Crunchy Spiced Chickpeas – Margaritas Sold Separately

There’s a Mexican joint Michele and I go to once in a while, that serves a complimentary bowl of spicy, fried chickpeas when you sit down to eat. In the restaurant biz they call this a “loss leader.”

That’s where you give away something cheap to help sell something expensive, and by something expensive, I mean handcrafted margaritas and artisan beers…sold to people like me, who, for some strange reason, are suddenly thirsty.

While I’m hip to the true motive, it’s still a very nice touch, and a periodic reminder of what a great, highly additive snack this is. As in, only make single batches at a time, because you will eat everything you make.

As I mentioned in the video, this works exactly the same using rinsed, canned beans, but dry beans are much cheaper, and get a little crunchier. Obviously, you have free reign with the spices, so I suggest making a few different batches, trying different combinations.

No matter what you come up with, it will be significantly better than any of those salty snacks from the supermarket. I hope you give these easy, oven-fried chickpeas a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 snack-sized portions Crunchy Spiced Chickpeas:

1 cup dry chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, soaked for 24 hours

2 tbsp olive oil

season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper, cumin, paprika, and cayenne, OR literally any spices you like

- Bake at 400 F. for about an hour, tossing occasionally, until browned and crunchy/crispy.