I’m having one of those weeks where I can’t believe it’s only Thursday. Usually, I feel like the weeks fly by, but this one has been really freaking slow. What I would give to transport myself to a sunny, tropical island right now and just lay on the beach for a solid week, reading silly chick lit and drinking fruity cocktails. I need a vacation. And a tan.
I’ve been feeling kind of lazy on the food front recently, although I’m proud that this has translated into simple snacks and meals, and not takeout from the Japanese place across the street. As easy (and delicious) as it would be to order some seaweed salad and miso soup, I have a well-stocked fridge and a pantry with about a year’s worth of dried beans. One can never have too many beans.
Similar to just about every other week, chickpeas have made an appearance most days. I go through phases with foods, but chickpeas seem to be one of the few that I never get sick of eating. And this week, when I was too tired to make hummus (okay, too lazy to wash the food processor), I had an intense craving for baked chickpeas. Simple, no fuss, and minimal dish-washing.
Normally, I would make a batch of BBQ chickpeas, but the BBQ sauce bottle has been sitting in my fridge for months with about a teaspoon of sauce left. I just don’t have the heart to toss it, or the patience to finagle the rest out of the bottle. It’ll likely stay there until my next cleaning rampage, when I’ll decide we have too much clutter and Aaron will come home to find that I’ve “simplified” our entire apartment. What can I say, I like things very “zen.”
Not having enough BBQ sauce turned out to be a good thing, however, because it forced me to reach into the depths of the pantry for a bottle of balsamic vinegar. I let the chickpeas marinate in the vinegar, then drained the excess, tossed them in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and baked them until they were perfectly crispy.
Tangy and reminiscent of salt and vinegar potato chips, but so much more satisfying. If you have never tried roasted chickpeas before – you must make these.
- 1½ C. Chickpeas, Cooked (approximately 1, 15 oz. can)
- ½ C. Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tsp. Olive Oil
- ½ Tsp. Sea Salt
- ¼ Tsp. Black Pepper
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them in a large bowl.
- Pour the balsamic vinegar over the chickpeas and toss to combine.
- Cover the chickpeas with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for at least 2 hours to marinate.
- Once the chickpeas have soaked in the balsamic vinegar, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drain the chickpeas to remove any extra balsamic vinegar and place them back in the large bowl.
- Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper to the chickpeas and stir until the chickpeas are evenly coated.
- Transfer the chickpeas to the prepared baking sheet and spread them into an even layer.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I will definitely be trying this recipe!! I just made my first ever batch of roasted chickpeas and I couldn’t believe how good they are! Why didn’t anyone tell me?? haha
haha They’re so addictive too!
I was planning on making bbq chickpeas this weekend. Sounds like it will have to be two types of baked chickpeas!
You can never have too many baked chickpeas!
Yummy yummy in my tummy! I have a can of chickpeas in my cabinet…I’m more or less a chickpea virgin, but those look delish! I may use this recipe on the ones in my cabinet. Thanks!
Let me know what you think if you give them a try!
Ooh! That looks so yummy. All my favs. I am seriously a chickpea addict!
OH NO YOU DIDN’T! Just found a bag of chickpeas in my fridge – with no idea what to do with them – and now I know exactly what I’m going to do. I cannot wait to munch on these!
haha They lasted all of 2 seconds in my house!
I love roasted chickpeas – and these look fantastic!
These sound great! I’ve never tried roasting chickpeas before, but I think that is going to have to change!
You have to give roasted chickpeas a try! They’re so, so good!
Your chickpeas only take 15-20 minutes to cook?! What am I doing wrong? Mine usually take 2 hours…
I soak them overnight, then bring them to a boil for 15-20 minutes. Are you soaking them?
Yup. But I usually bring to a boil and then simmer for 1-2 hours. Hmm….
I can’t get them to be crunchy. They’re kind of dry and chewy. Do I just have to leave them in longer?
They are a little dry and chewy, but they should be crispy right when you take them out of the oven (mine tend to lose the crunch factor after I store them in the fridge). I’d try baking them a little longer – maybe 5 minutes, and then check them again. You could also try adding a bit more oil to help them crisp up.
Great recipe! I love roasted chickpeas (and chickpeas in any form for that matter). Have you tried dry roasting soaked but uncooked chickpeas? It takes a little bit longer but they get perfectly crunchy that way.
I haven’t tried that, but it sounds interesting! About how long do you have to roast them?
im making these tonight, what would you guys suggest as a main meal to go with them?
I sometimes eat them as a main meal, but that’s probably not the most balanced dinner! I like to serve them along with roasted sweet potatoes (thickly sliced, coated in a little olive oil and s&p) and some kale (sauteed or massaged with some olive oil and lemon juice). Love that dinner.
Thanks for the recipe! I made them the other day and they are absolutely delicious! I passed the recipe on to my mom too – I know she’ll love them as well.
Thanks, Lori! I’m so glad you liked them!
I’ve got my chickpeas draining right now so I can get them marinating and cook them tomorrow! So excited because I love roasted chickpeas and I love balsamic vinegar…just never thought to put them together. I’m already certain this is going to be my new favorite snack!
They’re one of my favorite snacks! Let me know what you think after you make them!
Delicious! I can’t stop eating them…every time I walk in the kitchen I grab a handful. These would be great tossed in a salad as well. (I love cinnamon and spice roasted chickpeas in my yogurt too!) Yum-tastic!
So glad you like them! And yes – they’re oddly addictive. I’m the same way about grabbing handfuls every time I walk in the kitchen.
Mine are in the oven, so excited to try!
Awesome! I hope you like them!
I’ll definitely make these. They look great!
Do you happen to have nutrition information for these? They look delicious but I want to be able to count the calories, etc.
I don’t know off hand, but the ingredients are so simple, that you can probably just check the labels or pop them into a calorie counter.
A little late to the thread here… but do you think you can reconstitute the dry chickpeas in the balsamic? I love chickpeas but haven’t ventured to the dried ones. There’s a bag in my pantry I keep avoiding.
That’s an interesting idea. I’m not sure if that would make them too strong though. I’ve always just soaked the chickpeas in water overnight and then boiled them in fresh water before marinating them in the balsamic.
Definitely report back if you give that a try!
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