Learn to make Ninja Foodi chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans)! This roasted chickpeas Ninja Foodi recipe is fast, cheap, easy, and makes a delicious snack! Learn how long does it take to cook chickpeas in Ninja Foodi with my step-by-step directions. These crispy garbanzo beans are suitable for vegan, vegetarians, and gluten free diets. Let Ninja roasted chickpeas become your new favorite way to get some plant-based protein in!
These Ninja Foodi garbanzo beans are so simple and amazing. With only 5 ingredients, you might already have everything you need to make them in your pantry.
This is a chickpeas Ninja air fryer recipe, but I’m including oven directions for you too. That said, cooking chickpeas in Ninja Foodi is faster and more energy efficient. If you have this kitchen gadget, roasting chickpeas is a super way to use it.
We’re essentially making seasoned dehydrated chickpeas here. Canned chickpeas are precooked, and we’re just drying them out in the Foodi. What you get are crunchy garbanzo beans that are the perfect portable snack for after school, post-workout, or hiking trips.
I’ve got tips on making extra crispy roasted chickpeas below, if that’s how you like them. Or keep them on the softer side to use in curry, wraps, or tacos. It’s up to you!
Jump to:
- ⭐ Chickpeas in Ninja Foodi Benefits
- 🥘 Chickpeas (Ninja Foodi) Ingredients
- 😋 Roasted Chickpea Flavoring Ideas
- 🔪 How to Make Chickpeas in Ninja Foodi
- ⏲️ Ninja Foodi Cooking Time and Temperature
- 🤔 How to Make Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
- 🔥 Chickpeas Oven Directions
- 🌡️ Can chickpeas be frozen?
- 🌮 Ways to Use Chickpeas
- 📋 Are chickpeas carbs or protein?
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👨🏾🍳 Other Chickpea Recipes (Not Curry)
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
⭐ Chickpeas in Ninja Foodi Benefits
Why make this chickpeas Ninja Foodi recipe? Here are some reasons for you:
- High fiber: Chickpeas are packed with heart-healthy fiber that helps to improve your digestion and your blood cholesterol levels. (Just don’t forget that it’s possible to get too much of a good thing! Start slow if you normally don’t get much fiber in your diet.)
- Plant-based protein: These garbanzo beans are a protein-packed treat for the mustard lovers out there. If you’re looking for ways to get more vegan protein in your diet, try snacking on these!
- Saves money: Both dried and canned beans tend to be cheaper than meat (per calorie). If you are looking to save money on your grocery bill, try eating more chickpeas, beans, and lentils.
- Minimal oil: Chickpeas come out crispy in the Ninja Foodi without using a lot of oil. The dry moving heat from the Ninja Foodi tendercrisp lid crisps foods similar to frying, but with no oil (or mess).
- Fast cook time: Chickpeas air fry in the Ninja Foodi in only 15-18 minutes. It’s a much faster cooking method than roasting chickpeas in the oven (which takes 45-55 minutes).
- Delicious: This recipe is low-effort and tasty! It’s sure to be a hit with the family.
🥘 Chickpeas (Ninja Foodi) Ingredients
To make chickpeas in a Ninja Foodi, you’ll need these ingredients:
- Canned chickpeas
- Grainy mustard
- Avocado oil (or another cooking oil, like canola oil or olive oil)
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
Get specific quantities of all ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of the post! You only need 5 ingredients to make this recipe.
I don’t recommend making air fryer chickpeas no oil. The little bit of oil in this recipe helps the chickpeas to crisp up more.
Using a mustard with sugars (like honey mustard) may impact the cooking time. I’d keep an extra close eye on things if you go this route. The added sugars may cause the chickpeas to burn before they get crispy.
You also need a bowl, spoon, and a Ninja Foodi for this recipe. I use a Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL 8-quart with an air fryer basket and an air fryer crisping lid (AKA tendercrisp lid). If you use another air fryer, such as the Instant Vortex, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
😋 Roasted Chickpea Flavoring Ideas
You have lots of options for flavoring chickpeas if you don’t like how I’m seasoning them. For example, make air fryer curry chickpeas for spiced air fried chickpeas with Indian flavors. (Yum!)
