Chili Crisp Chickpeas

Third date. I cooked for James at my apartment. The full spread: kimchi jjigae, bulgogi, japchae, three banchan, rice. The table was set Korean-style. James walked in and looked at the table and paused. The look said: this is who you are.

We ate everything. He used metal chopsticks (I gave him a pair). His technique was good — Taiwanese people use chopsticks too, and the shared utensil felt like another bridge. He tried the stir-fried anchovies and said his grandmother makes them too, with peanuts. Same dish, different country.

After dinner he said, "You know what I like about you? You built all of this. The cooking, the Korean, the identity. You built it yourself, from scratch, and it is real." Real. The word Sujin used about my cooking. James said it about me.

He kissed me in the kitchen, between the onggi pots and the Zojirushi. The kiss tasted like jjigae, which sounds unromantic but is the most romantic thing, because jjigae is my love language and the kiss in the kitchen was the kiss of a man who understands that the food is the person.

The cherry blossoms were blooming outside the window. Something has begun. Something real.

The stir-fried anchovies were the dish that made James pause and say, “My grandmother makes something like this.” That’s the magic of banchan — small dishes that carry entire histories. These chili crisp chickpeas have that same energy: fiery, savory, impossible to stop eating, and deeply personal once you’ve made them your own. If you’re building your first Korean-style spread, or just want one bold side that earns a place on any table, start here.

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
2–3 tablespoons chili crisp (store-bought or homemade), plus more to taste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Salt to taste

Instructions

Dry the chickpeas. After draining and rinsing, spread the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat very dry. The drier they are, the crispier they’ll get in the pan.
Crisp in oil. Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes until the bottoms are golden. Toss and continue cooking another 4–5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until chickpeas are crispy all over.
Make the sauce. While the chickpeas cook, whisk together the chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and sugar in a small bowl.
Toss and finish. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour the sauce over the crispy chickpeas and toss to coat evenly. Cook for 1–2 minutes more until the sauce clings and caramelizes slightly around the chickpeas.
Garnish and serve. Transfer to a serving dish and top with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm as a banchan-style side alongside rice and other dishes, or at room temperature as a snack.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chili Crisp Chickpeas — The Banchan That Belongs on Every Table