Cooking Garbanzo Beans

How to Cook Chickpeas

Cooking chickpeas from scratch is easy, they taste better and you get to control the texture.  They can also be frozen or canned.  That being said, canned chickpeas or garbanzo beans are readily available and we use them in our kitchen.

If you’re planning on making a dip or spread (like hummus), then having a batch of really soft cooked beans ready is perfect.

If you’re adding them to a salad or stew, the option to keep the beans more firm is nice. And if all of that isn’t enough to convince you, it’s ridiculously cheap and you will always know what’s added to the beans. You’ll be a chickpea star!

More basic cooking recipes: See how we cook lentils so that they are perfect every time. Or see these creamy black beans.

Our Favorite Methods for Cooking Chickpeas

There’s more than one way to deal with dried chickpeas. I’m going to show you how to cook chickpeas on the stove, in a slow cooker or crockpot, and in a pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot).

Here are three methods we use in our kitchen. All three methods work really well and depending on your day you may find one that makes more sense for you.

After sharing the recipe, many of our readers asked about using a pressure cooker to cook chickpeas. I’ve added tips for pressure cooker chickpeas below.

• Long soak and simmer on the stovetop, which takes about 10 hours or overnight plus 2 hours
• Quick soak and simmer on the stove, which takes about 3 hours
• In the Slow Cooker, 4 hours on high heat or 8 hours on low heat
• In a pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot), about 1 hour

How Many Cups of Cooked Chickpeas Will 1 Cup of Dried Chickpeas Make?

Dried chickpeas triple in size when cooked (if not a little bit more). So 1 cup of dried chickpeas will make about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.

Using the Stove to Cook Garbanzo Beans

Before cooking on a stovetop, you will need to soak the dried beans. Look through the dried beans and pick out anything that doesn’t look like a bean — sometimes a rock or something else from the bulk aisle sneaks in.

Now you can choose which soak method is best for you. As I mentioned above, we use both methods. It comes down to how much time we have or the time of day.

For example, if you have a late start and need the beans tomorrow, use the long soak method and soak the beans overnight. When you get up in the morning, you’ll have plump beans ready to cook. If you need the beans cooked asap, the quick soak is best.

1. For the long soak method, add the beans to a large bowl and cover them with several inches of water. As the beans rehydrate, they triple in size — adding plenty of water is key. Soak the beans for 8 hours or overnight. After soaking the beans, you can cook them (see how below).
2. For the quick soak method, add the beans to a large pot, cover them with several inches of water and bring them to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes then take the pot off of the heat and let the beans sit in the water for 1 hour. After soaking the beans, you can cook them (see how below).

To cook the soaked beans, add them to a large pot, cover the beans with several inches of water, and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until they reach your desired tenderness, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

When simmering, you can keep the pot lid off or on, but slightly ajar (allowing some steam to escape while cooking). Beans simmered without a lid will be cooked, but firm (perfect for salads or chili).

Beans cooked with the lid on, but ajar, will be creamier, softer, and break apart more easily. These are perfect for hummus or dishes where you want the beans to break apart.

The beans can be cooked by themselves or with a few extras added in for flavor.

We love adding a bay leaf and a few garlic cloves. Adding a quarter of an onion, some carrot, or celery is also a great idea. We do this when cooking black beans, too. See our recipe for black beans here.

We add a generous pinch of salt when there are about 30 minutes left. Only add salt towards the end of cooking since adding it in the beginning can cause the beans to become a little tough.

Cooking Chickpeas in the Slow Cooker

Another option is to cook them in a slow cooker. The benefit of this is there is no soaking step — everything is added to the slow cooker you turn it on and walk away. Pretty easy.

Add 1 pound of dried chickpeas and 7 cups of water to a slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Note that some of our readers have found this method to make very soft beans, so if you are looking for firmer beans, keep an eye on them towards the end of cooking.

Cooking Chickpeas in a Pressure Cooker

You can cook soaked and unsoaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker. Here are the details:

Soaked chickpeas: Add soaked chickpeas (from 1 pound dried) and 6 cups of water to the pressure cooker. Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes, and then naturally release for 10 minutes. Vent the remaining pressure before opening the lid (you can tell when it is safe to open the cooker when the steam release valve drops). We recommend you read the user manual of your specific pressure cooker before using it.

