How to Cook Dried Chickpeas (Ultimate Guide)

How to soak and cook chickpeas on the stove, in a slow cooker, and using a pressure cooker. We share how to properly store them and a few of our favorite ways to use them.

Watch the Video

How to Cook Dried Chickpeas Recipe Video

Have you ever wondered what to do with dried chickpeas (or other dried beans)? We did too, until we learned how to cook them.

Ditch the cans and learn how easy it is to cook dried chickpeas. They taste fresher, have a better texture, and are always ready in your fridge or freezer (yes, you can freeze them!). Learn how simple it is below.

Cooked Dried Chickpeas

Why I Love Cooking Dried Beans

Canned beans have their place, but I love cooking beans from scratch. You get to customize the flavor, the perfect texture for any dish, and it’s super affordable.

If you’re planning on making a dip or spread (like homemade hummus or this mashed chickpea salad), then having a batch of really soft cooked beans on hand is perfect. If I’m adding them to a salad or stew, I keep them more firm.

How to Convert Dried Chickpeas to Cooked Chickpeas

Dried chickpeas triple in size! That means 1 cup of dried chickpeas yields about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.

The Best Ways to Cook Chickpeas – Choose Your Favorite!

Cooking dried chickpeas is easy! I will break down four easy ways to cook them: stovetop (quick or long soak), slow cooker, and pressure cooker. All four methods work well. Depending on your schedule, you may find one that makes more sense.

Using the Stove to Cook Garbanzo Beans

Before cooking your chickpeas on the stovetop, you need to soak them. First, look through your 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. Then, choose your soaking method:

  • Long Soak (Overnight): This is the way to go if you’re planning ahead. Soak your chickpeas overnight (8 to 12 hours). They’ll be plump and ready to cook in the morning.
  • Quick Soak: Need chickpeas fast? Rinse the beans, bring them to a boil in a pot of water, then turn off the heat. Let them sit in the heated water, off the heat, for an hour before draining and cooking.
Soaked Chickpeas

No matter which soaking method you choose (long or quick), your beans still need cooking. Here’s how:

  1. Drain and rinse: After soaking, thoroughly drain and rinse your chickpeas.
  2. Cook: Cover the chickpeas in a large pot with a few inches of fresh water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
  3. Simmer time: Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the chickpeas reach your desired level of tenderness.

To control the texture of your chickpeas, adjust the lid during simmering. For firmer beans that hold their shape nicely, simmer with the lid completely off. I use this trick when cooking beans for salads and vegetarian chili.

For softer, creamier beans that break down easily, simmer with the lid slightly ajar. These beans are perfect for hummus or dishes where you want the beans to break apart.

Cooking dried chickpeas

You can cook beans alone or with a few extras added for flavor.

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

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

You can also cook chickpeas using a slow cooker. The benefit of this method is there is no soaking step. You add everything to the slow cooker, 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 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. We recommend you read the user manual of your specific pressure cooker before using it. Here are the details:

  • Soaked chickpeas: Add 1 pound of dried and soaked chickpeas and 6 cups of water to your pressure cooker. Then cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes. Naturally release for 10 minutes, then vent the remaining pressure before opening the lid.
  • Unsoaked chickpeas (my preferred method): Add 1 pound of dried chickpeas and 6 cups of water to your pressure cooker. Then cook on High Pressure for 50 minutes. Naturally release for 10 minutes, then vent the remaining pressure before opening the lid.

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 cook until soft.

How to Store Cooked Beans

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

To freeze cooked chickpeas, pat the beans dry, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Freeze 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.

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!

More basic cooking recipes: See How We Cook Lentils so that they are perfect every time. Or see these Creamy Black Beans.

Cooked Dried Chickpeas

How to Cook Dried Chickpeas (Ultimate Guide)

  • PREP
  • COOK
  • TOTAL

There are four simple methods for cooking chickpeas. The first two make use of the stove, the third uses a slow cooker, and the fourth method uses a pressure cooker. We use all methods in our kitchen and the one we choose will usually depend on timing. The long soak allows you to get most of the prep time done overnight. The quick soak allows you to start with dried beans and finish with cooked in about 3 hours and the slow cooker is hands-off.

*If you use the slow cooker method, there is no need to soak the dried beans.

Makes approximately 7 cups cooked chickpeas

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

1 pound dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

Water

Salt, optional

Bay leaf, garlic cloves, onion or carrot, optional

Directions

  • Prepare Chickpeas
  • 1Look 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. If you are using the stovetop to cook the beans, you need to soak the dried beans. There are two options: Long Soak and Quick Soak.

    2Long Soak Beans: Add dried beans to a large bowl and cover 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. Drain and rinse.

    3Quick Soak Beans: Add the dried beans to a large pot, cover with several inches of water and bring 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. Drain and rinse.

  • Cook Chickpeas - Stovetop
  • 1If using the stovetop, add the soaked, drained, and rinsed beans to a large pot. Cover with several inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until they reach your desired tenderness, 1 ½ to 2 hours (see notes).

  • Cook Chickpeas - Slow Cooker
  • 1If using a slow cooker, add 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. There is no need to soak the beans when using a slow cooker. 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.

