Air Fryer Falafel is a quicker and healthier version of classic deep-fried Middle Eastern street food, made using chickpeas, fresh herbs, and warm spices!
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.
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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.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates based on 24 X 2-inch falafel patties made with this quantity. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.