had run out but I did have a can of chickpeas..and inspiration struck.
Serves enough for 4
- 2 large cans chickpeas
- 1 cup Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, strips
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 coarse salt to taste
- 4 pieces garlic, sliced
- Drain Chickpeas and set on paper towels over a colander to dry throughly (can be done 1 day in advance).
- Heat oil in large pan (preferably cast iron) to 355 or until oil makes bubbles around 1 chickpea.
- add lemon zest, thyme sprig, chickpeas in batches so pan doesn't crowd fry about 5 minutes until crunchy color & changes.
- remove from oil, drain well over colander/sieve, add garlic, fry till golden.
- Toss with smoked paprika & salt, add more if necessary..serve warm.
- Your Best Recipe with Paprika Contest Winner!
Tags: Cocktail Party, Easy, Moroccan, savory, Spanish, Vegan, wheat-free






4 months ago mensaque
Loved it!Found the fotos very helpfull,cause the writen recipe is a bit hard to follow.
10 months ago VeraLove
I'm wondering...I love anything fried, but hate the mess. Does anyone know if it'll work if I toss them olive oil, lemon zest, thyme... and roast in the oven on a high temperature until crispy?? Do you think they will crisp up?? I guess there's only one way to find out...
9 months ago Jocelynlr
I do these in the oven all the time and it works perfectly!
5 months ago 102bleu
do you just coat them in oil? and what temp do you use?
thanks, 102bleu
10 months ago Lauren Bayles
This sounds amazing. Wondering same as some others: Remove chickpeas from pan and drain. Add garlic to pan and fry till golden. Should the chickpeas be added back to pan after garlic?
about 1 year ago Iris9
Superb recipe — I particularly love the harmonious vibe of the garlic with the chickpea. I'm going to add more garlic slices next time. I also added a spritz of lemon at the end, which brightened the flavours. Oh, and I didn't use smoked paprika, but mine did come directly from Budapest, so it made up for it. Mmm......
PS: Make sure to be VERY careful when frying
about 1 year ago Sena
These were delicious! I made them as part of my first attempt at cooking a vegan meal...for company...for Christmas. They were very easy to make. I cooked a bag of dry garbanzo beans the day before and then set them on a towel to dry overnight before frying them. Perfect! Thank you for posting this recipe!
about 1 year ago micook
Ok, in my continuing quest to figure out far in advance I can make just about anything, I made these Tuesday night for friends. Fried them -- it took me a bit to figure out that longer is better; you want them to look golden brown -- and held them in a warm oven for maybe half an hour. They were good. But they got better. Wednesday night, I heated some of the leftovers in the toaster over til they were hot -- yum. And the last batch Thursday night made us wish I had made more. (I had cooked a bag I found in the pantry.) So for those considering entertaining for a crowd, I'd say make them when you have time and recrisp them in the oven right before the party. Also, I added a little hot smoked paprika to the plain smoked paprika and next time would probably add more of the smoked. Delicious and totally addictive!
10 months ago Lauren Bayles
Enjoyed your comment/alterations. Can't wait to try. Question: You said you "cooked a bag ... found in the pantry." Were you referring to a bag of dry chickpeas or did I misunderstand?
over 1 year ago Brsboarder
How long will they last before they start to get soggy?
over 1 year ago Brsboarder
How would I make these from dried chickpeas? Soak overnight and then directly fry, or overnight, then 1 hour cook and then fry?
I would appreciate any help
over 1 year ago Aliwaks
Definitely cook them, make sure they are cool and dry. I think they will be outstanding with properly cooked chickpeas, bravo for not taking shortcuts.
almost 2 years ago magdance
Delicious! I made them with chick peas cooked from scratch and had no trouble with getting them dry. Just spread on a towel after cooking and leave for an hour or two. I gave them the quick soak (bring to boil and let sit for an hour) and then cooked until soft but not falling apart, about 40 minutes. Also it's fine if you keep the cooked chick peas in the fridge for a few days or a week before drying and frying. Yes, I've eaten a lot of these yummy little guys all by myself while trying this out.
almost 2 years ago jnewberry
1 coarse salt? Is that 1 tablespoon?
about 1 year ago BocaCindi
It's coarse salt to taste. I found it on another site. It was bugging me too. A Tablespoon sounded like too much. I will be making these very soon.
almost 2 years ago AlizaEss
I have done this in the oven before but never on the stovetop since I hate dealing with all the oil in the frying pan. The oven works well but I'd bet this method gives a better crisp! So versatile and a good party snack that's veggie friendly.
about 1 year ago Marihada
How do you do them in the oven? Toss with enough olive oil to coat, salt and seasonings, and bake at 400 or so? These look delicious - would love to serve them and the party popcorn with holiday cocktails!
almost 2 years ago ChefDaddy
Very nice!
about 2 years ago s-chapstick
To avoid the grease thing I read a recipe in a magazine that is almost the same except it used cajun or old bay seasoning's & you bake the chickpeas in a 400* oven for about 20 mins.
They taste wonderful !
over 2 years ago J-Dizzle
I love chick peas, they are so versatile....I am going to make this on the weekend. Thanks for the healthy snack recipe! Cheers.
almost 3 years ago chez danisse
Mmm. Mmm. Going to stash this one away for later. Thanks.
about 3 years ago gabrielaskitchen
Making these for my vegan buddies for superbowl! thanks!
about 3 years ago BigChiefDogface
You could also smash the chick peas and fry them in little pancakes as appetizers. Serve with a dollop of thick rich yogurt. Thanks for the recipe! Nice...
about 3 years ago deensiebat
made them, loved them!
about 3 years ago friskier
A hit. Somehow turned out much lighter and better than what we had sampled at a pricey tapas place.
about 3 years ago BonEllen
I made these just now with only chick peas, and tossed w/ paprika & kosher salt. AMAZING! Even the kids love them!