Name: Air Fryer Falafel
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 58 min
Ingredients: 12 oz dried chickpeas (about 1 1/2 cups, soaked overnight); 2 shallots (diced); 1 cup parsley (tightly packed); 1 cup cilantro (tightly packed); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 2 teaspoons cumin; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (chickpea flour, or gluten-free flour blend); cooking spray

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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.

closeup shot of crispy air fryer falafel.

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!

The ingredients needed to make air fryer falafel

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

a photo collage of the 8 steps needed to make falafel in the air fryer

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.

an oval platter of air fryer falafel, cucumber and tomato salad, and pita, next to an air fryer basket.

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 and serve alongside Spinach Stew.

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.

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.

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5 from 1 vote

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

Cook Time18

Chilling Time30

Total Time58

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Meal Prep

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: air fryer falafel

Servings: servings

Calories: 360kcal

Cindy - Air Fryer Eats

Equipment

Air fryer
Food Processor
Cookie Scoop

Ingredients

12 oz dried chickpeas about 1 ½ cups, soaked overnight
2 shallots diced
1 cup parsley tightly packed
1 cup cilantro tightly packed
3 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour chickpea flour, or gluten-free flour blend
cooking spray

Instructions

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.
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.

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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/

Nutrition

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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.

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Comments

Emma Kelly

October 19, 2022 at 5:46 pm

I was a bit worried about air frying falafel, as I'd only ever had it deep-fried. Well, you've made a believer out of me - this is just as good (if not better) in my humble opinion! I will never deep fry it again.
Thank you for teaching an old dog new tricks!

- MandyProctor
  
  October 20, 2022 at 9:31 am
  
  SO good, right?!
  Thanks for letting us know you loved it!

Air Fryer Falafel