Fill Your Pita with Crispy Air Fryer Falafel
Craving crispy falafel but don’t feel like lugging out a big pot of oil? Use your air fryer! This air fryer recipe takes fluffy, herbaceous chickpea balls and transforms them into golden, perfectly tender falafel with half the effort. While the falafel gets crisped up in the air fryer, simply toast some pita, slice a couple of tomatoes, and shred a pile of lettuce for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Be sure to make plenty of the tangy tahini yogurt sauce—it compliments this vegetarian dish perfectly!
What is in falafel?
In the United States, falafel is most commonly made with chickpeas. Other regions in the Middle East use fava beans or a combination of both fava beans and chickpeas. The beans are usually flavored with parsley, garlic, and cumin, but this recipe also uses fresh cilantro, onion, and ground cayenne for a refreshing kick. Baking powder or baking soda is another common ingredient in falafel, helping achieve a light and fluffy texture. Sesame seeds might seem like an unusual addition, but they add a subtle nutty flavor and satisfying crunch to air fryer falafel.
Can you use dried chickpeas for falafel?
Many falafel purists use dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight; however, this quick meal is made even simpler by the convenience of canned chickpeas. While they tend to hold more liquid than their dried counterparts, canned chickpeas still give the falafel fantastic texture. A little bit of flour counteracts any wetness in the falafel dough for easy rolling. If you prefer to use dried chickpeas, add 2 cups of chickpeas to a large bowl. Add enough water to the bowl so that the chickpeas are covered by at least 2 inches. Allow the chickpeas to soak overnight before draining and proceeding with the recipe.
Yields: 6 servings
Prep Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
For the tahini yogurt sauce:
1
(5.3-oz.) container plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c.
tahini
2 tbsp.
lemon juice
2 tbsp.
olive oil
1/4 c.
fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 c.
fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3/4 tsp.
kosher salt
1/2 tsp.
garlic powder
1/2 tsp.
ground black pepper
For the falafel:
1/2 c.
fresh cilantro
1/2 c.
fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 c.
all-purpose flour
2 tsp.
baking powder
1 tsp.
kosher salt
1/2 tsp.
ground black pepper
1/2 tsp.
ground cumin
1/4 tsp.
ground cayenne pepper
2
garlic cloves, chopped
1/2
medium yellow onion, chopped
2
(15-oz.) cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
2 tbsp.
sesame seeds (optional)
Cooking spray, for the basket and falafel
Directions
For the tahini yogurt sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, oil, chopped cilantro, chopped parsley, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and 3 tablespoons of water until smooth and well combined. Add more water as necessary, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve a pourable consistency. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the falafel: To a food processor, add the cilantro, parsley, flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic, and onion. Process the mixture until very finely chopped and well combined, about 10 seconds, scraping the bottom and sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the chickpeas and process until the mixture is almost smooth.
Remove the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the sesame seeds, if using, until fully combined. Use a 1 ½ tablespoon measure to scoop the mixture and roll it into rounds.
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F, if required. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
Working in batches if necessary, spray the falafel all over with cooking spray, and add to the air fryer in a single layer. Cook until very brown and crunchy, 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Serve the falafel with the tahini yogurt sauce.
Tip: Leftover cooked falafel freeze beautifully. Simply pop them in a 350°F air fryer for 8 to 10 minutes to reheat and crisp up.
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