Air fryers are one of the best tools for home cooks when it comes to making tasty food with a crispy or crunchy texture.
Chips and bacon are popular ingredients in air fryer recipes, but one snack-lover has discovered a healthier option.
Taking to the Facebook group Easy Air-Fryer Recipes for Beginners, a member declared: “I kept seeing air fryer chickpea recipes on here so had to give it a try”.
Showing pictures of the flavoursome snacks, which resembled a bowl of savoury nuts or popcorn, the Facebook user described them as “delicious”.
Adding that they’re “definitely worth a go”, they revealed the very simple recipe fellow air fryer owners can follow. A simple blend of three ingredients is all you need – tinned chickpeas, olive oil and seasoning.
Preparation is key for perfectly crunchy chickpeas, so start by draining them from the tin through a sieve.
Give the chickpeas a rinse under running water to remove the remnants of the thick liquid, known as aquafaba, then transfer to a large bowl.
Pat gently with a clean tea towel, shaking the bowl and patting them gently to avoid breaking the chickpeas. When dry, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over some smoked paprika, cumin, chilli powder and salt.
It may be easier to measure this out in half-teaspoon quantities of each beforehand and sprinkle the blend all over. Toss to coat then pour the chickpeas into the fryer basket at 160C to cook for 25 minutes.
The recipe creator recommended tossing the chickpeas as they cook for the best results. As for how the recipe fared among other air fryer fans, it was a hit.
Commenting on the Facebook post, a fellow group member suggested: “Squeeze lime over the top after cooking and serve with whipped feta… they are delicious!”
Another chimed “made it yesterday, was really good”, while a third added: “Has been my favourite snack lately.”
