Easy Air Fryer Falafel Recipe (2024)

Published: Mar 10, 2023 · Modified: Jul 2, 2023 by Agnieszka · This post may contain affiliate links

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This easy falafel recipe can be made in the air fryer or baked in the oven. Using canned chickpeas saves a lot of time and effort yet the falafel patties come out soft and fluffy inside, crispy on the outside and super flavorful. They are great in wraps, pitas, salads and bowls.

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to make falafel in the air fryer
The oven method
Serving suggestions
Storage and freezing
Recipe FAQs
More easy air fryer recipes
Recipe
Easy Falafel Recipe (Air Fryer or Oven)
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Meet the Author

Traditionally, falafel is made with mixture of dried chickpeas (or fava beans) that have been soaked overnight, vibrant fresh herbs, onions, garlic andspices, which is formed into balls and deep fried in oil until they turn golden brown.

While I love the authentic Middle Eastern falafel recipe, it definitely requires a fair amount of time and effort. Deep frying is not something I do everyday, either so I wanted to create a super easy version of falafel without compromising the flavor and texture.

It turns out that you can make killer falafel that's crispy on the outside while being supremely soft and fluffy inside in the air fryer! Using canned chickpeas works well as long as you make sure they are dry and add a bit of flour of choice. For best results, I recommend flattening the falafel balls into discs - they stay put in the air fryer and there is more surface to crisp up.

I also tested this recipe in the oven and it works well, too. The falafel turns out a little less crispy than in the air fryer but the flavor and texture are equally great.

Why you'll love this recipe

This falafel recipe is quick, easy and uses simple staple ingredients
Using canned chickpeas cuts prep time significantly
Falafel is naturally vegetarian and vegan
Use whatever flour fits your dietary needs - all-purpose, gluten-free, almond or chickpea flour will all work

Ingredients and Substitutions

Canned Chickpeas: I like Goya but any canned chickpeas will work. Make sure to rinse them well to get rid of extra salt and tin flavor.
Fresh Herbs: this is what gives the falafel its gorgeous color and freshness. I used parsley and cilantro but if you don't like cilantro, you can also use fresh mint and chives.
Onion: yellow, white, sweet or red onion will work.
Garlic: fresh garlic cloves is what you want. I used 2 cloves but you can add more (or none) if you like.
Spices: to season the patties use salt and pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander and red pepper flakes.
Flour: this is what helps the mixture come together. All-purpose flour or chickpea flour are best choices but you can also swap for gluten-free or almond flour.
Baking Powder: this ingredient helps the falafel's texture become fluffy. Some recipes use baking soda instead. Mix in the baking powder into the "dough" right before forming balls.
Olive Oil Spray: to help the falafel patties get crispy on the outside without deep frying.

How to make falafel in the air fryer

STEP 1: Rinse and dry the chickpeas. Using a sieve, run cold water over the chickpeas, then transfer them onto a sheet of paper towel and cover with another piece of paper towel to dry.

STEP 2: Chop up onions and garlic by pulsing a few times in the food processor.

STEP 3: Add herbs and chickpeas. Start with herbs and spices and pulse a few times to combine. Then add the chickpeas and pulse 2-3 times to roughly chop.

STEP 4: Add flour and form the "dough". Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap.

STEP 5: Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 25 minutes. Then fold in the baking powder.

STEP 6: Form balls. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, drop 12 equal parts of the mixture onto a baking sheet. Then, roll into balls and flatten into discs.

STEP 7: Air fry for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping the patties once after 8 minutes.

The oven method

Another great way to make falafel without deep frying is to bake it in the oven. Here's how to do it:

Serving suggestions

Falafel tastes best when it's served hot and crispy, immediately after air frying or baking. Here are my favorite ways to serve falafel:

As an appetizer with a side of dipping sauce - check this epic list of 10 Best Falafel Sauce Recipes
In a pita sandwich or a wrap with fresh veggies and pickles - try it with this Spiced Hummus as a spread.
On top of a salad or rice bowl
As part of a mezze platter accompanied by fresh veggies, dips and pita - check out my Falafel Platter post for some inspiration
Try it with a side of my Mediterranean Yellow Rice or this flavorful Greek Chickpea Salad.
If you are looking for more vegetarian air fryer ideas, try this Air Fryer Eggplant or these Air Fryer Butternut Squash Fries

Storage and freezing

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days
To freeze, allow cooled falafel on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer to an airtight container or a ziploc bag and use up within 3 months
To reheat from fresh, place the falafel on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes in the oven preheated to 375 degrees or air fry for 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees.
You can also reheat frozen cooked falafel on a baking sheet in the oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes turning once.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use dried chickpeas?

Yes, definitely! Soak them overnight, drain and dry, then use as you would canned chickpeas (no need to cook the chickpeas before adding to food processor).

How should I shape the falafel for air frying?

You can either shape them into balls or discs. Personally, I prefer discs because they don't roll around the basket of the air fryer and crisp up nicely all over.

How do I make the falafel crispy without deep frying?