Here are some other ideas for flavoring roasted chickpeas:
- Garlic and herb
- Taco seasoning
- Ranch salad dressing seasoning
- Garam masala
- BBQ seasoning
- Cinnamon sugar
- Simple salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Buffalo sauce
- Salt and vinegar
Keep in mind that seasonings with sugar may burn more easily. (You may want to add seasonings like cinnamon sugar after baking.) Using a sauce rather than a dry seasoning may also impact the cooking time.
🔪 How to Make Chickpeas in Ninja Foodi
Use canned (or cooked from dry) chickpeas! You need 1.75 cups of cooked chickpeas (one regular can of chickpeas) for this recipe. Rinse and drain the chickpeas in a colander, then spread them out on paper towels to get them dry.
Mix the chickpeas, mustard, oil, onion powder, and garlic powder together in a bowl. The mixture should not be liquid-y if the chickpeas were drained well.
Preheat the Ninja Foodi air fryer to 375F (191C) for 5 minutes. Place the chickpeas in the hot air fryer basket.
If using an oven, preheat it to 400F (200C). Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Can you believe it’s time to cook already?
⏲️ Ninja Foodi Cooking Time and Temperature
How long to cook chickpeas in the Ninja Foodi? What temperature to cook chickpeas in Ninja Foodi? Chickpeas take 15-18 minutes on the “air fryer” setting at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (191C).
Remember to use the air fryer basket set inside the ceramic-coated interior pot with the crisper lid for this recipe. After 10 minutes of air frying, stir the chickpeas around and then air fry 5 more minutes. At this point, they should be crisp on the outside and tender in the middle.
To make extra crispy chickpeas in the Ninja Foodi, air fry 2-3 more minutes. Be sure to watch them closely so they don’t burn.
Hot tip! When you stir the chickpeas, try to get the ones on the edges of the air fryer basket to the middle and vice versa. This will help the batch crisp up more evenly.
🤔 How to Make Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
You can make your chickpeas softer or firmer by adjusting the cooking time. It is that easy. Be careful though- cooking too long can result in rock-hard chickpeas that are rough on the teeth!
If cooking for extended periods is not getting your chickpeas roasted as you would like, I have one more suggestion. Try drying the unseasoned chickpeas out in the oven or Foodi first, then seasoning them and putting them in the oven or Foodi again.
I’ve heard that this method will get you closer to the crispness of the store-bought chickpeas. Chickpeas roasted using this method may be drier and hold up better during longer storage.
🔥 Chickpeas Oven Directions
You can also make chickpeas in an oven if you don’t have a Ninja Foodi. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
Mix the chickpeas as described above. Spread the chickpeas on a dark baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake the chickpeas on a rack ⅓ down from the top of the oven for 45-55 minutes.
Stir the chickpeas about every 20 minutes. Try to move the ones on the edges of the baking sheet to the middle when you stir. This will help them cook more evenly.
Let cool to room temperature, and let snack time commence!
🌡️ Can chickpeas be frozen?
Homemade roasted chickpeas don’t store well and are best eaten fresh. Though you can store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, they tend to get soggy. I don’t recommend freezing these chickpeas for the same reason.
🌮 Ways to Use Chickpeas
Wondering how to use chickpeas? My favorite way to use these chickpeas is to enjoy them as they are for a snack. Here are some other ideas to make chickpeas into a meal:
- Make a Ninja Foodi chickpea curry
- Chickpea tacos
- Add to wraps and sandwiches
- Blend into a dip like hummus (don’t cook chickpeas extra crispy if you do this)
- Soup or salad topping
📋 Are chickpeas carbs or protein?
Chickpeas count as a carb-rich vegetable OR a protein food on the MyPlate- take your pick! One serving of this Ninja Foodi chickpeas recipe has 284 calories, 34.3 grams net carbs, and 12.3 grams protein. Nutrition information is for one half of the recipe.
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). At almost 300 calories for a relatively small serving, this is quite a hearty snack. This is the sort of thing that’s great to make as a healthy snack for growing children. I find the batch always disappears quickly when I make it!
What food group are chickpeas in? Chickpeas count as a member of the protein group and the vegetable group.
