Easy recipe for Air Fryer Falafel Sandwich that gives this middle-eastern street-food classic a healthier spin. Enjoy with hummus, tzatziki, and greek salad.
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 herbs, garlic, onion, lime juice, spices, 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.
Cook Falafel
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.
Assemble Falafel Sandwich
To assemble the sandwich, add a tablespoon or more of Tzatziki and hummus inside the pita pocket. Stuff it with 3-4 falafels, top it with Greek salad and/or sliced Peperoncino pickles and enjoy.
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Notes
Use dried chickpeas. Start with dried chickpeas for the best texture. Canned chickpeas don't offer the same flavor.
Chill the falafel mixture. If it's too warm, it may be crumbly. The colder mixture forms more easily into patties.
Preheat the air fryer. Always preheat! If you start the patties in a cold air fryer, the outside may burn before the inside is cooked all the way through.
Make flat discs: It's best to flatten the falafels as opposed to making the traditional round shape for even cooking.
Size evenly. Make sure the falafel are 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 (or almond flour for gluten-free) until they do.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates based on 4 X 2-inch falafel patties per pita pocket (whole wheat), and do not include condiments. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.