Here’s everything you need to know about how to cook chickpeas on the stovetop from scratch. You’ll learn how long it takes, whether you should soak them, when to salt beans, and other tips about perfectly cooking dried garbanzo beans. Tips for storing, freezing, and using chickpeas, as well as guidance for using the slow cooker and Instant Pot instead, are included.

cooked chickpeas in a serving bowl with a bay leaf

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Lizzie’s Notes
5-Star Review
Ingredients
Equipment You’ll Need
Instructions
Other Methods for Cooking Chickpeas
Ways to Use Cooked Chickpeas
Storing and Freezing
More Chickpea Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Lizzie’s Notes

I’m so excited to share all my tips and tricks for cooking beans from scratch! It’s such a great way to make plant proteins in bulk to have on hand for recipes. After all, half the battle of eating well is having healthy foods available. Plus, dried beans are very affordable and typically cost less than canned beans.

This tutorial focuses on how to cook chickpeas on the stovetop. There are other ways to cook garbanzo beans, including in the slow cooker and Instant Pot, so I also put together some quick tips for these methods. Finally, you don’t want to miss the chickpea recipes at the bottom of the post. There are so many great ways to enjoy them!

5-Star Review

I followed this method several times and my chickpeas come out perfect each time. This is My favorite method to soak and cook my chickpeas. Thank you!

– Sandy

Ingredients

Dried chickpeas: I buy dried beans in the bulk section of my grocery store, but you can also find them online or in bags next to canned beans at the store. They last for 2 to 3 years in your pantry stored in an airtight container. A cup of dried chickpeas will yield about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas. A pound of dried chickpeas (about 2 cups) makes about 6 cups cooked. In case you’re curious, garbanzo beans are the same as chickpeas.
Water: You need enough water to cover the chickpeas by a couple of inches both when they are soaking and again when they are cooking.
Salt: I like to use about a teaspoon of kosher salt per 1 cup of dried chickpeas. See the section below about when to add salt to beans for the best results.
Bay leaves: This is optional, but you can add a couple bay leaves to the pot while the chickpeas cook to boost the flavor. If you are using chickpeas in sweet recipes, such as baked goods or my Chickpea Cookie Dough Balls, you will want to omit the bay leaves since that flavor would not work well in sweets!

Equipment You’ll Need

To cook dried beans, you need the following equipment:

A bowl for soaking
A pot or Dutch oven for cooking
A spoon and/or strainer for draining the cooked beans and putting them in containers
Storage containers (if you want to freeze them, use freezer-safe options like Stasher bags)

Instructions

If you prefer to follow a recipe card, scroll to the bottom of the post.

Soak the Chickpeas

dried garbanzo beans soaking in a bowl of water on a counter

Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl. Inspect them with your fingers and remove any shriveled beans or rocks. Add enough water to cover them by a couple of inches. For 1 cup of dried chickpeas, that’s usually 4 to 6 cups of water. For 1 pound (about 2 cups), that’s about 10 cups. Soak for at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours or overnight. Drain the soaking water and rinse.

If you’re curious about the soak method, here are some frequently asked questions:

Do chickpeas need to be soaked before cooking? Soaking chickpeas before cooking offers a lot of benefits. Soaked beans tend to cook more evenly and take less time to cook than those that have not been soaked ahead of time. These are the main reasons that I recommend soaking dried beans. Some people also find that soaked beans are easier to digest and cause less gas when consumed.
What happens if I don’t soak chickpeas? You can still cook chickpeas that haven’t been soaked on the stove, but they will take longer to cook and may not cook as evenly.
Is there a quicker way to soak chickpeas? If you forget to soak your chickpeas or just lost track of time and can’t soak them for at least 6 hours, try a quick soak in hot water. To do this, place the chickpeas in a pot with enough water to cover them by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Then turn off the heat, cover, and let the beans soak in the hot water for 1 hour before draining and cooking.
Should you soak chickpeas with salt or baking soda? Soaking chickpeas with salt (about 2 teaspoons per 1 cup) will probably quicken the soaking process and make them taste saltier. Adding baking soda (1 teaspoon per 1 cup) during the soaking process will speed it up and make the chickpeas creamier when cooked. However, you can achieve the same effect by adding baking soda during cooking instead of soaking. This is the best way to cook chickpeas for hummus. See my post on making homemade hummus for more information.

