We’ve all been lying to you about crispy chickpeas. I’m sorry. It wasn’t very cool of us. I include myself; I’ve been telling you for years that you can crisp chickpeas in the oven and you can, you really can. But it’s not the whole story. The whole story is that you can get them crunchy in the oven but they also dry out a bit and the texture isn’t half as good as the more lightweight, nuanced crisp you get from frying them on the stove. I’ve always known this. But, who wants to deep fry? Not most of us, and certainly on a random Tuesday. It sounds like a project. It must use a ton of oil. It feels a bit heavy… for lunch.
But what if none of this is true, either? One day earlier this summer I wanted crispy chickpeas and I didn’t want to crank up the oven for 35 to 40 minutes to make it happen. Instead, I heated a few tablespoons of oil (a tablespoon more, if that, than I find roasting them requires) in a small frying pan and it took all of 10 minutes to get them perfect — crispy with shattery edges, but still soft inside. I drained them briefly on a paper towel, coated them with salt, pepper, and lemon zest, and then I added a little more oil to the pan and fried some thinly sliced zucchini until it were browned in spots. On a plate, I stirred together some plain yogurt, finely grated garlic, lemon juice, and salt. I layered the zucchini on top, and half the chickpeas on top of that. I finished the whole thing with red pepper flakes, fresh herbs, and more lemon juice. And I don’t know that I have made a more perfect plate of food since.*
Nutty chickpeas, almost sweet browned zucchini, cold garlicky yogurt, with an intense toum-like vibe, all together in each forkful is more complexity than I’d ever hoped to find in a plate of beans and yogurt. I made it again the next day, frying more zucchini and using the second half of the fried chickpeas, and I plan to repeat it all fall and winter with other vegetables I can singe in a pan (eggplant, thinly sliced peppers, perhaps even some winter squash). I’m envisioning a future where I sit down to stunning, plated lunches I’ve made just for me, because I’m worth it, but that’s just early September ambition talking. But let me daydream, okay?
* which is either an insult to all of the food I’ve made since or a tell that, well, I’ve barely cooked recently. Because… we just got back from Ireland! We’ll talk more about the food soon, but in the meanwhile, if you’re into reading itineraries, I wrote this up just for you.
Previously
Six months ago: Salted Peanut Tart
One year ago: Foolproof Cacio e Pepe
Two years ago: Cheesecake Bars with All The Berries and Corn Chowder with Chile, Lime, and Cotija
Three years ago: Eggplant Parmesan Melts and Even More Perfect Blueberry Muffins
Four years ago: Angel Hair Pasta with Raw Tomato Sauce, Crispy Peach Cobbler, and Corn Chowder Salad
Five years ago: Strawberries and Cream with Graham Crumbles and Corn Cheddar and Scallion Strata
Six years ago: Almond-Crisped Peaches, Key Lime Popsicles and Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
Seven years ago: Mediterranean Baked Feta with Tomatoes, Leek, Chard, and Corn Flatbread and Vanilla Custards with Roasted Blueberries
Eight years ago: Hazelnut Plum-Crumb Tart, Zucchini Fritters, and Naked Tomato Sauce
Nine years ago: Eggplant Salad Toasts and Peach Shortbread
Ten years ago: Griled Eggplant and Olive Pizza and Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting
Eleven years ago: Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Kefta and Zucchini Kebabs and Dimply Plum Cake
Twelve years ago: Double Chocolate Torte and Spicy Soba Noodles with Shiitakes
Thirteen years ago: Moules Frites and 44-Clove Garlic Soup
Crisped Chickpeas with Herbs and Garlic Yogurt
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 small garlic clove, minced or microplane-d
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- Salt and red pepper flakes
- Olive oil
- Half a large lemon
- 1 small zucchini (about 6 ounces), thinly sliced
- Handful of chopped fresh mint, oregano, basil, parsley, or a mix thereof
Heat scant 4 tablespoons olive oil in a medium-large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chickpeas and cook, stirring to ensure they color evenly, until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes. They’re going to crackle and pop as they fry; be careful or use a splatter screen if you have one. Use a slotted spoon, transfer the chickpeas to paper towels to drain briefly then season well, while still very hot, with finely grated lemon zest, fine sea salt, and pepper flakes.
Add another tablespoon or so of oil if needed to the pan and warm again over medium-high. Add the zucchini — you will not fit it all in one layer and that’s fine, just leave it there until browned underneath, a few minutes, then turn in sections, repeating the don’t-move-until-browned pause until the zucchini is tender and browned in spots. Season well with salt and pepper.
Slide zucchini onto prepared yogurt. Cut the zested lemon half into two wedges. Drizzle hot zucchini with juice from one of the wedges; place the second on the side of the plate for serving. Sprinkle half of chickpeas on top of zucchini (save the second half of the chickpeas for next time). Finish with a small drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs. Eat right away.
Lately I’ve b en putting garlicky yogurt under everything. Farro with broccoli rubble? Check. Left over aglio e olio? Done. This is just a less carry progression in the madness.
*Less carby
How should we store/reheat the second half of the chickpeas?
The crispy chickpea dish was quick to make and SO satisfying!
Can’t wait to have it again tomorrow.
Just dee-lish!
Deb, did you do your trick of measuring how much oil was leftover? I’m curious …
No, but it was a tablespoon, at most.
This reminds me of the best thing I’ve eaten this summer, at All Purpose in DC. Crispy chickpeas and cherry tomatoes on a bed of tzatziki mixed with burrata. lots of grilled toast on the side. May have to use this recipe as a starting point!
Kind of random aside – I went to Moran’s Oyster Cottage years ago and loved their brown bread which I utterly failed to replicate at home. If you ever manage to recreate it please post the recipe since I would LOVE to have it back in my life!
(also the chickpeas look amazing – will definitely try next week)
I’ve got their recipe — and a few others. I’ll give them a spin and see if I find something worth sharing.
Only problem is you can’t recreate the ambience and sense of place, and the vibrant moment of eating it in Ireland. Do your best. We are all waiting.