Don't crowd the patties in the air fryer and use a good amount of olive oil spray both for the air fryer basket and to spray directly on the falafel.

What's the best air fryer to use?

I love my 7 quart basket style Go Wise air fryer which large is perfect for our family of 5.

More easy air fryer recipes

Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Air Fryer Sliced Potatoes
Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs
Pork Kebabs {Air Fryer or Oven}

If you tried recipes from this roundup or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest to see more recipes.

Recipe

Easy Falafel Recipe (Air Fryer or Oven)

This easy falafel recipe can be made in an air fryer or oven. It uses canned chickpeas, onion, garlic, spices and herbs.

5 from 53 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Servings: 12 falafel patties

Calories: 62kcal

Author: Agnieszka

Ingredients

▢ 1 can chickpeas 15.5 oz, rinsed, drained and dried on paper towels
▢ 1 onion, quartered large
▢ 4 garlic cloves
▢ ⅔ cup chopped fresh parsley
▢ ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
▢ ½ cup all-purpopse flour or chickpea flour or almond flour
▢ 2 teaspoon baking powder
▢ 2 teaspoon cumin ground
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 teaspoon coriander ground
▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ olive oil spray
▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

Place onion and garlic in a bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until roughly chopped.
Add chopped parsley, chopped cilantro and spices. Pulse until combined.
Add canned chickpeas (rinsed, drained and dried on paper towels) and pulse 2-3 times. Don't overprocess! The chickpeas should be roughly chopped, not pureed.
Finally, add the flour and pulse 2-3 times more until just combined. If you prefer, you can empty the mixture into a bowl and fold in the flour with a rubber spatula.
Transfer the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap (or a lid) and refrigerate for 2 hours (or longer) or freeze for 25 minutes.
Add baking powder and fold it in with a rubber spatula or a spoon - this addition will make the falafel fluffy inside.
Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a spoon, divide the "dough" into 12 balls, then roll into uniform balls using your fingers. I like my falafel balls slightly flattened into discs for more crispiness but you can keep them as balls - the choice is yours!
Spray the basket of an air fryer with olive oil spray, then place the falafel inside spaced apart. Spray with more olive oil spray.
Air fry for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping once after 8 minutes.

Notes

Make sure to rinse the canned chickpeas thoroughly under cold water and dry them on paper towels. I usually place them on a doubled up sheet of paper towel, cover with another sheet and leave to dry while I'm chopping herbs. If your chickpeas are too wet, you will need to add more flour, which is not ideal.

Don't overprocess the mixture. Only pulse a few times at each step. Chunky dough with visible pieces of chickpeas and herbs is what you want.

If you don't like cilantro, swap it for more parsley or replace with other fresh herbs such as mint or chives.

To make falafel in the oven, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, place the falafel on a paper lined baking sheet, spray with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once after 10 minutes.

Nutrition

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Meet the Author

Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.

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FAQs

Is it better to deep fry or air fry falafel? ›

Or you could air fry them.

It's true that the falafel cooked this way doesn't get 100 percent as crispy as a traditional deep fry, but it's very close. But, the easy clean-up and use of less oil make it totally worth it.

Why can't you use canned chickpeas for falafel? ›

Turns out that dried chickpeas are essential to good falafel. See, canned chickpeas have already been cooked. Starch molecules within them have already burst and released their sticky contents, much of which get washed away in the cooking liquid, leaving the remaining chickpeas with very little clinging power.

What is the controversy with air fryers? ›

Air-frying equipment is not known to cause cancer, but the process of air frying does result in the formation of certain compounds, like acrylamide, that are linked to cancer development. Acrylamide is classified as a probable human carcinogen.

What is the best binder for falafel? ›

All you need to do is soak the chickpeas with water and baking soda overnight (no boiling necessary!). Using dried chickpeas is the most important step to make authentic falafel with the best texture and flavor. Chickpea flour: Adds flavor and helps hold the falafel mix together.

Learn More ›

What are the 2 types of falafel? ›

There are three types of falafel--Traditional falafel, baked falafel and lemon falafel. “Where the traditional falafel is the basic fried falafel comprising a mix of chickpeas, onions, garlic, herbs and spices, baked falafels are made using fresh herbs in the chickpea mixture,” says Chef Sati from Ophelia.

Learn More ›

Why is my falafel so hard? ›

Just be sure you don't overwork the falafel batter. Handle it as little as possible and use a scoop to form the balls and drop them into the oil. Specialty shops actually sell a falafel former but a cookie scoop will work just fine. Otherwise, you might end up with hard, dense nuggets instead of a crispy, airy bite.

Find Out More ›

Is it better to air fry or deep fry? ›

While deep fryers offer traditional flavor, air fryers and ovens with air fry features can provide more variety. Air fryers can be a healthier choice, using less oil and producing lighter meals compared to deep frying.

Explore More ›

Is deep-fried falafel unhealthy? ›

This meal is high in fat with almost half its calories (47 per cent) coming from fat. However, if it's fried in a healthy oil (such olive, canola or grape seed oil) and you limit your intake of fat for the rest of the day, falafel definitely fits into a healthy diet.