This Air Fryer Falafel is a quicker and healthier version of classic deep-fried Middle Eastern street food. Chickpeas, onion, garlic, and seasonings are formed into patties and air fried until light and fluffy in the middle and golden and crispy on the outside.
Serve as an appetizer with hummus or stuff it in a pita with Tzatziki, or serve over a Greek salad for a lower-calorie meal!
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If you've been following the blog for some time, I'm sure you know just how much I love my air fryer. You can use it to cook meat, make appetizers, roast vegetables, you name it.
Turns out, you can also 'fry' falafel in the air fryer, and they turn out just as good (if not more!) than the deep-fried ones!
This vegan and gluten-free air fryer falafel recipe is quick, made with fresh and healthy ingredients, and packed with a ton of flavor.
Air Fryer Facts: You can find a detailed guide on an Air Fryer - how it works, which one to buy, and what all you can cook in it, in this article: How Does an Air Fryer Work?
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Falafel is a popular middle-eastern street food that is made with chickpeas, garlic, onion, and spices. The ingredients are blended into a coarse mix, formed into balls, or patties, and deep-fried until fluffy within and golden-crispy on the outside.
Falafel is often served in a pita pocket along with fresh veggies and tzatziki sauce. It can also be served as an appetizer with hummus, on a salad, or on its own as a snack.
Why Make it in the Air Fryer?
Falafel in the air fryer tastes the same as the traditional falafel recipe. The big difference is that instead of deep-frying it, we're cooking it in the air fryer. So, you get all the delicious flavors and texture of deep-fried falafel, but without the excess oil and calories!
Air Fryer Falafel Calories: In general, air-fried falafel contains about half the calories of deep-fried falafels (if not less)! Based on this recipe, a serving of 4 falafels contains 140 calories as compared to roughly 320 calories in deep-fried ones.
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
This falafel recipe is packed with fresh, healthy, and flavorful ingredients! This quantity yields roughly 22-24 falafels. I typically account for 4 falafels per person.
Dried Chickpeas, Baking Soda, and Water: I highly recommend soaking dried chickpeas rather than using canned chickpeas for this recipe. The texture is so much better. The baking soda helps promote the rehydration of the beans.
Herbs: I use fresh cilantro and parsley. Dried herbs will work but the flavor won't be as good. Fresh dill is another herb that goes great in this recipe.
Garlic: No need to mince the garlic first, just peel it. You'll blend it up in the food processor when you mix everything together.
Onion: white or yellow onion works. Cut the onion into smaller chunks so it incorporates more easily into the falafel mixture.
Lime Juice: ½ a lime should yield the 1 tablespoon of juice needed for this recipe.
Seasonings: I use a flavorful blend of salt, black pepper, cumin powder, coriander powder, and red pepper flakes. Feel free to skip the red pepper for a milder flavor.
Baking Powder: keeps the inside of the falafel light and fluffy.
Cooking Spray: for lightly coating the falafel to get that gorgeous golden color.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Falafel in Air Fryer
Let's take a look at how to make falafel in air fryer using dried chickpeas. Once the chickpeas are soaked, this air fryer falafel recipe comes together in a quick 30 minutes!
Soak the chickpeas: Place the dried chickpeas into a bowl with baking soda and 3 cups of water. Let soak overnight, then rinse and drain.
Combine all ingredients: In a food processor, combine the soaked chickpeas, onion, herbs, spices, garlic, lime juice, and baking powder.
Pulse until semi-fine. The mix should resemble a coarse paste with specks of chickpeas visible. Check for consistency by trying to bind some of the mixtures together.
Texture Tip: If the mixture doesn't stick together, add 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs until it holds together. Use almond flour to keep this dish gluten-free!
Chill and shape: Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This helps the falafel hold its shape.
Once chilled, use about 1 tablespoon of mixture in your palms. Gently press together and shape them into small patties. To ensure even cooking from within, we flatten them as opposed to making the traditional round-shaped falafels.
Air fry: Preheat the air fryer to 350ºF. Gently spray the air fryer basket and place the falafel patties in a single layer, keeping enough space between them. Spray the top of the patties as well. Air fry for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, flip the patties, spray lightly with cooking spray, and air fry for another 7-9 minutes.
Air Frying Tip: Since air fryer temperatures vary, keep an eye after 7 minutes when making it for the first time.
Alternative Method: Oven-Baked Falafel
If you don't have an air fryer, you can easily make falafel in the oven! Simply preheat the oven to 375ºF, line the falafel patties on a baking sheet, and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through so they get crispy on both sides.
Serving Suggestions
Falafel is a super versatile dish that can be served in a number of different ways. Here are a few delicious ideas:
- Appetizer: Serve the falafel on a platter with hummus, Tzatziki, and a spread of fresh carrots, sliced cucumber, sliced bell peppers, and cauliflower florets.