I am waiting also
I have just read that. Oh yes please would love the recipe
I just ate your Dutch pancake for lunch. I used frozen corn n bottom itch butter and mixed chives and parsley, grated cheese the put sesame seeds on top. Yum
Bottom itch butter? Oh dear.
Oh my, this was absolutely fantastic! Made it as dinner for my Husband and me and we both loved it. Bright with citrus, loved the slightly charred zucchini and the not as crispy as I would have liked chickpeas. IN all honesty, I didn’t want to cook them at a really high temp. so they were nice and firm but not quite crisp. No matter, perfectly fine that way. Used Icelandic Skyr instead,of regular yoghurt and also added a super thinly sliced carrot to the zucchini. Very pretty! This will, believe me, now be on our plates again. Loved it ♥️
The other problem is that you can’t get the right kind of flour in the US except by expensive special order. The magic of Irish brown bread is the really coarsely ground whole wheat flour and I have not been able to replicate it in the US. :(
Can you grind your own flour?
King Arthur Flour carries an “Irish-style” flour https://shop.kingarthurflour.com/items/irish-style-flour-3-lb
Have you tried Indian whole wheat atta? (Meant for making chapatis and other flatbreads.)
Have you ever made Swedish Limpa Bread? Delicious and keeps for a week or more. Perfect for camping.
I made this recipe for friends this Saturday morning for brunch and it was a hit. I was scraping the leftover yogurt off the plate with more toast that evening. So good.
This looks amazing! Do you think it would reheat well if you wanted to do it and take it for lunch? Or if you kept the components separate and heated the chickpeas and zucchini and put it over the pre-prepared yogurt? Obvi heating the yogurt = no bueno.
I think you could but it is three separate elements, which is a bit much for packed lunches, right?
Sometimes you just need your packed lunch to be a little joyful to get you through the day, in which case you bring as many containers as you need! I’d probably put it in two containers, with the chickpeas/zucchini in one and the yogurt mixture in a big enough container to fit everything. Worth it to have the best lunch in the office!
Nothing to do with chickpeas, but . . . you went to Ballymaloe! To the cooking school! I love “Forgotten Skills of Cooking,” and would so love to take a class there. Not with my wrecking-ball children, though. I suspect the instructor would be noticing less my sons’ (and daughter, to be fair) adorable accents and more their ability to reduce any orderly room to chaos within minutes.
Another dish where you smear a dairy product onto a plate- yes! I loved your version of Mexican street tacos this way and will adore this I’m sure, too. It’s a way to get a bit of the cool creamy with the other flavors on the plate. Nice!
Sorry a little off point but what kind of frying pan is that? Also, Any ideas for something other than yogurt for those who dint eat dairy?
It’s the small fry from Great Jones. I’m very happy with it so far; not sponsored. (They send out a lot of comped stuff so I want to make that clear.)
What kind of oil did you use? p.s. I love reading your recipes. I just finished reading your cookbook. It’s so great!
Olive oil. And thank you!
I really, really love my small fry. It is handy for so many things such as browning garlic and shallots to add to fresh tomatoes and, most importantly, perfecting eggs.
I would love to get their Dutch oven but the oval shape won’t work well on my glass top.
Could you try it with tofu or a non-dairy yogurt?
I used plain unsweetened coconut milk yogurt and it tasted great! I think any plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt would work.
I used Israeli tehina (sesame paste, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt), because my baby son loves the stuff and it was excellent.
THANK YOU FOR TELLING THE TRUTH! I’ve tried a few recipes for crisping chickpeas in the oven, but all I ever got was burned or too hard chickpeas. I’m excited to try this method!
I will have to try this – I have never been happy with chick peas when I have tried to cook them before.
I’m pretty sure you’re reading my mind right now. I was planning two dinners for the week–roasted chickpeas and cauliflower tacos, and instant pot mujadara with the toum from serious eats. I’m definitely going to try out both of these elements (the chickpea cooking method and the garlic sauce) in lieu of what I was going to do. Thanks!
This looks so delicious! Can’t wait to prepare it for just me while the kids are at school & luxuriate in a solo lunch with a book! (Did you adore Conversations With Friends? I felt bereft when I finished it.)
I did! I read it first, and Normal People second. And then I started Great Believers and I haven’t read one single page of this or any other book since mid-August. :(
Just happened to bring home zucchini and full fat (yesssss!) yogurt home from the store today and this recipe felt like fate. Friends, it’s sublime. Thank you, Deb! I couldn’t help but add a handful of halved orange cherry tomatoes and topped it all with parsley. I don’t think the second half of the crisp chickpeas are going to make it to another meal since I can’t stop munching on them.
THANK YOU for saying that about oven-roasted chickpeas. I thought it was just me and that I was doing something wrong! I cannot wait to try this recipe!
Same here!
Deb, I have to say thank you for the result of 10+ years of lurking here: I threw a 7 Continents dinner for 35 people yesterday, and used mostly Smitten recipes. Pavlova, limonade de coco, poppyseed lemon cake and a mashup of two Asian dressings for a cabbage salad (cornbread with maple butter, Moroccan chicken with couscous, and ice rounded out the menu.) Thank you for the wonderful stories of life and the excellent resource you provide!
What a fun party idea!
You are more than welcome! That sounds delicious.
This sounds delicious! Are you going to post more about your class at Ballymaloe Cookery School and the recipes you learned while there? Brown bread, tomato relish, aioli, almond tartlets all sound wonderful.
No, but I am sure it will come up — I take classes to absorb things. :) This has actually been a Year of Cooking Classes for me. I took a sourdough class and I learned to roll couscous (like, from semolina, not boiling from a box). I’m still working on filtering the lessons out here.
I found the recipes I wanted in Rachel’s and Darina’s cookbooks :)
I’m so glad you brought this up..I’ve been wanting to ask you about the last crispy chickpeas you made. Are the baked ones crisp like nuts or corn nuts or more like cheese balls or cheese puffs? I can’t eat corn nuts with my delicate teeth.. I’m so happy that the texture of these are soft in the middle. I may be able to eat them! YaY!
