Chickpea Fries

Hot and toasty.

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Summer is the season for fried food, and while I love a crispy chicken cutlet or fried green tomato, I have a special place in my heart for these herby chickpea fries. Toasty on the outside, creamy and soft in the center, they’re my perfect summer afternoon snack.  

Chickpea fries, or panisse, originated in southern France, where they’re commonly sold in seaside shacks. They’re made from a chickpea flour batter that’s thickened on the stove, poured into a big slab (or individual molds) and then left to firm up before being fried in olive oil. In France, they’re sold as cute little rounds, but most modern American recipes opt for long rectangular batons, similar to a chunky fry.

Chickpea (or garbanzo bean) flour, is simply dried chickpeas that have been ground very finely. It used to be difficult to find in America, but now it’s sold in many grocery stores (Bob’s Red Mill is the brand that’s most widely available), as well as online. You might also see it sold in Middle Eastern specialty stores as “gram” or “besan” flour. 

Any great fry needs a great condiment. Panisse is typicallypaired with aioli—a fancy term for garlic mayo—but you could do any variety of flavored mayo you wanted. You could even pair them with ketchup, if you wanted!

Unlike most fried food, chickpea fries make wonderful leftovers. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. While I enjoyed them cold, you could also reheat them in under the broiler. Just keep an eye on them and rotate so they don’t burn!

Enjoy!

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Chickpea Fries

(Makes 20)

1 ½ c. plus 1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for greasing, divided

4 c. water

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 c. chickpea flour, divided

1 tsp. finely chopped thyme

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Equipment: 8”x8” square baking dish (preferably metal), medium pot, deep pan, wire rack with sheet pan

Instructions

Grease an 8”x8” square metal baking dish with olive oil. Set aside.

In a medium pot, combine water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add half of chickpea flour and whisk until smooth. Add remaining half of chickpea flour and whisk until smooth again.

Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low. Switch to a flexible rubber spatula to stir and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking, until mixture thickens to the consistency of gluey mashed potatoes and holds its shape, about 10 minutes.

Pour mixture into prepared pan, smoothing into an even layer as quickly as possible (it will stiffen and set up in a few seconds.) Let cool at room temperature until mostly cool, about 30 minutes, then transfer to refrigerator and chill until completely solid, 30 minutes more.

Turn out chickpea slab onto a cutting board and slice into ¾” batons, about 4” long.

Line a large metal sheet with a wire rack. In a large heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 c. olive oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.

Working in batches, fry chickpea fries, rotating occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 5-6 minutes per batch. (Between batches, add fresh oil as necessary to maintain the same level, making sure oil regainst 350 degrees before adding more fries.) Remove to wire rack and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve warm.

Originally published August 3, 2025.