How to Make Oil-Free Falafel In An Air Fryer (With Exclusive Tips!)

When I first started preparing my own falafel at home, I struggled with the right texture and taste. For instance, one of my favorite restaurants in Michigan, La Marsa, serves the best falafel I've ever tasted. Unfortunately, they deep-fry their falafel. Then, I learned the one trick to perfect falafel, using dried chickpeas instead of canned. Of course, I first Baked Falafel, which I loved, but I missed the crunch and taste of fried falafel. So, I figured why not try an air-fried falafel recipe.

Similar to my Baked Falafel recipe, my air-fried falafel recipe is oil-free, but it also tastes similar to La Marsa's falafel I miss so much. 

I buy my beans, legumes, and chickpeas on Amazon in bulk. They are cheaper and store well. In fact, buying food like this (especially if you are an Amazon Prime member) is great, because there isn’t any shipping cost, and it arrives in a day.

First of all, dried chickpeas absorb a lot of water. I cup of dried chickpeas, for instance, will expand 3 times its size, yielding 3 cups of chickpeas. So, when soaking chickpeas, always use a bowl three times the size and add 3 times the amount of water to cover the chickpeas. Then, soak the chickpeas overnight. 

The trick, however, is you don’t ever cook the chickpeas for baked falafel. Instead, the chickpeas are drained and then rinsed a second time, prior to making the falafel dough. 

Then, rinse the chickpeas before you plan to make the falafel mixture in a food processor. My Kitchen-Aid food processor is a large 9 cup variety, so the falafel mix can be made in one batch. If you have a smaller food processor, I suggest making in batches. 

AIR-FRIED FALAFEL INGREDIENTS 

• 2 cups dry chickpeas or garbanzo beans; soaked overnight
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped dill
• 5 cloves, minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
• 2 1/2 Tablespoon chickpea flour (or flour of choice)
• 2 Tablespoons Tahini

USE A FOOD PROCESSOR TO AIR-FRY FALAFEL DOUGH

Once the soaked chickpeas are soaked and rinsed, it’s time to make the air-fry the falafel dough. First, you need to use a food processor to grind the chickpeas and make the falafel dough.

Next, you simply add all the ingredients to the ground chickpeas and process on high until you achieve a grainy dough. 

As a result, you will have a falafel dough which looks similar to this. Then, I use a melon baller or small cookie scoop to form my falafel balls.

HOW TO COOKED AIR-FRIED FALAFEL RECIPE IN AN AIR-FRIER…A LITTLE HELPFUL TRICK

In order to make oil-free falafel, that tastes great, there are a few other tricks. Since the falafel dough is a bit sticky, I suggest air frying in batches, a single layer at a time. This allows for the falafel to cook evenly. The other trick is how the falafel mixture is made. You need to pulse the mixture in the food processor. And, it is necessary to refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour to have it set up prior to cooking.

In order to batch cook, I suggest rolling the falafel mixture into balls or spheres and place them on a baking sheet and then transferring them to the air-fryer basket. However, instead of tossing the falafel around in the pan (because they are delicate), gently turn them over using a spatula or your fingers. Be careful, though, not to burn yourself. For some reason, after cooking all these years, my hands don't really register heat. Haha. 

WHAT IS MY FAVORITE AIR-FRIER?

In my opinion, the more simple the air-frier the better. Even though kitchen appliances are my favorite, you don't need to spend a fortune to get a great air-frier. Instead, opt for one with high approval ratings, as well as easy to use. My GO-Wise Air-Frier , for example, is fairly inexpensive and is ridiculously easy to use. It even has pre-set settings for easy cooking. 

HOW TO MAKE AIR-FRIED FALAFEL WRAP SANDWICH

Because I adore La Marsa's falafel sandwich wrap, I figured I could replicate it at home with air-fried falafel. First, I chose a large spinach tortilla wrap. Next, I added a thin layer of my favorite hummus, Romaine lettuce, red onion, tomato, chopped dill pickles, and tahini sauce. At this point, you can eat it cold, or heat up a pan and crisp up the tortilla for a crunchy taste on the outside. Although the pickle might sound odd, it is incredible with the other ingredients. 