Yum! I’ve only ever roasted chickpeas. Never tried frying them, although why I hadn’t though of that earlier is beyond me. Awesome recipe!
How perfect to read such an incredible young Irish author before/during your Ireland trip. Here’s hoping that now the kids are back in school you can pick up a book again! I just read How To Be Famous by Caitlin Moran – funny, easy read.
Oops my reply popped up in the wrong place!
Hi Deb this looks great! What kind of yogurt do you use? Full fat/non-fat/Greek??
I use full-fat Greek but don’t think 2% or other would be an issue here.
You are wonderful – Happy Fall to you and your fam 😍
I am going to try this with tzatziki under it……
“that’s just early September ambition talking” just made my day. I can’t wait to try the chick peas- I’ve consistently hated the texture when I’ve tried to bake them. I’ve gotten stuck on Julia Turshen’s zucchini fritters with Nigella, though. Sure, I could do something else with zucchini, but why? Thanks for all that you do- we appreciate you!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your chickpea honesty. Oven roasted chickpeas are dense little flavorless nubs of tooth torture. Can’t wait to try this technique!
Hurray for a faster way to make crispy chickpeas!!!
Is it worth peeling them? What’s the texture like with the peels on?
Absolutely do not peel them. The loose skin on chickpeas is what gives them the shattery crisp exterior. It’s why chickpeas crisp and black and other beans don’t, or not nicely.
🙌 Thank you!
Peeling chickpeas is one of my most-hated cooking tasks.
Interesting. I would have made these with dried chickpeas, but they seem to peel themselves while cooking. I guess I’ll cook some and if they lose their skins do something else with them.
Sounds like a great way to make crispy chickpeas, at least on day one. If you do not eat them all, I can not believe that they will be crispy the next day too, unless you have some magical way to store them or re crisp. If there is something I am missing, I hope you will divulge all! Thanks!
So, I stored mine at room temperature, loosely wrapped. They stay plenty crisp, especially if you get them very crisp to begin with (note the deep nutty color above). I am not, however, a food safety expert, so do what feels safest to you. Even if they do soften in the fridge (but I wouldn’t expect them to a whole lot), no reason you could not re-crisp them in the oven or on the stove. The oil is already on them so it should work.
This was delicious – one of those recipes where the whole is magically greater than the sum of its parts. One delicious recommended addition: toasting up some sliced almonds before you throw in the zucchini.
Yum!
How should we store and reheat the second half of the chickpeas? I’ve never found a good way to store chickpeas that I roasted on a pan. They usually end up with a yucky texture after a few hours.
I left mine at room temperature loosely covered. I am not, however, a food safety expert so not sure I can advise it. They were fine, though, perfectly crisp.
Made this. It was amazeballs. I can also see the yogurt topped with rice or quinoa and a veggie as well. Just a great recipe…per usual.
Wow! That was a delicious dinner. Thank you
I made this for our dinner tonight and it came together quickly. I loved the crispy chickpeas. I added a bit of red bell pepper to the zucchini for color. I think I would have preferred Greek yogurt, texture wise. The surprise that really threw me, however, was our garlic. We bought it recently at a farmer’s market. I minced one garlic clove even though I was making enough for two servings. My husband asked me what spices I had used, but I told him just salt (I didn’t use any red pepper flakes because we are wimps when it comes to heat) and, of course lemon zest. But it was quite spicy…I finally realized it was the garlic that was ultra powerful and had a bite! We love garlic usually, but in its raw form, minced, it was too much for us. I have had raw garlic in tzatziki and it never phased me, but…so my warning is to be careful adding that raw garlic. If I make this again, I will cook the garlic with the zukes. I know vampires will stay far away from us tonight!
Well dang, you are right about the oven roasted chickpeas! I guess I only liked them because I thought that was the best they could do?! Will definitely be trying this. Your sheetpan chickpeas and meatballs will still stay in my dinner rotation, though.
Deb, amaze-balls!
I did not have zucchini, so used red bell pepper and cherry tomatoes. Syrian zatar for the herbs. I put this over arugula. My yogurt was very watery, so drizzled it over the top.
I just gave my husband a spoonful of chickpeas and garlic sauce. He sighed, closed his eyes, and said, “You’re so good at food.” Thanks for another winner!
“You’re so good at food”
Love this!
Made this tonight, loved it! I added a sprig of rosemary to the oil/chickpeas which was so good. Thanks for another amazing recipe!
We just had this for a lazy lunch in Italian summer and this was as good as you had described it!
Thank you for a great recipe! Definitely a staple in our home from now on!
Thanks for this. I tried roasting chickpeas and found them so dry and almost paste-like in the mouth. Happy to have your alternative. Already thinking of substituting a little curry powder in the yogurt.
I’ve never seen a recipe online and then made it that night, but I did with this. And now I’m making it a second night in a row and hoping I have enough self restraint to save some from lunch tomorrow.
Just a few tips: it takes longer than I expected. The chickpeas are def longer than 10 mins. It would save time to do the chickpeas and zucchini at the same time, in 2 pans. Also, Deb, there’s a mistake: there’s definitely not enough chickpeas for 2 servings. Not after quality control.
Ah, I’m so glad to know this! When my roasted chickpeas came out dry, I was like, “Am I doing it wrong? Is it just me?” I’ll definitely try this.
This is delicious! I cooked some sausages in the pan first then crisped the chickpeas in the tenderer fat, which was a great addition. I could see some crisped pancetta working really well too. Also added a minced garlic clove in with the zucchini. Chickpeas took a little longer than 10 minutes, but overall this was easy, fast, and a definite repeat!
This is brilliant! Tastes gourmet but actually made from normal kitchen staples. Added tomatoes, pickled onion and fresh mozzarella on the side and mopped up the sauce with a piece of bread. Definitely a keeper!
This is something that is going to make me crave zucchini in December, as it was SO SIMPLE and SO GOOD! I used some really good olive oil that I splurged on in a Labor day sale and I think it is what made this so delicious! I used organic chickpeas and (only regular) zucchini and it was still amazing! The zucchini recipes from this summer are going to become summer staples.
