Air Fryer Falafel

Falafel epitomises Middle Eastern cuisine like no other dish.The gluten free (without pitta) chickpea balls with a crispy exterior and a chunky, soft interior are a street food staple and always a huge hit. Many people are put off by deep-frying them at home. However, this can be quickly solved by preparing falafel in a air fryer.
Opinions differ as to how good falafel is made. Every nation in the Levant region has its own recipes and spices that they prefer. However, they all agree that the best falafel balls are not made from pre-cooked chickpeas. The grainy, chunky texture is crucial for achieving the best falafel, but if you use tinned chickpeas, they will be too dense, mushy and, in the worst case, very dry. You can shape them either in balls or patties if you want to stuff them in pitta pockets.

Falafel	Garlic Sauce
250 g chickpeas, soaked in water for approx. 12 hours, drained 30 g Flat parsley, finely chopped 1 Shallot, chopped 2 Garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1 tbsp Rice or chickpea flour 1/3 tsp Baking soda 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds ½ tsp Cumin powder ½ tsp Coriander powder Chilli flakes, to taste 1 tsp salt Olive oil for airfryer Pita bread, to serve Lemon wedges, to serve Cucumber, cherry tomatoes and cooked chickpeas, to serve	100 g Greek yoghurt 150 g Crème fraîche 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 tbsp Dill, chopped ¼ tsp Sea salt Ground white pepper Lemon juice

Falafel

Garlic Sauce

250 g chickpeas, soaked in water for approx. 12 hours, drained
30 g Flat parsley, finely chopped
1 Shallot, chopped
2 Garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp Rice or chickpea flour
1/3 tsp Baking soda
1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds
½ tsp Cumin powder
½ tsp Coriander powder
Chilli flakes, to taste
1 tsp salt
Olive oil for airfryer
Pita bread, to serve
Lemon wedges, to serve
Cucumber, cherry tomatoes and cooked chickpeas, to serve

100 g Greek yoghurt
150 g Crème fraîche
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tbsp Dill, chopped
¼ tsp Sea salt
Ground white pepper
Lemon juice

Soak the dried chickpeas in plenty of water overnight. Then drain and rinse them thoroughly.
In a food processor or blender, add in soaked chickpeas, parsley, shallot and garlic. Process everything into a coarse mixture. Add the rice flour, baking soda, sesame, cumin, coriander, chilli flakes and salt and process until mixture comes together in a rough paste. It shouldn’t be completely smooth. Form small balls or flat balls from the mixture.
Shape the mixture into 20-22 walnut-sized balls with wet hands.
Spray the basket of your air fryer with some olive oil. Add half of the falafels or as many as you can into the basket without them touching and spray them with olive oil. Air fry the falafel at 180C/350F for 8 minutes. Flip and fry for another 5-7 minutes on the second side until they are golden brown and crispy.
Mix the Greek yoghurt and crème fraîche in a bowl. Stir in minced garlic and chopped dill. Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice. Leave the garlic sauce to infuse for 15 minutes before using.
Serve the falafels with pita bread, garlic sauce, and salad or simply serve them with the dipping sauce.

26 comments:

Tom 27/5/25 13:14: ...a treat that is new to me.
DEZMOND 27/5/25 14:03: I am always in the mood for falafel, although I put it in the waffle maker and call it a wafflafel LOOL
Carol @Comfort Spring Station 27/5/25 14:15: I've been trying more Middle Eastern food and was happy to see your recipe. Thank you!
speedy70 27/5/25 14:18: Grazie proverò con la friggitrice ad aria!
My name is Erika. 27/5/25 15:04: Thanks for sharing this. I've never made falafel before, but I love eating it. I like the idea of using the air fryer to make it. It looks delicious.
Lola Martínez 27/5/25 15:09: No los he probado nunca así en air fryer, más sanos son, y con esa salsa buenísima, la receta no puede ser más completa.
eileeninmd 27/5/25 15:10: I have never tried Falafel, it looks yummy.
Thanks for sharing. Have a great day!
Christine 27/5/25 15:30: Yummy
Pantherka 27/5/25 17:13: I have never tried falafel.
The food looks very good.
Anonymous 27/5/25 17:23: Love falafel — especially homemade. I don’t have an air fryer but shallow frying then in oil works okay. Thanks for your advice on using dried chickpeas! David (C&L)
Linda's Relaxing Lair 27/5/25 17:49: I just have to get an air fryer. Thank you so much for sharing 😊 ❤️
DeniseinVA 27/5/25 18:20: That's a wonderful appetizer Angie, I need to do more with chickpeas. Thank you!
Bill 27/5/25 20:50: I have never tried falafel.
Anne in the kitchen 27/5/25 21:34: I have never used my airfryer for falafal before, but you can bet I will in the future!
Cooking Julia 27/5/25 23:26: A nice and healthy way to cook falafels.
roentare 28/5/25 00:15: This falafel recipe sounds absolutely delicious
J.P. Alexander 28/5/25 00:53: Gracias por la receta. Tomó nota. Te mando un beso.
Brian's Home Blog 28/5/25 01:20: That works for me, I really like falafel!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen 28/5/25 01:30: I haven't made falafel in ages - so thank you for such a delicious reminder. Yours look amazing!
Anonymous 28/5/25 05:51: This is a perfect use for an air fryer. I don't have one, so usually bake mine.
Tandy (Lavender and Lime) https://tandysinclair.com
Margaret D 28/5/25 08:36: Interesting and I've never eaten chickpeas as yet.
Ananka 28/5/25 10:24: Amazing. I love falafels! And I am a big fan of the chickpea in general :-D

My daughter named Stitch after then cartoon movie Lilo & Stitch. He was a wee rescue kitten when we got him. :-D
David M. Gascoigne, 28/5/25 12:31: Gotta try this one. Falafel is food from the gods!
Brigitta Pasztor 28/5/25 13:19: They even look sooooo perfect ❤️
https://brigittapasztor.blogspot.com/
Raymund | angsarap.net 29/5/25 04:18: I love a good falafel, and this air fryer version sounds like a total game changer!
tigerfish 3/6/25 02:41: How I miss some homemade falafels, just like how you made them