Whenever I get home late and I want to eat something quick, warming, and delicious, I turn to spicy roasted chickpeas.

I first had them in a salad when I was living in Chicago. My friend Stephanie and I made a kale salad and sprinkled some on top with blue cheese. It was the perfect combination. The chickpeas were crunchy, spicy, and salty and the blue cheese added some tartness and depth of flavor.

The next time I made roasted chickpeas, I ate them straight off the baking sheet. That’s when I realized that they could be a meal on their own (or a filling snack). I don’t even wait for them to cool. I pop one after another into my mouth until, somehow, they aren’t any left.

There are two important things to remember when making spicy roasted chickpeas. One, the more salt, the better. It might seem like you’re dumping the whole box of salt on the baking sheet but trust me, it’s worth it. I like using flaky sea salt because then it feels like you’re using less but still increasing the flavor.

The second thing is to roast the chickpeas within an inch of their life. I’m talking about golden brown exteriors, peas split down the middle, and possibly dark brown caramelized chickpea skins scattered on the sheet. The skins are actually the best part of roasting chickpeas. The texture is like a potato chip except thinner, so they immediately melt in your mouth. I’d like to make a whole dish out of them.

ANYWAY. Make these chickpeas as soon as possible. They’re good on their own but also in a salad, a quinoa bowl, or wherever else you usually add chickpeas. I didn’t *really* use a recipe but I provided one below. Feel free to tweak it to your tastes. Cumin or masala would also work well as spices.

Here’s a song to get your started on your roasted chickpea-making journey.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
2 Tbsp olive oil (or another kind of oil)
3 tsp flaky sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika powder
1/2 tsp chili powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the chickpeas on the baking sheet and toss with olive oil, sea salt, paprika powder, and chili powder until the chickpeas are evenly coated. Sprinkle a little more salt on top.

Bake the chickpeas in the oven on the top rack for about 45 minutes, or until the chickpeas are golden brown, cracking in the middle, and crispy on the outside. Remove from oven and allow them to cool on the sheet. Enjoy!