Yummo! Made this as a side for dinner and it was lovely served with fancy sausages and balsamic beetroot relish. My only comment is re quantities/servings – I doubled the zucchini and yoghurt and herbs etc, but quadrupled the chickpeas (ie cooked two tins’ worth, one after the other, and served all of it) and it was about right for two (admittedly very greedy) people. I also found that the chickpeas were crispiest right after frying – I prepped at lunch-ish and they’d lost a bit of crunch by the time I assembled in the evening. Still delicious though!
I made the chickpeas today and sautéed a small onion along with the zucchini. I skipped the Yogurt for my Vegain husband and used Cashew cream instead. It was totally awesome!
BTW I used dry chickpeas, soaked overnight, pressure cooked and drained. Not canned.
I had to close my eyes while eating this to savor it properly.
BTW I used nonfat greek yogurt and added some dill. Delicious. We made it for lunch two days ago made it again today with added tomatos again today. I call that a good week. I am on the ww plan for weight loss and the only “points” in here are for the oil. win win.
Can not resist savory recipes with yogurt in them. I made this for a quick dinner tonight and I loved it and so did my son. You are not kidding about the spattering chick peas though. They come flying out of the pan like popcorn.
Holy cow, this was delicious. Thank god my kid hates chickpeas and wouldn’t even try it. I DID NOT want to share tonight! Excellent recipe!
I know this is technically the wrong place to reply (recipe, not travel), but I just wanted to say how delighted I was to read your Ireland post. I lived in Dublin 2001-2002 as an exchange student at Trinity College, and your photos brought back such lovely memories. Thanks.
This is perfect – I want it now! But…please tell me about the pan! I need to ditch my old, worn non-stick pans. What brand is the one in the picture? Thank you :)
Confession- I hate vegetables and basically anything healthy. But I’m trying to eat better and I love your recipes for baked goods (saving last week’s for my birthday!) Anyway, I thought, if anyone could make me want to eat plants, it’s you. And- this dish is TRANSCENDENT. I gobbled the whole plate and yes, I can see myself smuggling in other vegetables and other herbs (I have to sneak them past my inner child). I’m going to have to go back through your other vegetable recipes and stop confining myself to the dreamy desserts. Thank you !
Wow this is SO GOOD!!!! I made this for the whole fam for dinner tonight. I discovered by the time. Was on the third batch of zucchini that It works just fine to dump more than one zucchini in the pan and “stir fry” it as normal. We used basil and cilantro as herbs.
I made this on a whim last night to go with a collection of warm and hot salads I was having with friends, and it was amazing. It far outshone the plates that had taken four times the effort to make. Truly brilliant deliciousness. Thank you!
The best thing I’ve had all week!! It’s exactly the mediterranean flavour I was craving. SO easy, and so quick to make. I love your recipes.
I added capers about half way through cooking the chickpeas – another layer of texture/salty. So good!
Wow – this was DELICIOUS. I used Fage 5% greek yogurt and a large garlic clove – added most of it to the yogurt and a bit of it to the pan right before I added the zucchini so it got toasty and delicious. Chives & parsley were perfect on top. My chickpeas were super soft out of the can and didn’t crisp up as much as I’d liked – but I think that could be adjusted the next time I make it, and there will definitely be a next time. So good, so quick, so easy – love it.
Have you ever tried baked yellow split peas instead of chickpeas? They get crispy in the oven and stay crispy. I like them as a snack or for some added crunch over salads.
No but thanks for the tip! Will give it a shot.
Thank you! Just bought pre crisped chickpeas but felt guilty ( a bit like when I buy hummus). This is the sort of food we need to eat!
Just made this today – Monday. Wonderful. I guess I did not make it sound appealing enough because I offered it for every meal starting with Saturday breakfast and there were no takers. I had no fresh spices so used some Zaatar (sp) on the zuchini. Delicious and satisfying.
This looks very tempting & I plan to give it a whirl. I wanted to let you know that, as you start to explain how to prepare the chickpeas, you mention adding 4 T to the skillet, but you don’t specify what you’re adding. I don’t think it’s the yogurt mixture. I’m sure it’s the oil, but you might want to add that in your instructions.
Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes. You really get the creative juices flowing with all of your innovative cooking!
This was amazing! Interestingly I had some yogurt sauce leftover from the turkey burgers in Ottolenghi’s “Jerusalem” so I tried this recipe with it. Delicious. The sumac added a nice touch. Thank you for the crispy chickpea guidance.
Made it. Ate it. Loved it!!! Listen to Deb re the SMALL clove of garlic. Sadly, I did not and used a large clove. My breath would make a vampire faint 😆
Hi Deb, sorry for my ignorance, but will normal Greek yogurt work here? Looks delicious. Thank you!
Made this yesterday, for “Meatless Monday” lunch. Excellent flavor and texture combination ! I recommend to use relative high fat Yogurt, which makes the dish even more delicious.
I will certainly adopt this as a regular !
That’s a great combination!
Roasting vegetables seems to me an over-hyped waste of time and power, whenever one can achieve the same effect in less than half the time with a good frying pan (or wok). I never roast butternut squash for soup, for just that reason; it softens and frizzles just fine on the hob.
Made this for lunch today, sooo yummy. Served it with cherry tomatoes and a piece of flat bread, perfect. Getting your posts in my inbox is the best part of my Mondays. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Just made this for lunch. Really quick to put together and amazing taste. The combination of the creamy yogurt, the soft sautéed squash and the crunchy chickpeas was magical. And filling without being heavy. Will definitely make this again regularly.
I just made this and it was really amazing. It was quick to put together and light yet filling. The creamy yogurt, the soft sautéed squash and the crispy chickpeas really went well together. I’ll definitely make this again regularly.
* and dummy I just realized I didn’t even put the herbs on top and it was still incredibly delicious so next time it might be even better*
This looks amazing. Chick peas are a pretty big favorite in our house. I’m curious if there is something dairy free we could substitute for the yogurt? Two of our five can’t eat dairy. Thanks!
