Easy Homemade Air Fryer Falafel
Learn how to make homemade Air Fryer Falafel that’s packed with wholesome ingredients like chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, onion, and cumin and crisped perfectly in the air fryer.
I love falafel and used to make it with a store-bought mix, which is still great, but if you want to learn to make it yourself, this is a very easy recipe to follow. The air fryer is just one more easy step that means you don’t have to deep fry them to get that lovely crunchy exterior.
Why You’ll Love It
- Crispy, Not Greasy: The air fryer gives you that craveable crunch without the oil-slick aftermath.
- Intense Flavor Profile: Fresh herbs and a dash of spices make each falafel ball a burst of flavor.
- Convenience: Skip the soaking, boiling, and frying; let the air fryer do most of the heavy lifting.
Helpful Tips
- It’s crucial to use dried chickpeas and soak them overnight. This helps them break down better and gives a more authentic texture.
- Refrigerating the mixture helps solidify it, making it easier to handle during the air frying process.
- You might feel like the mixture isn’t going to hold together, but I found that most of mine did. Only a few fell apart and had to be squeezed back together. Carefully transfer them to the air fryer and once they’re in the basket, they’ll stay together.
- The whole exterior of the falafel needs to be sprayed with oil to get the exterior perfectly crispy. There’s really no other way to do it than with a spray because brushing them with olive oil will likely cause them to fall apart.
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Air Fryer Falafel
Learn how to make homemade Air Fryer Falafel that's packed with wholesome ingredients like chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, onion, and cumin and crisped perfectly in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas not canned or cooked
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves stems removed
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves stems removed
- 1/4 cup fresh dill stems removed
- 1/4 small onion chopped, about 1/3 cup
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add the dried chickpeas and baking soda to a bowl of cold water, covering the chickpeas by at least 1 inch”. Soak overnight.
- In a food processor, blend the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, and spices until well blended. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides to make sure it all gets blended well.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to overnight.
- Mix in the baking powder and sesame seeds.
- Scoop the mixture into balls (golf ball sized).
- Set the balls into the air fryer. Spray with cooking oil.
- Cook on 375º F(190°C) for 15 minutes, turning the balls and respraying with oil after 10 minutes.
- Serve hot on its own or add to pita bread with tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers.
Nutrition
Calories: 32kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 93mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 167IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
umm. Apologies ahead of time for my review. I feel like using “canned” chickpeas would definitely help this recipe go a little faster. After all most people searching for recipes or looking for something to make within the same day so I feel like this soaking is to make the recipe irrelevant and not wanted to be looked at that thank you
I understand, Heather. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work well with canned chickpeas. If I suggested using them, it wouldn’t turn out well.
Do you think I could do these in a dollar size coin shape? I assume I might need to reduce fry time.
Hi Nicole, you can make them whatever size works for you. They will cook faster the smaller they are. We like to make these somewhere around golf ball sized which probably isn’t too much different than dollar coin size. Just keep an eye on them as the cooking time winds down. Enjoy!