Simmer Until Tender

dried chickpeas cooking in a pot on the stove with bay leaves

Transfer the soaked beans to a large pot. Add enough water to cover them by about 2 to 3 inches, which equates to 4 to 6 cups for 1 cup of dried chickpeas (and about 10 cups for 1 pound). Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer (there should still be some bubbles in the water). Cook until tender, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam that develops at the top of the pot. Add salt as desired (see tips below for when to add it).

If you’re wondering how long it takes to cook chickpeas on the stovetop, it depends on the age of the beans and whether you soaked them or not. Soaked chickpeas take between 45 and 90 minutes to cook, with old beans taking a longer time than new beans. If you want chewier, slighty firmer beans to use in salads, check for doneness at 45 minutes. For softer beans to use in hummus, cook for longer.

Chickpeas that haven’t been soaked prior to cooking can take up to 1 and ½ to 2 hours to cook on the stove. Beans are finished cooking when they are tender, easy to split in half with a knife or your fingers, and have a creamy texture.

When to Salt

Some chefs and cooking experts claim that adding salt to beans at the start of cooking prevents them from getting soft and lead to uneven cooking. In my experience, I prefer to add salt towards the end of cooking time, about 15 to 20 minutes before beans are finished cooking. However, I don’t think it makes a big difference. Tons of people add salt to beans at the start of cooking and don’t have issues! Plus, adding salt early tends to yield more flavorful beans.

I like to use about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per 1 cup of dried beans. If you are watching your salt intake, you can use less salt or omit it entirely.

chickpeas cooked on a stovetop in a serving bowl on a counter

Other Methods for Cooking Chickpeas

Dried garbanzo beans can also be prepared using these methods:

Slow cooker method: You do not need to soak the beans ahead of time for this method, but soaking them will reduce the cook time. Rinse, drain, and sort the beans, removing any shriveled ones or rocks, and place in the slow cooker. Pour in 10 cups of water, and add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 bay leaves. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours and low for 6 to 8 hours. Cooking time will depend on the age of the beans and type of slow cooker. Check for doneness starting at the lowest end of the cook time range.
Pressure cook/Instant Pot method: Chickpeas do not need to be soaked for this method either. Rinse, drain, and sort the beans, place in the Instant Pot, and add enough water to cover them by about 1 inch. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Seal and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes with a 15 minute natural pressure release. If you soak the chickpeas ahead of time, they will cook in about 20 minutes on high pressure.

Ways to Use Cooked Chickpeas

Chickpeas shine in hummus and dips or in bowls, curries, salads, soups, and more. Try them roasted or pan-fried for a crunchy snack! Eating more chickpeas may be helpful for those who want to eat more fiber, have heart disease or type 2 diabetes, or are looking for low-calorie protein foods.

Storing and Freezing

You can store chickpeas with or without a little of the cooking water (aquafaba). It’s entirely up to you. Some people prefer to drain, rinse, and dry cooked beans before storing, while others like to keep them in ¼ cup or so of liquid. It can be helpful to store beans in 15-ounce portions, which equates to 1 and ¾ to 2 cups, since this is the typical size of a can of chickpeas.

Whether you store them with or without liquid, keep cooked chickpeas in airtight containers or bags with as much air removed as possible. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Frozen beans work best in hot recipes and can be thawed first or added straight from frozen.

More Chickpea Recipes

Now that you know how to cook chickpeas on the stovetop, let’s talk about how to use them! Here are my favorite chickpea recipes:

📖 Recipe