It was really good. My major complaint is that we ate most of the whole can of crisped chickpeas before the zucchini was done. I think next time I willjust put the whole can of chickpeas on top of the yogurt and serve with an already prepared salad so I can eat them right away. Delish
Made this last night and it was sublime! The garlicky yogurt really makes the dish,, and I feel so virtuous eating it since it’s so veggie-heavy. Sadly, I didn’t have quite enough oil so my chickpeas never got really crispy on the outsides, but I will definitely be making this again!
Made this last night and it’s delicious. I spiralized the zucchini and yellow squash, so it was extra exciting (visually, anyway).
So good! I followed the recipe exactly (kind of burnt my chickpeas a little). I used cilantro and mint for the herbs. (I like the idea someone had of using za’atar in place of herbs, so I can make this even when I’m out of herbs!). I hope the leftovers I’ll take for lunch tomorrow are half as good. I’ll definitely make this again within the week!
Yum! Wow, so much flavor! What a simple, delicious meal. Thanks, Deb, as always! (Dang I wish I had some warm pita…)
Can’t wait to try! How do you recommend using this technique with your uber delicious crispy turmeric chickpeas? I loved that recipe— but missed the “crispy” part of the chickpea.
I’d sprinkle the spices on the second it leaves the oil.
Hello if one uses dried beans do I need to boil before frying them?
Yes. I have some chickpea-cooking instructions here: a really great pot of chickpeas
As I type I have a plate of scrambled eggs and these slightly fried chickpeas before me. I do very little frying due to the mess, but this version felt doable and it was. I tossed on some sumac (because that’s what I had handy) and the result is a bit like home fries without the guilt. Thanks.
This was delicious, what fun fresh ideas! I think one’s ability to season correctly will make a big difference in this recipe, more so than in many recipes. I love garlic but am not a big fan of raw garlic aftertaste so I cover it in boiling water, then I drained it and added to yogurt. I was too rushed to chop fresh herbs and used zaatar both in the yogurt and to finish it.
Made this for lunch yesterday – wow! The fried chickpeas are the dish and wonderful as a snack, but the dish as a whole was so satisfying – and easy! I needed to use up some roasted garlic, instead of the fresh but that was my only change. Pretty flexible tho as far as the herbs – could even include some micro greens. Thank, this was delightful.
Made this for dinner last night — delicious! And my chickpea-skeptical husband loved it too! Made it again for lunch today to use up the rest of my CSA zucchini; the herby-lemony goodness with the garlicky yogurt is perfection. Threw in some leftover chopped green pepper with the zucchini and it worked just fine.
YUH. HUM. So delicious. Will be making often.
i cannot overstate how delicious this was. next time we’ll double it because my husband and i finished our plates and both wanted more. soooo SO good. deb, you’re the best!
This was delicious on this late summer evening, served with the chopped vegetable, watermelon and feta salad on your site. The whole family ate it up…even the two toddlers. Didn’t change a thing, except quadrupled the recipe to feed a family of five. Sadly, there were barely any leftovers. The chickpeas were divine all on their own; however, be careful with the popping and splatter. I don’t have a splatter screen and you really need one. I used a sheet pan instead leaving room for the steam to come out, but it was less than ideal (ouch!).
Thank you so much for sharing your Ireland itinerary! I can’t say I’m planning to go anytime soon, but reading itineraries and menus is like reading menus of spa services–a guilty pleasure that costs nothing! What a wonderful trip. Maybe I’ll be able to do something similar someday! Thank you so much for all you share with us–and the chickpeas look delicious!
Omg that looks so good! Thanks for the recipes! Garlic yogurt sounds like a great addition to this dish. Can’t wait to try it
Looks delicious ! Have you tried this with soaked and cooked dried chickpeas ? I have locally grown ones here, so only use dried.
Merci !
It should work just fine, just make sure they’re fully cooked before you crisp them.
Ok, I just made this and it’s a game changer. First, I roasted halved cherry tomatoes that were on their last legs (tossed with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and dried basil first) in a 400 degree oven for 20 or so minutes, til they burst. I had zucchini, but was tired of slicing at that point, so onward! Meanwhile, I prepared the yogurt, real pressed garlic (feeling guilty over the garlic powder), and salt… and then I got busy with the chickpeas in their olive oil fry-bath. Used the lemon zest and sea salt and red chili pepper flakes to sprinkle once they were done. Deb is right, USE A SPLATTER SCREEN. Seriously. Then I piled the chickpeas and burst tomatoes onto the yogurt. Drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. I am OBSESSED. Thank you Deb! Oh I forgot…I only had fresh mint, but scattered some of that on the end too. I cannot get over the flavor explosion. You must try this…super adaptable! I cannot wait to try after I have stocked more fresh herbs. If you don’t have any on hand, don’t worry. Just make this!!
Amendment to my earlier comment. I don’t have a “ splatter screen” but I used a pot lid that was s little too small for the frying pan. It allowed the steam to escape but the lively little chickpeas didn’t zing out and get me. Chickpeas got crisp and it all worked out. Yum!
I made this tonight as a side dish. I actually quartered the zucchini and cut into 3/4 inch sections, and I used plain almond yogurt due to dietary restrictions in our house. Everyone loved the dish and said they would be happy eating this with more veggies and more yogurt as a main dish! Thank you
I could not get my chickpeas to crisp. I used 2 cans, set them out to dry while I chopped zucchini and then gave it a go. Any advice?
Did it seem like you needed more oil? Sometimes it can help for the oil to puddle in a smaller pan so you get more depth.
Okay, I made several mistakes (not drying the chickpeas, using red chilli instead of pepper and adding falafels on the side) BUT this still turned out amazing! Thank you!
Long time reader, first time commenter!
1st) Love you, Deb! You’re my cooking sensei <3
2nd) In the second paragraph of the recipe you say "Heat scant 4 tablespoons in a medium-large…" Do you mean "Heat scant 4 tablespoons *of olive oil*"?
3rd) To my frequent chagrin, I don't love yogurt. Would ricotta with some extra lemon juice work here instead?
Whoops — yes, now fixed. Ricotta would work. Hummus would work. Babaganoush would wor!
