Roasted Spicy Smoky Chickpeas

A quick recipe you can make in about 35 minutes as long as you have chickpeas (garbanzo beans) on hand—a healthy alternative to the usual Super Bowl appetizers.

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Uh oh, you have company coming over and there’s no time to go to the store? No worries as long as you keep a few cans of chickpeas on hand.

I first made something like this a few years ago, but back then I fried the chickpeas. Silly girl. No need to fry and add all that fat—and splatter up the stove—when you can roast chickpeas instead. If you search for roasted chickpea recipes, you’ll find a gazillion versions which is why I decided to identify the primary flavors I wanted and do my own thing.

My flavor choices were smoked paprika (one of my favorite spices), garlic, cinnamon and thyme. I started there and added just a bit of sweetness (brown sugar) and additional heat (cayenne). Plus salt, of course.

If you’re not so keen on these flavors, feel free to experiment with other condiments, spices and/or herbs. Here are some recipes from elsewhere in the blogosphere:

• Mexican-Spiced Roasted Chickpeas from Delicious Daydreams
• Indian Roasted Chickpeas from A Spicy Perspective
• Crispy Roasted Chickpeas with Moroccan Spices from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• General Tso’s Roasted Chickpeas from A Sunshiny Day
• Or check out many more versions on The Kitchn.

I sometimes share things here on Gusto to hold myself accountable for doing the things I say I want to do. That was the whole point behind my 2015 kitchen resolutions post—and I’ll report on my progress at the end of every quarter. If you read my post about the Italian Sausage and Chickpea Skillet recipe, I’m happy to report that I bought two pounds of dried chickpeas—the first step toward making chickpeas from scratch in the slow cooker. It won’t happen this weekend—too many other projects—but it will happen soonish.

What are you making for the Super Bowl? I’ll probably make some guacamole but haven’t decided on anything more substantial yet. Sunday is usually one of my dinner nights—Jim and I take turns on dinner duty—so I better figure it out soon.

Roasted Spicy Smoky Chickpeas | Grabbing the Gusto

Roasted Spicy Smoky Chickpeas

You’ll need a sieve or colander (to drain and rinse chickpeas), sheet pan and bowl.

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 15.5 ounce (or thereabouts) cans of chickpeas (garbanzos), drained, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat your oven and a sheet pan at 425. In a bowl, mix the smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, cinnamon, thyme and cayenne pepper, adding more spices or salt, if desired. Add chickpeas and olive oil and toss until the beans are coated with oil and spices.

Remove sheet pan from oven. Spread chickpeas on pan. Bake for 30 minutes, shaking the pan every 10 minutes, until the beans are darker and crisp, but not burnt. Serve warm.