Believe it or not, chickpeas actually provide more grams of net carbs per serving than protein. However, as a legume, it’s one of the best sources of protein for those that don’t eat animal products. Lots of other “hearty” meat substitutes (think jackfruit, mushrooms, cauliflower) don’t count as protein group foods.
Chickpeas (and most other legumes) provide less protein per calorie than other lean proteins. In other words, you need to eat far more calories of chickpeas to get an adequate amount of filling protein compared to lean animal-based proteins like skinless chicken breast. For that reason, I don’t consider foods like chickpeas the best option for weight watchers.
And that brings me to another popular question...
Do chickpeas keep you full?
This is a question I think individuals should find the answer to themselves. Compare how filling you find ½ cup chickpeas vs 3-4 ounces of skinless chicken breast vs 3-4 ounces of tilapia. These protein foods all provide about 100-120 calories for the listed servings.
The chicken breast and tilapia provide much more filling protein than the chickpeas. The chickpeas, unlike the animal-based proteins, offer fiber (which may also provide satiety). If you consistently notice a difference in feelings of fullness when you eat these foods, you have your answer!
For me, I feel considerably more full with the chicken or fish compared to the chickpeas. I think this is a great example of how typical “healthy eating” advice (like replacing some animal protein with plant protein) may not necessarily lead to weight loss.
FAQs
How long does it take to cook chickpeas in a pressure cooker? Pressure cook dried chickpeas in the Ninja Foodi for one hour on high pressure. I recommend soaking dried chickpeas overnight before pressure cooking. Discard the bean soaking water, and use fresh water to cook the chickpeas.
The best way to make Ninja Foodi dried chickpeas is to pressure cook them. (So much faster than a slow cooker!) As mentioned above, the chickpeas should be soaked overnight before pressure cooking for one hour. Cover the chickpeas with about an inch of water. The water level should be between the min and max lines on the Foodi.
Chickpeas must be cooked before eating. You cannot safely eat chickpeas raw. Canned chickpeas have been previously cooked, which is why it’s safe to eat them straight from the can.
Canned chickpeas do not need to be soaked. It’s ok to skip soaking dried chickpeas before cooking, but this may lengthen the cooking time. Some other things that can impact how long chickpeas take to cook include the hardness of your water and how old the chickpeas are.
Chickpeas are not a good fit for keto and other very low carb diets since they are high in carbohydrates. That said, the carbs in chickpeas are “good carbs” with a low glycemic index and lots of fiber.
👨🏾🍳 Other Chickpea Recipes (Not Curry)
Looking for recipes using chickpeas? Try these delish chickpea snacks:
Also, be sure to check out our entire collection of Ninja Foodi Recipes while you’re here!
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Ninja Foodi Chickpeas Recipe (Garbanzo Beans Time and Temp)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas 15½ ounces/439 grams
- ¼ cup grainy mustard (see ingredients section of article for tips)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas in a colander, then spread them out on paper towels to get them dry.
- Mix the chickpeas, mustard, oil, onion powder, and garlic powder together in a bowl. The mixture should not be liquid-y if the chickpeas were drained well.
- Ninja Foodi directions: Preheat the Ninja Foodi air fryer to 375°F (191°C) for 5 minutes. Place the chickpeas in the hot air fryer basket. Air fry for 10 minutes, stir the chickpeas around, and then air fry 5 more minutes. To make extra crispy chickpeas in the Ninja Foodi, air fry 2-3 more minutes. Be sure to watch them closely so they don’t burn.
- Oven directions: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a dark baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chickpeas on it in a single layer.Bake the chickpeas on a rack ⅓ down from the top of the oven for 45-55 minutes. Stir the chickpeas about every 20 minutes. Try to move the ones on the edges of the baking sheet to the middle when you stir. This will help them cook more evenly.
- Ideally, you should let them cool to room temperature before eating. Unless you are certain members of my family, in which case you will eat them as soon as you can tolerate the heat 😉
Veta says
Brian Hardin says
Another terrific chickpea recipe! Great tip about drying them in the oven to shorten the cooking time! Have you considered doing a curry or garam masala version?
Summer Yule says
I haven't but it sounds like a terrific idea! Considering I just purchased a giant bag of dried chickpeas, I may have to try this soon. 🙂
Brian Hardin says
Looking forward to the recipe!