Air Fryer Falafel by This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This blog generates income via ads. If you love ordering falafel at your favorite Mediterranean or Middle Eastern restaurant, you'll be happy to know that they are simple to make at home, and they can be made in the air fryer! Air Fryer Falafel is tender and flavorful inside, and crispy on the outside. AIR FRYER FALAFEL RECIPE The air fryer has truly changed the way I cook dinner, and I use it often to make vegetarian meals for my family. This delicious Air Fryer Falafel recipe is in a regular meatless Monday rotation, along with vegetarian Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers and Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan. You should also check out our whole catalog of Easy Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes and Vegan Air Fryer Recipes too! INGREDIENTS FOR AIR FRYER FALAFEL Dried Chickpeas - I don't recommend using canned chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) for this recipe. In a pinch, they will work, but the flavor of dried beans is much better. You'll need to plan ahead, as the chickpeas need to be soaked overnight to soften. Shallots - Shallots have a slightly more mild flavor than onions, but give falafel a similar savory flavor. Fresh Parsley and Cilantro - These fresh herbs are what make falafel taste so fresh! You need a fully packed cup of each. Pull off any thick stems, the food processor will do the rest. Garlic - I mince the garlic before adding it to the food processor to make sure that there are no big chunks of garlic in the falafel mixture. Cumin - a warm, rich spice. Coriander - Common in middle eastern cuisine. Paprika - Paprika adds color and a bit of warmth. Salt and Pepper - You don't want your air fryer falafel to lack seasoning. Salt and pepper are a must. Lemon Juice - Freshly squeezed, please! Flour - Use all-purpose flour, chickpea flour, or your favorite gluten-free flour blend. This helps to bind the ingredients together. Cooking Spray - This is needed to keep the falafel from sticking to the air fryer basket and to help them brown up. If you have any questions about making homemade falafel in the air fryer, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER FALAFEL Soak the Chickpeas. Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water, making sure that the water is about 3 inches higher than the chickpeas as it will absorb a lot of water. Let soak overnight. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.Fill the food processor with chickpeas, shallot, parsley, cilantro, seasonings, lemon juice, and flour. You may need to do this in batches if your machine is smaller. Pulse the food processor until the mixture is combined and coarse, scraping down the sides as needed. You don't want it to be completely smooth. Add the dough to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Shape the falafel mixture into 1-inch balls. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, and place the falafel balls in the basket in a single layer, leaving space in between each for air to circulate. Work in batches if needed. Spray the top of the falafel with cooking spray too. Air Fry as directed in the recipe card below, turning them over halfway through, until the falafel is crispy and golden brown. Serve Air Fryer Falafel immediately with your favorite toppings or as part of a pita. These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions for air fryer falafel, please see the recipe below. WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER FALAFEL Air Fryer Falafel can be served wrapped in a pita, on top of a greek salad, or as a platter with fresh hummus and salad on the side. You can also serve falafel as an appetizer. Try it with Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks, or homemade Air Fryer Onion Rings. For something different, form the falafel mixture into small patties instead of balls, and turn them into falafel sliders! HOW TO STORE AIR FRYER FALAFEL Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can be helpful to store them with a paper towel in the container to soak up any condensation. Be sure to let the falafel cool completely before putting them in the fridge. To reheat falafel in the air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 350°F/180°C, then air fry the leftover falafel for 2-3 minutes until heated through. IS FALAFEL BETTER HOT OR COLD? You might enjoy cold falafel in your lunch, or as a snack on a picnic, but I think they are much better warm. Falafel is tastiest right after it's been cooked in the air fryer. WHY IS MY FALAFEL FALLING APART IN THE AIR FRYER? When falafel fall apart, it's typically because the dough mixture was too wet. Be sure to drain your chickpeas very well, and add a bit of extra flour if the dough seems wet. WHY CAN'T YOU USE CANNED CHICKPEAS FOR FALAFEL While you can technically use canned chickpeas to make falafel, I don't recommend it. The flavor and texture of canned chickpeas is not going to give you the tasty falafel that you're looking for. Soaking the beans overnight is easy and less expensive too! IS AIR FRIED FALAFEL HEALTHY? Air Frying Falafel is a bit healthier than the traditional method of frying them in oil. That's one of the great things about the air fryer - Deep fried texture without excessive amounts of oil! HOW LONG DO I AIR FRY FALAFEL BALLS? You should air fry falafel for 15-18 minutes, and can get all the details in the recipe card below! Keep in mind that all air fryers cook differently, so you may need to adjust this time. This recipe was made in a Cosori Air Fryer with a Basket. The recipe