Air Fryer Falafel
Falafel is one of the best finger foods out there. Not only does falafel taste great, but it is also super healthy for you! Chickpeas carry a lot of protein and our
For more background on the history of falafel, check out our Deep Fried Falafel recipe.
What type of chickpeas to use for this air fryer falafel recipe
Our recipe calls for fava beans and chickpeas in their dry form. This requires you to rehydrate them ahead of making the recipe. But, if you don’t have time to soak the beans, you can use canned beans! Beans in a can have a higher amount of sodium, but otherwise are the same.
If you are new to rehydrating dried beans and chickpeas, don’t worry! We have detailed instructions on how to rehydrate dried chickpeas in the blog for our One Pot Greek Couscous.
Is falafel a healthy recipe?
What we love about this falafel recipe is that it is healthy! Even our deep fried falafel is healthy. Based on the ingredients, falafel is naturally packed with vitamins and nutrients. Chickpeas and fava beans are a great source of plant based protein.
One of the main benefits of using an
How to make air fryer falafel
- A day before you are going to make this recipe, get out your chickpeas and fava beans and soak them overnight.
- Grab your food processor and add chickpeas, green onion, chopped onion, garlic cloves and cilantro to the food processor. Blend until you have a thick, fluffy dough.
- Then add salt, pepper, coriander, and cumin to the food processor. Mix it together.
- Scoop the falafel dough mixture from the food processor into a bowl.
- Right before you are going to air fry the falafel, add baking soda to the bowl. Give it a final mix.
- Make patties out of the dough and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
- Arrange them in the
air fryer and cook for 15-18 minutes at 350. Flip the falafel halfway through the cook time to make sure they’re crunchy on both sides! - Serve hot or at room temperature on it’s own or with dip!
How to store air fryer falafel
We doubt you will have leftovers because this recipe is just THAT good. But in case you do, these yummy falafel are super easy to store! This recipe also lends itself well to making a large batch if you like to
They will last for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge, or for up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, we recommend popping them in the oven or a toaster oven!
Other air fryer recipes
We are obsessed with our
Not only is it healthier than deep frying, but you can also avoid all the mess associated with deep frying. And not to mention, there is a much lower risk of burning yourself!
Here are some of our favorite
- Our Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings are to die for!!! Chicken wings make for a great meal that everyone loves. And our
air fryer wings are healthier than traditional fried chicken wings. - Love fried cheese? Say no more! You have to try out our Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks. They are the easiest take on this childhood staple.
- If you have been here a while, you know that we LOVE feta in all of its forms. But we have to say our Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Feta is the very best! It is crunchy, salty, and creamy on the inside.
- Last, but certainly not least, we have to share our Crispy Air Fryer Potato Nuggets. Similar to this falafel recipe, these nuggets are the perfect finger food. They are absolutely delish!
Falafel
Ingredients
- 2 cups fava beans soaked overnight
- 1 cup chickpeas soaked overnight
- 1 medium red onion
- 6 whole green onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 small bunch of cilantro (stems removed)
- 1 tsp sea salt (to taste)
- 1/2 tsp pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Sesame seeds for topping
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas and fava beans overnight to rehydrate them.
- Set up your food processor. Add chickpeas, green onion, chopped onion, garlic cloves and cilantro to the food processor. Blend everything together.
- Next, add salt, pepper, coriander, and cumin to the food processor. Pulse it together.
- Remove the falafel dough mixture from the food processor and place it in a bowl.
- When you are ready to start frying the falafel, add the baking soda to the bowl and mix it all together.
- Use an ice cream scooper to scoop out little balls of falafel dough. Release it into your hand and press in sesame seeds.
- Arrange them in the air fryer and cook for 15-18 minutes at 350. Flip the falafel halfway through the cook time to make sure they’re crunchy on both sides!
- Serve hot or at room temperature on it’s own or with tahini, hummus, pita bread, and salad.