I also decided to make some oil-free Steak Fries since the air-fryer was on the counter, and I love steak fries. 

FREEZING AND REHEATING AIR-FRIED FALAFEL 

If you have leftover falafel, place it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Similarly, air-fried falafel can be stored in a freezer in a ziplock bag. 

For reheating, I recommend cooking in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Or, you can also reheat air-fried falafel in a microwave for 3-4 minutes. 

GIVE YOUR FALAFEL A MEXICAN TWIST BY MAKING A BOWL

I love falafel in a bowl, Mexican style with my favorite ingredients:

• Fruit Salsa Recipe
• Simple Rosemary Infused Pickled Red Onions
• Avocado
• Vegan Sour Cream 

FAQs

DO YOU LOVE MEDITERRANEAN RECIPES? TRY THESE GREAT IDEAS:

• Mediterranean Couscous Salad
• Mediterranean Salad
• Mediterranean Vegan Quiche
• Greek Orzo Salad
• Skinny Roasted Greek Bowl
• Quinoa Greek Salad with OMG Oil-Free Dressing
• Skinny Vegan Greek Spinach Pie
• Skinny Greek Wrap Sandwich
• Vegan Greek Quesadilla
• Fattoush Salad
• Tofu Feta Cheese
• Baked Falafel
• Oil-Free Hummus and Tabbouleh Wrap

Yield: 12 servings

Air-Fried Falafel

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Air-fried falafel recipe is crispy, crunchy, and oil-free. Perfect for a sandwich, on top of a salad or as an appetizer dipped in hummus.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry chickpeas or garbanzo beans; soaked overnight
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons chickpea flour (or flour of choice)
• 2 Tablespoons tahini

Instructions

MAKING THE FALAFEL DOUGH

1. Soak dried chickpeas over night; make sure you cover the chickpeas with at least twice the amount of water since the chickpeas absorb a lot of water.
2. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a food processor with the large blade.
3. Process on high util the chickpeas are ground up
4. Then, add all the other ingredients.
5. Pulse until all ingredients are combined; you may need to scrape down the sides to make sure all ingredients are included.
6. Now, transfer the falafel dough to a bowl and cover for at least one hour before forming falafel balls.
7. Once chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and using your hands form individual falafel balls or ovals.
8. Place them on a baking sheet for air-frying.
9. Once all the similar sized balls are formed, you are ready to cook in the air-fryer in batches.
   

AIR-FRYING FALAFEL

1. Place a single layer of falafel balls in the base of the air-fry pan, making sure not to overlap falafel pieces.
2. Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping over each falafel at 8 minutes and then cooking the other side for the remaining 7 minutes.
3. Remove air-fried falafel and place it on a cooking sheet and place it in a warm oven to keep warm.
4. Repeat the process for all the falafel until done.

Notes

I used a 9 cup food processor; if you have a smaller food processor, you need to process in batches.

Air-fried falafel can be frozen after they are cooked, and can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  KitchenAid KFP1133CU 11-Cup Food Processor with ExactSlice System - Contour Silver
• 
  GoWISE USA GW22731 1700-Watt 5.8-QT 8-in-1 Digital Air Fryer with Recipe Book, Black
• 
  Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour - 16 oz - 2 pk
• 
  Roots Circle All-Natural Sesame Tahini Paste | 100% Pure Rich & Creamy Ground Sesame Seed Paste for Hummus, Tahini Sauce, Dressing & Dips | Vegan, Kosher | Non-GMO, Gluten & Peanut-Free (2 Jars 16 Oz)
• 
  Garbanzo Beans | Non-GMO Project Verified | 100% Non-Irradiated | Certified Kosher Parve | USA Grown | Field Traced (4 lb Kraft Bag)

Nutrition Information

Yield

12 servings

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 174Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 12mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 6gSugar 5gProtein 9g

Nutrition facts may not be 100% accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Kathy Carmichael

Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me