We don’t have a non-stick pan (my husband objects to them). Think this could work in stainless steel?
Yes, of course.
such a great cooking recipe. i Iove it. I highly recommend this product would be of help visit: http://bit.ly/2m26lzE
This was lunch today! I wanted to make it for two, so I added a red pepper to the zucchini and doubled the yogurt and garlic. Topped with just slivered basil because I have it growing and I wasn’t going to buy more herbs just for this, but I think mint would be an excellent addition here. It’s rare to get an “OMG this is good!” from my husband, but this did it!
AMAZING. And I don’t love Zucchini. But somehow the mix of creamy yogurt, fried and salty chickpeas and the zucchini all work.
My only changes – I couldn’t find yogurt at the corner store near the farmers market so used the costco yogurt dip instead. And I loved the fried chickpeas so much, I dumped them all on the dish.
Love this one.
This was INCREDIBLE! Served it to my parents when they came for dinner last minute and everyone went bananas over it. I added mint and Italian parsley as my herbs and the mint was must! It lifted it so much. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
I want to try this without the zucchini, and use onions and bell peppers instead. I think that will be sooo delicious! I’ve never been a huge fan of zucchini, unless it’s hidden in bread or muffins!
Great Work, Keep Going!
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I made this as a topping to your dutch baby recipe and I LOVED it. It created a perfectly sized meal for two that felt luxurious but not over the top.
Wow, I love this idea!
I made this for lunch this week and it was delicious! The only thing is the next day the chickpeas were not as crisp so I’ll just do them fresh each time.
Long time fan, occasional commenter. This dish was FANTASTIC! Whenever I’m in the mood to cook, I turn to you Deb. I’ve bought your book, I follow your column in BA and am thrilled when I see you appear as a guest on FN. But you are at your best on your blog. Let’s just say, when I bring your food to the table, it brings sanity to an otherwise insane world. Thank you.
I am staring at that squash and wondering if I need my eyes checked. It’s colorblocked yellow and light green!
I’ve been getting them in my CSA box and felt the same way the first time I saw them! Very chic squash ;)
Deb. OMG. It almost doesn’t make sense how delicious this is – thank you!!
I tried this recipe and it was amazing! I had a big can of chickpeas that I didn’t know what to do with. Made this for my coworkers and it disappeared so fast!
Any suggestions on what to do when the chickpeas loosen and their outer layer of skin starts to peel off? It’s tedious to skin them one by one, but it looks messy to have these translucent skins floating around the dish.
Any suggestions on what to do when the chickpeas loosen and their outer layer of skin starts to peel off? It’s tedious to skin them one by one, but it looks messy to have these translucent skins floating around the dish.
This looks amazing! I cannot wait to make it. I love chickpeas and especially when they are crispy and full of flavor.
this was SO, SO good. My chickpeas were done by 8 minutes, and it smoked up my kitchen, but was so worth it. I topped with chopped mint and basil and used 2% greek yogurt. Totally fantastic.
I made this but placed it atop a tangle of radicchio and adorned it further with toasted walnuts and apple pear slices. Damn! So good!
I only had an issue with the garbanzo beans. Trader Joe’s brand exploded every where making a mess and they didn’t crisp up very well. Eden Organic brand did exactly as your recipe suggested and were the best overall.
I really loved your recipe. Thinking about crispy chickpeas with the aroma of garlic makes my mouth water. Looking forward to trying it.
Thinking of making this for a side dish with Shrimp tacos tonight! Think that would work? The only other thing i can think of is rice haha
Made this for the second time today. I roasted halved brussel sprouts til they were brown and crispy and used those for a fall variation. Well worth the effort even if I did forget the garlic!
Please please please stop putting red pepper flakes in every recipe. It is not salt or pepper – there are many people who can’t tolerate it. It ruins every dish I taste now because people see it in so many recipes by really good chefs and don’t realize what it does to a recipe, Rather than enhancing the natural flavors of the ingredients it masks them. All I taste is fire not flavor. If you feel it’s a positive addition than at least make it optional in your recipes. I beg you.
You always have the option to NOT add the red pepper flakes. Just keep in mind that you may need to boost the flavor of the dish in another way with salt or other spices. Have you considered just adding less of the red pepper also? Those “really good chefs” you talk about obviously know how to use it to enhance rather than mask flavor and Deb has some cred in this department so…. show her a little respect. Making this tonight!
This method is now the only way my husband will eat chickpeas.
This was amazing!!! Agree with the comment about closing your eyes to enjoy it!!! I thought I bought chickpeas but alas had to use white beans. Crisped them in the oven and it was perfect!!! I even forgot the fresh herbs I had chopped(pandemic brain-guess I have to make again tomorrow) and this dish was like dessert for dinner!! Thank you!
This is irresistible, easy, and my go-to for a rushed day or an “I over indulged” day after. I stir the lemon juice in with the yogurt, and took some commenters’ advice to sauté the garlic with the zucchini. Please, Deb, I need more simple, delicious, super healthy vegetarian stuff like this. Begging you.
I made this on my first day working from home. It was a good dish to make with things we usually have around but doesn’t taste like a pantry meal. I used plain lowfat yogurt and didn’t miss the fat or thickness of Greek yogurt (in case people are worried about that). My zucchini-hating partner loved it too. I will try roasting the zucchini in the oven next time to make it a bit easier.
Do you have to peel the outside of the chick peas? Take off the outer “skin”?
This is one of my favorite lunches! I never knew I neede salty garlicky yogurt in my life until I ate this. A little sprinkle of za’atar on top is perfect too.
This recipe saved dinner and—if my relationship were on the rocks—it would have saved that, too. I had sweet potatoes baking for sweet potato soup when I realized that the onion I needed was moldy. So I made this instead (substituting baked sweet potatoes for the zucchini and dried dill for the fresh herbs). It was phenomenal. My partner can’t stop talking about how it was the best thing he’s ever eaten. Thanks so much for sharing this gem!
This was very good! I’ve made the fried chickpeas several times since, they’re amazing (in replacement of oven-fried chickpeas). Thank you for this brilliant idea!