- Sandwich or Wrap: Stuff it into pita pockets or wrap it up in your favorite flatbread with tomato, red onion, cucumber, and hummus or Tzatziki.
- Salad: Cut in half or serve them whole over a fresh Greek salad.
- Entree: Serve it as a plant-based bowl with a side of quinoa tabbouleh or saffron rice.
- Low-Carb meal: Serve with Greek salad along with cilantro lime cauliflower rice for a filling meal.
How to Store
Leftover falafel patties will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen, then warm in the oven or back in the air fryer at 350ºF for 2-3 minutes.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Use dried chickpeas. I definitely recommend starting with dried chickpeas that have been soaked ovenight, for the best texture. .
- Chill the falafel mixture. The colder mixture forms more easily into patties. If it's too warm, it may be crumbly.
- Preheat the air fryer. If you start the patties in a cold air fryer, the outside may burn before the inside is cooked all the way through. Always preheat!
- Size evenly. As you form the falafel, make sure they're relatively similar in size so they cook at the same rate.
- If your falafel patties aren't holding their shape, add 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs at a time until they do. Use almond flour for a gluten-free option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Falafel is literally just chickpeas, fresh herbs, and seasonings. It's a great source of plant-based protein. While traditional falafel is deep-fried, falafel in the air fryer is cooked with minimal oil, hence lower in calories.
In theory, yes, but if you are able to take the time to soak dried beans, I recommend doing that for an authentic taste. Canned chickpeas will create a mushier texture. Dried chickpeas result in falafel that is able to hold its shape better and that has a crispier exterior.
You'll air fry the falafel first for 10 minutes, flip it, then cook for another 5 minutes. This amount of time results in falafel that is soft and steamy in the middle and perfectly crispy on the outside. Since air fryers differ in temperature, I recommend keeping an eye during the last 2-3 minutes.
Absolutely! To reheat leftover falafel, simply pop it back in the air fryer at 350ºF for 2-3 minutes or until it's warmed and re-crisped.
More Air Fryer Recipes
If you love cooking with your air fryer, you'll love more of my easy air fryer appetizers! Here are a few of my favorites:
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Falafel
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For Soaking Chickpeas
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups water
For Falafel Mix
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves plus tender green stems
- 1 cup parsley leaves
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ white/yellow onion cut in chunks
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about ½ lime)
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes reduce for mild
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- cooking Spray
Serve With
- Pita Pockets
- Tzatziki Tzatziki Recipe
- Greek Salad Greek Salad Recipe
- Hummus Hummus Recipe
- Saffron Rice Saffron Rice Recipe
Instructions
- Soak the dried chickpeas in 3 cups water mixed in with ¼ teaspoon baking soda overnight. Rinse and drain thoroughly. Transfer to the food processor jar.
- Add onion chunks, herbs, spices, garlic, lemon juice, and baking powder. Now pulse everything to a coarse-to-semifine consistency, scraping the sides in between.
- Check for consistency by binding a teaspoon of the mixture. If it doesn't hold together, add 1-2 tablespoons of bread crumbs or almond flour, until it holds its shape. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Remove the mix from the refrigerator to form patties. Take a tablespoon of mixture in your palm, press, and shape it into a patty. Form all patties and keep them aside on a plate.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350ºF. Gently spray the air fryer basket and place the falafel patties in a single layer, keeping enough space between them. Spray the top of the patties as well. Air fry for 10 minutes.
- Pull out the basket, flip the patties and lightly spray with cooking spray, then cook another 7-9 minutes, or until golden brown. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to do this in 2-3 batches.
- Serve with greek salad for a low carb meal, or build pita pockets and stuff 3-4 falafels in pita-halves, along with hummus, greek salad, and tzatziki.
Notes
- Use dried chickpeas. I definitely recommend starting with dried chickpeas for the best texture.
- Chill the falafel mixture. The colder mixture forms more easily into patties. If it's too warm, it may be crumbly.
- Preheat the air fryer. If you start the patties in a cold air fryer, the outside may burn before the inside is cooked all the way through. Always preheat!
- Size evenly. As you form the falafel, make sure they're relatively similar in size so they cook at the same rate.
- If your falafel patties aren't holding their shape, add 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs at a time until they do. Use almond flour for a gluten-free option.
Kristen Kemp says
Hello! These are delicious! I need to work on forming the mix. Fortunately I had to do two batches and the second was definitely better. I absolutely will make again because they were so good! I've had one along with a salad lunch and three more tonight with a lentil soup dinner. I'm looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you for sharing!
Aneesha says
Hi Kristen, I'm so glad you enjoyed the falafels. Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe!
Renee says
I can't wait to try this. Starting my chickpeas soaking today. I live falafel and I love my air fryer
Aneesha says
Hope you enjoy them Renee!