Who said Super Bowl finger food can’t be healthy? Ditch the pork rinds and Cheetos for spicy, crisped air-fried chickpeas, which come together about as easily as microwaved popcorn. Adapted from our skillet recipe for Spiced Fried Chickpeas, these get just-right spice level from cumin and smoked paprika—perfect, as our culinary manager Wes Martin points out, with a cold one. Watch Wes make them on Instagram.
Air-Fired Spiced Chickpeas
Start to finish: 10 minutes
Makes about 1 cup
Don’t forget to pat the chickpeas dry after draining. Wicking away excess moisture will encourage quicker crisping and browning.
15½-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon white sugar
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Preheat the air fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions; set the temperature to 350°F and the timer to 15 minutes.
In a large fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, toss the chickpeas with the cornstarch, shaking out the excess. Drizzle the olive oil over the chickpeas and shake the strainer to evenly coat them.
Transfer the chickpeas to the air fryer basket, spread in an even layer, and cook for 15 minutes, stopping once and stirring the chickpeas, until crisp and light golden brown. Pour the chickpeas into a medium bowl.
While the chickpeas are still warm. stir in the cumin, paprika, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper until the chickpeas are well coated in the spice mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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