I made this tonight and YUMMERS! Quarantine-style since I was fresh out of zucchini. I used onion, carrot, broccoli, and half a green pepper. Thank you!
Yeah, so this is going to be lunch today. Thanks!
These will never ever dry in a million years!! Because they are too moist and wet. You have to start with dried beans. Wash/rinse them, dry them off then roast them until they are dry enough to start popping. Then you’ll have crispy beans to season or to make this salad or whatever it’s called. Just frying a can of beans is useless.
The crispy chickpeas were fab! Crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. We drowned this in herbs from the garden: sorrel, chives, oregano, mint, parsley, basil, summer savoury. It was wonderful. I think we may have sliced the zucchini a bit too thinly …. but otherwise a gorgeous and delicious dish! Thanks, Deb!
I tried printing a couple of recipes and on one an add for a dead mouse was on the top. The other recipe had an add for shoes. I’m using my iPad and have never encountered this before. I know your website has changed I’m not sure if that is the issue or not. Help!
I’m sorry you’re having this problem — we are looking into it. It might have just been an ad code change and it will be fixed.
Always a fan of your vegetarian dishes and this one did not disappoint.
I used a mix of half yogurt and half crème fraîche, fried the chickpea in chili oil and topped the entire thing with a giant handful of cilantro.
Another vote for JUST. HOW. GOOD. this is. It’s not my usual thing, but I gave it a try during the COVID quarantine and *swoon.* Even my 16-year-old son, who is a devoted carnivore and can eat two hamburgers in a sitting, loved it. Plus, it came together super quickly. Now we’re always going to have at least two cans of chickpeas in the pantry so that we can make it on demand. (FYI, for the four of us adult-sized eaters, we doubled it and ate it *all.*)
My chickpeas disintegrated, never got crispy, and ended up very heavy and oily :( Any ideas what went wrong? My guesses are that I didn’t dry them out enough or the oil wasn’t hot enough or I bought bad chickpeas but I really don’t know how to tell which one it is :( they definitely splattered a lot when I put them in and they seemed to be bubbling a lot and getting some color. Maybe they just needed more time. Now I’m scared to try again because they made kind of a mess and used a bunch of paper towels to dry them and blot out all the oil.
Hi. What chickpeas did you use? Sounds like they may not have been dry enough. Did you rinse them with water when you were draining them? How long did you cook them? (It shouldn’t take longer than 10-15 min. for them to get golden and crispy) I made this 2 nights in a row it was so good so don’t’ give up hope!!
To make dinner for two, I doubled the non-chickpea ingredients and served the dish with brown rice. I cut the zucchini in thin diagonal slices, brushed them with olive oil, and broiled them until tender and with some brown spots. My chickpeas came from a freezer stash of a home-cooked batch and must have been drier than canned ones would have been, as there was almost no spatter when I crisped them up. A delicious summer supper.
Ok, this recipe is magical 😍 Thank you for sharing!
How about chick peas cooked in an air fryer?
Those crispy chickpeas are delicious! I made some to top an Israeli salad (cukes, tomatoes, red onion), and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and minced dehydrated garlic. So good! I was leery, having found the baked ones to be like eating paste, but these are definitely going in my regular rotation.
Absolutely delicious! 👏🏻👏🏻😘
this was so good I made it 2 nights in a row for me and hubby. I used 2 cans of chickpeas (I always peel them b/c I need to ha) and 2 medium zucchini. I added 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala to the chickpeas. I also added lemon juice and some honey to the yogurt sauce. I used your yogurt flatbread to go along with everything. YUMMY!
This is perfect for all my zucchini this summer. I can’t eat dairy so I used homemade hummus. It was delicious. Will try with some nondairy yogurt or baba ganoush next time. I think they will be delightful as well.
I’ve made this twice this week, second time added in a small mountain of arugula. Absolutely delicious and quick. Thank you Deb!
I just made this for the second time and it was a hit both times, mostly with me, but also with my wife who, when served vegetarian meals, usually looks at me aghast and says, “This is an appetizer. Where’s the meat?”
BUT SHE LOVES THIS.
I’ve never gotten the crisp I want from the garbanzo beans, but I sprinkle it with Maldon sea salt (Big, beautiful flakes of salt) after the herbs and lemon zest and it’s AH-MAZE-ZING.
This time, I added all the garlic to the yogurt a few hours ahead of time, thinking it would make it extra… garlicy? Cohesive? Something… but it didn’t make much difference as far as I could tell.
I feel like this is a very versatile dish that could be tweaked many ways. I made it today with a funky yellow Italian squash from my garden, and next time (which will probably be lunch tomorrow) I think I will tweak the chickpea seasoning. Maybe some za’atar? A drizzle of paprika oil over everything? We ate all the chickpeas (I cooked dried ones), and I think we could have used more squash, too. Luckily we have tons of them right now! And a bumper crop of lemon basil.
This is my favorite lunch! I love each component and they’re magic together! Thank you <3
I love this as-is and make it often in the summer, but I also made a very tasty riff on this one. Isprinkled the chickpeas with the spice mix from the marinade of the famous Street Cart Chicken from SKED and served over turmeric rice with garlic lemon juice yogurt overtop and it was fantastic!
Hi, Deb. This looks so good, but unfortunately I’m allergic to chickpeas. Any chance that something like this might work with cannellini beans or black beans? I’d appreciate any insights you could offer. I’m a big fan and it always makes me so sad when my food allergies make delicious looking recipes out-of-bounds for me.
I haven’t crisped other beans before but I’ve seen others do it and claim it works as well. I’m a tiny bit skeptical and would love to hear how it goes. If it’s the difference between you getting to eat this dish and not, I definitely think it’s worth it to find out.
This was absolutely delicious! Thank you. I love your recipes and your writing, but have never left a comment. Thank you for the gifts you share.
Delicious and easy!
I saw this recipe and immediately became obsessed. Made it today and it was SO MUCH BETTER than my dreams!!!! Even though I had to use cannellini beans instead of garbanzos because it is clean out the pantry January. Thank you so much for this!!
