Air Fryer Falafel (With Canned Chickpeas!)

These Air Fryer Falafels are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and made with canned chickpeas for a quick, healthy vegan meal. This vegan falafel recipe is air fried instead of deep fried, making it lighter while still packed with flavor. Perfect to add to a wrap or bowl with some hummus or tzatziki for an easy lunch or dinner!

This easy falafel recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and the air fryer to create a lighter version of traditional falafel without sacrificing flavor or texture.

Why This Falafel Recipe Works

Though less traditional, this recipe is designed specifically for canned chickpeas. Because canned chickpeas are softer than dried, this recipe uses breadcrumbs and chickpea flour to absorb excess moisture and bind the mixture so the falafels hold together. Shaping them into discs also allows them to cook evenly and crisp up in the air fryer while keeping the inside tender.

Key Ingredients in Air Fryer Falafels

• Canned chickpeas: the base of these air fryer falafels! This recipe was specifically designed to work with canned chickpeas, so there’s no need to soak dried chickpeas overnight.
• Onion & garlic: for some extra flavor and savory vibes, and a bit of crunch.
• Parsley & dill: fresh herbs add lots of flavor and give these falafels their classic herby taste.
• Bread crumbs & chickpea flour: these bind the falafel mixture and prevent it from becoming too wet or soggy. They also improve the texture and help the falafels crisp up in the air fryer.

How to Make Crispy Falafels

1. Add chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, and dill to a food processor. Pulse.
2. Add seasonings and a few other ingredients to the food processor. Pulse a bit more. The mixture should be course and slightly crumbly, not smooth like hummus.
3. Form your falafel mixture into discs.
4. Air fry your falafels, flipping halfway through. Repeat for a second batch if needed.
5. Enjoy!

Tips for Crispy Air Fryer Falafel

• Do not over-process the falafel mixture, as this can lead to a soggy mixture and makes it harder to crisp properly in the air fryer. The mixture should resemble coarse sand and hold together when pressed, which helps the falafels stay intact while still achieving a light, crispy texture.
• Avoid overcrowding the air fryer. Falafels need space for hot air to circulate around each piece so that they crisp up evenly on all sides.
• Flatten them into discs rather than cooking them as balls. This also helps to achieve that crispy texture.

How to Serve Air Fryer Falafel

• Enjoy in a pita wrap! Pair them with veggies like lettuce, red onion, tomato, and cucumber. Spread on some hummus or vegan tzatziki and dig in!
• These are also great in a mediterranean-inspired buddha bowl or salad! Toss the falafel discs into your bowl as is, or crumble them into smaller chunks and sprinkle on top.
• Simply dip these in a delicious dip as a fun snack! Baba ganoush or roasted red pepper hummus would be perfect.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover falafel in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the air fryer until warmed through. They are best enjoyed fresh, as they won’t be quite as crisp when reheated, but the air fryer does bring some of the texture back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enjoy!

📖 Recipe

Air Fryer Falafel

Delaney Marie

These Air Fryer Falafels are easy to make and pack in a bunch of flavor! Pair these with your favorite veggies and some hummus in a pita wrap, or toss them onto a mediterranean-inspired buddha bowl or salad.

*Note that From Start to Finish is an estimate that assumes 5 minutes to prep your ingredients, and 50 minutes to complete the directions of the recipe. It also assumes you will have to air fry your falafels in two separate batches (if your air fryer is large enough to do it in one batch, it'll be a bit shorter!).

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

From Start to Finish55 minutes mins

Servings4 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 can chickpeas - drained and rinsed
• ▢ ½ small yellow onion - roughly chopped
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic
• ▢ ¼ cup parsley leaves - stems removed
• ▢ ¼ cup dill - stems removed
• ▢ 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ ⅓ cup plain bread crumbs*
• ▢ 3 tablespoon chickpea flour

Instructions

• Add chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, and dill to a food processor. Pulse a few times, until the mixture is well combined and broken up into large chunks.
• Add the cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, breadcrumbs, and chickpea flour to the food processor. Pulse once or twice more to combine. By now you mixture should resemble course sand - this texture helps the falafels hold their shape while cooking.
• Preheat your air fryer to 350F, allowing it to preheat while you work on step 4.
• Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, form the mixture into balls (about 1.5 tablespoon each). Using your fingers, slightly flatten into thick discs. (You should get around 14-16 falafels).
• Add your falafel discs to the preheated air fryer, making sure to not overcrowd them (they shouldn't be touching one another). You likely may need to do this in two separate batches. Air fry your first batch of falafels for 8 minutes. Using kitchen tongs (or another kitchen utensil), carefully flip them. Air fry for another 8-12 minutes, or until they reach your desired level of crispiness. Repeat this process with a second batch if needed.
• Serve as desired and enjoy!

Notes

*Plain bread crumbs: many plain (unflavored) bread crumbs are vegan, but be sure to check the ingredients and make sure if this is important to you! 

Did you make this recipe?Mention @joyfulbalanceofficial on Instagram and show the world your plant based creation!

Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your falafel-making ways.

Stay joyfully balanced!