  • Cook Chickpeas - Pressure Cooker
  • 1If using a pressure cooker, 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 this method.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • Stovetop Method: 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 will break apart more easily. These are perfect for hummus or dishes where you want the beans to break apart.
  • Adding Salt: You can add some salt, but only add salt towards the end of cooking since adding it in the beginning can cause the beans to become a little tough. We like adding a generous pinch of salt when there are about 30 minutes of cooking time left.
  • Adding baking soda: Baking soda is often added when cooking dried beans. Some say it can reduce the gassy effects of fresh beans since it binds to sugars and helps to break them down, making the beans easier to digest. If you plan to add baking soda, add about 1 tablespoon to the soaking water for the stovetop methods. If using a slow cooker, add 1/4 teaspoon along with the beans and water before turning the slow cooker on.
  • Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Supertracker recipe calculator to calculate approximate values.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste

Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/4 cup cooked beans / Calories 148 / Protein 8 g / Carbohydrate 25 g / Dietary Fiber 7 g / Total Sugars 4 g / Total Fat 2 g / Saturated Fat 0 g / Cholesterol 0 mg
AUTHOR:  Adam and Joanne Gallagher
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138 comments… Leave a Review
  • Lynn January 24, 2024, 8:03 pm

    This is the most phenomenal cooking guide I’ve ever read. It’s professional, friendly, a very easy read and so comprehensive, I had no questions after reading the whole thing. I also really respect both the work you put into all of this and how you credit someone else when you share something you learned from someone else’s hard work. Really amazing all the way around! I’ll certainly be back to Inspired Taste. Thank you so much!!

    Reply
  • Indrani Sen October 27, 2023, 2:05 pm

    nice instructions

    Reply
    • Adam October 27, 2023, 2:15 pm

      Thank you! We are so happy all of the extra info was helpful 🙂

      Reply
  • Debbie June 15, 2023, 1:21 am

    Love your recipes and love garbanzo beans

    Reply
  • TerryF May 25, 2023, 5:49 pm

    Excellent guide – worked great using quick soak method and uncovered pot to cook. Thank you!

    Reply
  • Elaine April 14, 2023, 2:34 pm

    Thank you, thank you! Bought a bag of chickpeas when planning to make your hummus recipe. Was very nervous when I couldn’t find this “Ultimate Guide” to cook dried chickpeas. Happily, I have your newsletter and was able to access this from that. So, I’m cooking the chickpeas and will soon move onto the tahini recipe. Finally, will prepare a batch of the hummus. Having a blast. Thanks!

    Reply
  • Jaime February 21, 2023, 5:19 pm

    How do you use the frozen chickpeas? Thaw them or if making hummus just blend them? I’ve got a bunch of dried chickpeas and I love hummus so freezing a bunch would be great for me!

    Reply
    • Joanne February 27, 2023, 6:20 pm

      We use them to make dips like hummus, salads, soups. It’s just like having cans of chickpeas in the cabinet.

      Reply
  • Ellen February 15, 2023, 1:47 pm

    What size slow cooker for one pound of beans? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Joanne February 27, 2023, 6:21 pm

      A 4 quart slow cooker should do it. I believe ours is 6 quarts and it leaves space with 1 pound of chickpeas.

      Reply
  • Kathy January 25, 2023, 12:28 pm

    Just wondering why you would need t peel chick peas?

    Reply
    • Joanne January 25, 2023, 1:27 pm

      Hi Kathy, You don’t need to peel cooked chickpeas, but some people like to add the step for smoother dips like hummus.

      Reply
  • Reign December 2, 2022, 3:41 am

    I’ve tried a lot of your recipes and they are all wonderful. Thanks . I find you can add or subtract ingredients with no flavour change and the recipes are all nice & simple [ not in a bad way ] and just plain delicious . They are simple but gourmet tasting and no meat , yay !!!!! Even my husband loves them. Again ,thank you. Reign

    Reply
  • Me September 29, 2022, 2:40 pm

    Just subscribing for now want to get more recipes like these

    Reply
  • Feby September 13, 2022, 2:13 am

    I need chickpeas for my dog, as he has a lot of alleges to meat, so I’m easing him into a vegan diet. I soaked it overnight, then boil them for a couple of hours, without any seasonings like salt, or even bayleaf. I gave it to my dogs as snacks, they loved it! It was creamy and had savoury taste, which is a surprise. This is going to be alternative snacks for now on.

    Reply
  • Vicenta Kroenke August 2, 2022, 10:43 am

    Thank you!

    Reply
  • Laura July 6, 2022, 1:51 am

    This recipe yields perfect garbanzos every time. I have used the instant pot recipe as well as the stove top one, and both are great.

    Reply
  • Joani June 11, 2022, 9:06 pm

    This is a really helpful , easy to use site. No searching through reams of overly personal stories, trying to find the recipes. You have everything from cleaning, soaking to freezing the chick peas to recipes. My first time commenting on a site re food it’s so nicely done. Wish you the best with your site and everything else too. Happy Day.. JP P.s. peas are cooking right now, will try and do a comment after I try a recipe.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Ann Wait November 19, 2022, 7:50 pm

      YESSSSSSSSSSS!

      Reply
  • Catherine May 18, 2022, 7:32 pm

    Thank you for that information. I always seem to come back to this page when I am thinking of cooking Chickpeas 🙂

    Reply

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