I’ve made this repeatedly. As written and with rifs (think curried yogurt and pickled things) and it is always delicious.
Most recently we had some leftover and although it says eat right away I decided to stick it in the fridge. The next day, with a bit of crusty bread, an extra squeeze of lemon and a fresh sprinkle of maldon and the cold leftovers are wonderful.
Don’t skip this one.
So delicious!! Thanks Deb. My new favorite lunch.
OMYUM
I meant to add more. This was super delicious. quadruples the recipe today and served it as part of our Father’s Day BBQ spread. Everyone devoured it. Thanks, Deb!
OMG this was so good. I bought some za’atar seasoning at Trader Joe’s after reading a comment here, so I just made this. Aside from using a lot less olive oil, I made this exactly as written (scaled down for just me, I made it when I was home aloooone!). I also mixed some lemon juice into the yogurt mix, and sopped it all up with some naan. So so good. Will probably making this again for lunch tomorrow.
Loved this last year, just made it for the first time this summer with the zucchini already taking over the garden. It’s so good!
Wondering if you could air fry the chickpeas?? Any thoughts? This sounds amazing for lunch and air frying would cut down on calories, mess, and time!
I haven’t but I bet it would work great. Report back if you do? I noticed a few people have asked. (I don’t have space for an air fryer.)
Ok I tried it and I thought it worked really well! They were crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside as you described. I dried them on the paper towel as you suggested, sprayed them with a little avocado oil, and air fried for about 10 minutes at 370. Yumm. Thanks for the recipe!
Did you try it with eggplant? How did it go? (Loved it with zucchini, trying tonight with eggplant :)
Do you think this would work with roasting the chickpeas instead? I’m trying to lose weight and want to avoid too much oil. Thx.
I’ve always love this recipe, but today I made these with the Greek Chickpea with Cumin from Trader Joe’s and it was even easier- hard to believe I know. But they already came with oil and seasoned so just dumped it all right into the pan!
This was so good. Easy and I followed the directly exactly. Thank you!
I made this for dinner tonight. It was easy and amazing. I added fresh tomatoes (because it’s August) and everybody loved it. I will definitely make it again.
Just want to share: this is one my my favourite things to make for lunch, but today I didn’t have any fresh herbs, so I added a dollop of leftover basil pesto instead. IT WAS AMAZING, would recommend!!
This is one of the most requested dishes by my husband. I really like it too. I make it a little differently. I roast the chickpeas (with salt and smoked paprika) and zucchini at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes instead of frying them. Then I follow the rest of the recipe as written. It’s delicious!
Just made this for dinner. Fabulous.
This is probably my most made recipe on smitten kitchen, I love it. I am commenting because today I added the “Homemade Harissa” on top and it was great and wanted to share the love.
I made the crisped chickpeas as a side (cilantro lime rice and frozen samosas) and instantly fell in love! I made it twice last week. Can’t wait to get some yogurt and make it again—like, now! So fresh and filling and flavorful without taking much effort at all.
This is good. I’ve made it a few times now, mostly following the recipe. A few alterations: I added sumac, lemon zest, salt, and smoked paprika to the chickpeas a couple of minutes before I took them out of the pan. I added 1/4 thinly sliced red onion to the zucchini. I don’t always have fresh herbs on hand, so I julienned some mixed salad greens to go on top. A few small dollops of harissa gives it a little pop.
Good and easy lunch.
This is absolutely delicious!! Just perfect and I didn’t have any fresh herbs so it’s still amazing! Will make again for sure. I also only had whole greek yogurt and I liked the thickness of it. So, so yummy. Thank you!
This was a wonderful lunch, and the whole thing came together easily in 20 minutes. I dried my chickpeas really well and didn’t have any issues with splattering. For herbs, I used a mix of parsley, mint, basil, and tarragon because that’s what I had available in my garden. Highly recommend the tarragon!
Thanks Deb for another fabulous recipe.
This is delicious! I will definitely make it again. I accidentally opened a can of black eyed peas instead of chickpeas and it worked just fine.
Fabulous! Doubled the recipe. Used ALL the chickpeas. Served on a big platter to my husband and son for lunch on a hot day. Revive-efying !
I love this recipe, I have made it a few times already and it’s just simple to cook but so delicious. The leftovers taste great in a breakfast taco. Last time I made the recipe vegan by using soy yogurt. Last time I also added a few sliced carrots, some chives and vegan feta and they were great additions too :-)
I made just the chickpea portion of this yesterday for lunch, with some other veggies I was using up. Deb mentions using a spatter screen- I’d go so far as to say: DON’T try this recipe unless you have a spatter screen. I read through the comments, and was highly encouraged by all the success. I rinsed my chickpeas, scrupulously dried them, tried to fry them on medium high: chickpea comets, trailing HOT olive oil, all over the kitchen. Think popcorn, but heavy and with a halo of oil. Ok. I turned the heat down, and then down further. Now they weren’t really frying, more like poaching. As soon as I turned the heat up, they started exploding out of the pan again. I slapped a lid on my pan. Which immediately started collecting both steam/condensed water and big drops of oil. I persevered, using my lid as a shield when I stirred the pan. After ten minutes, my plump chickpeas were unevenly wizened, greasy, vaguely crispy on the exterior, pasty on the interior. In short, no better tasting than when I’ve tried to roast them, but significantly messier to cook.
No doubt my lackluster results were the product of my inconsistent cooking temperature and use of lid, without which the chickpeas would have all leapt out of the pan, but yeah. No. I am still craving the IDEA of fried chickpeas that I can make at home and one of the comments stuck with me: maybe start with soaked dried chickpeas instead (like falafel), dried and fried? I’ll report back.
I love SK, and this is the very first recipe of Deb’s that I’ve tried (in more than a decade!) that hasn’t worked. I think the screen is mandatory.
This was so much better than the sum of its parts. Truly delicious! All three components complement each other so well. Don’t skip the yogurt!
One of my absolute favorite SK recipes of all time. This is so craveable! I make it at least once a week during zucchini season.
Can you use an air fryer?