How to Cook Chickpeas + Best Chickpea Recipes

Find out how to cook chickpeas, from dried to canned. Plus find the best chickpea recipes from soups to salad to hummus. 

This is a sister article to: How to Cook Lentils + Best Lentil Recipes and How to Cook Quinoa + Best Quinoa Recipes! I’m enjoying compiling some how-to cooking basics to live here on the blog. I’ll be referring to them when I share new recipes, and I hope they are helpful to you. 

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a staple in my kitchen. I toss them in wraps, soups, salads, and curries every week. Over the past year, I’ve moved away from canned beans in favor of dried. Filling reusable glass jars with dried grains and legumes is a great way to save money and create less waste. In this post, we’ll look at how to cook chickpeas a couple of different way, and check out some favorite chickpea recipes. 

What Are Chickpeas? 

Chickpeas are a legume in the Fabaceae family. They grow in little green pods that look like short pea pods. They’re most often found dried or cooked and canned. 

Chickpeas have been a staple in diets around the world for thousands of years, but are increasingly popular in the U.S. too. I recently stumbled upon an article in the Atlantic called, “In the Future, Everything Will Be Made of Chickpeas.” It’s true, there’s so much you can do with the humble chickpea. These hearty beans are high in plant-based protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They have some great health benefits from gut and heart health to weight management. 

It’s easy to find this type of bean in most grocery stores. If you’d like to try something more exotic, try our Giant Brothy Beans next! 

How to Cook Canned Chickpeas

Canned chickpeas are already cooked and ready to eat. You simply need to drain, rinse, and use in your favorite recipes. You can also save the bean liquid, aka “aquafaba” to use as a vegan egg replacer. While canned beans are convenient, they are not nearly as tasty as freshly cooked beans. 

How to Cook Dried Chickpeas on the Stove

 

Step 1: Soak

To cook dried chickpeas on the stovetop, which is the traditional method, you’ll want to soak them first. You have two options: soak overnight in a large bowl of water at room temperature or quick soak. To quick soak, add beans to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the beans soak in the warm water for 1 hour, then drain and cook. You’ll notice the beans expand after soaking, and they will expand further after cooking. 

Step 2: Cook

Drain the soaking water and add the beans back into a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 2 hours, or until tender. 

How to Cook Dried Chickpeas in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

This Instant Pot is really the only way I cook chickpeas anymore. With this method, you don’t need to soak and they come out perfect. If you’ve planned ahead and pre-soaked your chickpeas overnight, you can cook them in much less time.

For one cup of dry chickpeas, add 4 cups of water. You want about 1-inch of water above the beans. The pot will take about 7 minutes to come to pressure before pressure cooking begins. Count on about an hour to cook your chickpeas in the Instant Pot, but know it’s largely hands-off so you can go about your day without checking on them. 

Instant Pot Dry Chickpea Cook Times

• For salads and other uses: 35 minutes, natural pressure release 
• For hummus: 40 minutes high pressure, natural pressure release 

Instant Pot Soaked Chickpea Cook Times

• For salads and other uses: 10 minutes, natural pressure release
• For hummus: 15 minutes, natural pressure release 

After about 15 minutes, the pressure should have released (or you can quick release any remaining). Carefully remove the lid.  If your chickpeas are not tender enough, close the lid and pressure cook for another 3-5 minutes. Exact cooking times can vary depending on age and size of your beans. Your chickpeas are now ready to use! 

Storing Cooked Chickpeas

Once your chickpeas are cooked, let them cool in the aquafaba. Don’t drain them and let them sit out or they will dry out. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight glass jar until ready to use. Or drain the beans and freeze in freezer bags. 

• Up to 5 days in the refrigerator 
• Up to 6 months in the freezer 

Best Chickpea Recipes

Hummus, of course! Find out How to Make Hummus here! Also check these out: 

• Edamame Hummus
• Beet Hummus
• Sweet Potato Hummus
• Greek Loaded Hummus
• Pumpkin Pie Dessert Hummus

Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwiches. Like chicken salad, but better! 

Chickpea Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate 

Yellow Coconut Curry with Chickpeas & Roasted Veggies

Classic Falafel are a great way to use chickpeas that have been soaked. If you want to use cooked chickpeas, try this Easy Falafel Wrap.  

Chickpea Vegetable Soup. Perfect for busting colds. Also check out the Italian version, Pasta e Ceci. 

Korean Chickpea Bento Bowls

Vegan Greek Salad with Chickpeas

• Southwest Salad with Roasted Chickpeas
• Coconut Chickpea Curry from Jessica in the Kitchen
• Italian Style Vegan Meatloaf Muffins from Connoiseurous Veg
• Roasted Vegetable & Chickpea Meal Prep Bowls from She Likes Food 

Common Questions

Do You Have to Soak Dried Chickpeas? 

On the stove, yes. In the Instant Pot pressure cooker, no. Dried chickpeas take a long time to cook! 

Why Won’t My Beans Tenderize? 

Sometimes you can cook your beans for hours and hours and they are still hard! This is often due to old, stale beans that will never fully absorb water. It could also be due to hard water or something acidic in the water. Don’t ever cook beans in salted water, as it can make them tough. Some people add a teaspoon of baking soda to the cooking water, but nutritionists warm it destroys nutrients such as the B vitamin thiamine. 

How Much do Chickpeas Expand? 

1 cup of dry beans expands to about 2-3 cups of cooked beans. 

Are garbanzo beans chickpeas? 

Yes, they are basically the same thing. Often packages will have both names printed on the front to clear up any confusion. The word “Chickpea” comes from Latin, while “Garbanzo” comes from Spanish, according to Harvard.

How much protein do chickpeas have? 

Like black beans and lentils, chickpeas a great source of plant-based protein. They have about 9 grams or protein per 1/4 cup of chickpeas. 

Can dogs eat chickpeas? 

Yep, according to this source beans are great for dogs.