Unsoaked chickpeas (my preferred method): Add 1 pound of dried chickpeas and 6 cups of water to the pressure cooker. Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 50 minutes, and then naturally release for 10 minutes. Vent the remaining pressure before opening the lid (you can tell when it is safe to open the cooker when the steam release valve drops). We recommend you read the user manual of your specific pressure cooker before using it.

When Are the Chickpeas Done?

Keep in mind that depending on how you plan to use the beans you may want them to be firmer or softer. If you are cooking chickpeas for hummus, you’ll want the beans to be soft.

On the other hand, if you plan to add the beans to a salad or stew, you may want them on the firmer side. If your chickpeas are still hard after the cooking time we suggest and you want them to be softer, continue to simmer them or cook in the slow cooker until soft.

How to Store Cooked Beans

Refrigerate cooked chickpeas in an airtight container or food-safe bag without additional liquid. Cooked beans will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

To freeze cooked chickpeas, pat them dry then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Slide the baking sheet into the freezer and wait until the beans are mostly frozen, about 30 minutes. Throw the beans into a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.

How to Make Aquafaba

In recent years, aquafaba — or the liquid the chickpeas cook in — has become popular. Since it is starchy, it works wonders as an egg replacer. Those who don’t eat eggs have fallen head over heels for aquafaba! We use it in baking and to make vegan mayonnaise. We have shared a deep dive into this magical ingredient, but for now, I’ll briefly share how you can make aquafaba when cooking your own batch of chickpeas from scratch.

1. Soak the chickpeas as suggested above — use either the long or quick method.
2. Drain the soaked chickpeas, and then cook according to the stovetop directions in this article, but be more accurate when measuring the beans and cooking water. For 1 pound (2 cups) of chickpeas, you will need 8 cups of water. Do not use any salt or spices.
3. Once the chickpeas are cooked, turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Allow the beans to cool down in the cooking liquid. This step leaves extra starch in the liquid, which is what gives aquafaba its egg-like magical properties.
4. When cool, remove the chickpeas with a slotted spoon, and then bring the cooking liquid to a simmer and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes. In this time, the liquid should reduce and turn into a thicker, yellowish liquid resembling the liquid that comes out of canned chickpeas.
5. Allow the aquafaba to cool, and then store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for months.

FAQ: How Do You Peel Chickpeas?

Since posting this recipe, many of you have asked us about the best way to peel chickpeas. Here are two methods:

1. Add the cooked chickpeas to a clean dishtowel, cover, and then roll the beans around until the skins fall away from the beans. Carefully pour the beans into a bowl of clean water, stir and wait as the skins float to the top. Skim away the skins and you are done. This might not get rid of all the skins, but it does a good job for most of them.
2. Add cooked chickpeas and baking soda to a skillet. Toss them around a bit, and then heat them over medium heat for a few minutes. Transfer the beans to a large bowl with cold water. Agitate the beans between your hands so that the skins begin to release. Wait as the skins float to the top. Skim away the skins and you are done. You will need to change the water a couple of times. (We learned this trick from America’s Test Kitchen who picked it up from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s cookbook, Jerusalem. The baking soda helps to break down the pectin in the beans, which makes it easier for them to be removed.) Use 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda for 2 cups cooked beans.

Easy Chickpea Recipes

Now that you know how to cook them, here’s some ideas for using them!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Recipe: How to make simple, creamy roasted red pepper hummus with sweet red bell peppers, canned chickpeas, garlic and tahini.

Easy Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Dill: An easy chickpea recipe with lemon, fresh dill, crisp cucumber and tomatoes that’s quick to make and can be made in advance.

Honey Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt: How to make crunchy roasted chickpeas with honey, cinnamon, and sea salt. We love how easy it is to make this honey roasted chickpea snack. They are so good that once you start eating them, it’s hard to stop.

Honey Dijon Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe: We love these chicken lettuce wraps because they are easy, healthy, and so tasty.

Hummus with Spiced Ground Beef, Feta and Mint: How to make hummus topped with spiced ground beef, feta cheese and mint.

Use these cooked chickpeas to make our Utterly Delicious Chipotle Bean Chili Recipe!

Toss them into a salad — here’s one of our favorites: Easy Kale and Bean Salad with Tahini Dressing and Walnuts.

Make falafel! Try our Easy Recipe for Crispy Falafel (there’s even a video to help you out).