should work in other air fryers. Keep in mind that each air fryer runs differently, it is important to check your food often. If you have a Cuisinart Air Fryer Oven or a Ninja Basket Air Fryer, both of these units seem to run "hotter" than most air fryers. That means you will need to LESSEN the cook time. MORE DELICIOUS HOMEMADE AIR FRYER RECIPES Your family will love it when you make Air Fryer Porch Chops! Our most popular recipe is an unbreaded version, but Breaded Air Fryer Pork Chops are super good too. Everyone is always looking for new ways to cook chicken, and I know that making chicken in the air fryer is always the best way. Try my juicy Air Fried Chicken Breast recipe, or make homemade Air Fryer Chicken Tenders. If you're hungry for Air Fryer Mexican tonight, check out how we make Cauliflower Air Fryer Taco Bowls or Mexican Sweet Potatoes. Have you made this recipe? Please leave a comment AND rating below! It helps other readers! Be sure to tag @AirFryerEats on instagram, if you share a picture on the gram! Let's get social, you can follow me on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or join one of our Air Fryer Facebook Groups: Air Fryer Recipes, Air Fryer Recipes for Seniors and Gluten Free Air Fryer Recipes. Don't forget to subscribe to our EMAIL newsletter. Print Recipe Pin Recipe Air Fryer Falafel Air Fryer Falafel is tender and flavorful inside, and crispy on the outside. It's easy to make with just a small amount of oil. Prep Time10 minsCook Time18 minsChilling Time30 minsTotal Time58 mins Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Meal PrepCuisine: Middle EasternDiet: Gluten FreeKeyword: air fryer falafel Servings: 4 servings Calories: 360kcal Cindy - Air Fryer Eats Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark EquipmentAir fryerFood ProcessorCookie Scoop Ingredients12 oz dried chickpeas about 1 ½ cups, soaked overnight2 shallots diced1 cup parsley tightly packed1 cup cilantro tightly packed3 cloves garlic minced2 teaspoons cumin2 teaspoons ground coriander1 teaspoon paprika1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground black pepper2 tablespoons lemon juice3 tablespoons all-purpose flour chickpea flour, or gluten-free flour blendcooking spray InstructionsPlace the dried chickpeas in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water, making sure that the water is about 3 inches higher than the chickpeas as it will absorb a lot of water. Let soak overnight. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.Add the chickpeas, shallot, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, ground coriander, paprika, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and flour to a food processor. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to blend it in batches.Pulse the food processor until the mixture is combined and coarse, scraping down the sides as needed. It should not be completely smooth.Refrigerate the falafel dough for about 30 minutes.Shape the falafel mixture into 1-inch balls. You should get about 18-20 total.Spray the air fryer basket with the cooking spray. Place the falafel balls in the air fryer basket in a single layer with space in between. You may need to cook the falafel in batches depending on the size of your air fryer basket. Spray the top of the falafel balls with additional cooking spray.Air fry at 350°F/180°C for 15-18 minutes, turning halfway through, until the falafel is golden and crispy.Serve immediately with your favorite toppings or as part of a pita sandwich. Go AD FREE! Video Notes 1 ½ cups of dried chickpeas ends up being about 3 cups of soaked chickpeas. I do not recommend using canned chickpeas, as they have a bit of a metallic taste and not as good of flavor as the dried chickpeas. I used a cookie scoop to portion out the falafel mixture into 1-inch balls and then rolls them in my head to smooth them out. You can either air fry them as balls or flatten them into disks. This recipe makes 18-20 falafels. You may get more or less depending on the size of your balls. Keep in mind, if you make them bigger, you will need to cook them for longer. I would recommend if you do make them bigger to flatten them slightly so the center will cook evenly. Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the "Air Fry" function. Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes airfrying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking. Have oven recipes that you’d like to convert to an air fryer recipe? Use our Air Fryer Calculator to help you estimate cooking times and temps! Calculator here: https://airfryereats.com/air-fryer-conversion-air-fryer-calculator/ NutritionCalories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 964mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1855IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 8mg Tried of the ads?Go AD Free - Become part of our Membership community! Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check. If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out Air Fryer Eats Membership! Our membership offers exclusive recipes, meal plans, ebooks, helpful learning videos and more – all completely ad free! Are you looking for MORE air fryer recipes? Let us make that EASY for you! With this ebook bundle, you get oodles and oodles of air fryer recipes at your finger tips! You can even PRINT the recipes! Grab a copy of these air fryer e-cookbooks today!Meat Air Fryer Bundle - Click hereVegetarian Air Fryer Bundle - Click here Related Posts 95+ Cosori Air Fryer Recipes Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes Air Fryer Sizes « Buffalo Chicken Egg RollsHow To Reheat Pizza in Air Fryer »
