This Air Fryer Falafel recipe is the healthy, crispy, and oil-free version of the traditional falafel recipe you know and love, paired with a lemon tahini dressing.
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These crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside falafel patties are ideal for salads, wraps, and grain bowls.
Make these air fryer falafels in large batches and freeze them for later. This meal prep favorite recipe will have you covered during those busy weekdays when you don't have time to cook.
Why You'll Love These Falafels
- Crispy without deep frying: Get that craveable texture, like with our air fryer vegan crab cakes, using only your air fryer basket.
- Healthy and oil-free: No oil, just whole food ingredients. This air fryer falafel recipe is also gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, and vegan.
- Authentic flavor: Made with dried chickpeas, ground cumin, fresh parsley, and cilantro for that classic taste.
- Quick and freezer-friendly: Store leftover falafels in an air-tight container or freeze for later.
- Versatile: Enjoy them as falafel patties, falafel balls, or crumbled into bowls.
- Daniel Fast approved: If you're doing the Daniel Fast, these air fryer falafel patties are compliant with the fast.
Ingredients
- Chickpeas: The star of the show. Dry chickpeas that have been soaked provide the ideal texture that's light, crumbly, and slightly chewy. If you're a chickpea lover, check out our roasted chickpeas.
- Aromatics: The onion and garlic add a rich, savory flavor. Red onion offers a sharper flavor, while sweet onion or yellow onion provides a milder, slightly caramelized profile when cooked.
- Fresh herbs: Cilantro, parsley, and mint give this homemade falafel freshness and hints of a vibrant green color. Using a mix of these is key to an authentic falafel recipe. This mix of fresh herbs is also found in our Green Goddess Dressing.
- Spices: These warming spices are signature flavors in a traditional falafel recipe. Ground cumin adds smoky, nutty depth, while ground coriander or coriander powder brings citrusy, floral brightness.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Prepare Air Fryer Falafel
This gluten free falafel recipe is easy to make with just a few simple steps.
- Step 1: In a large bowl, soak dry chickpeas in plenty of water for at least 8 hours, but ideally, 12 to 24 hours.
- Step 2: After 8 to 24 hours, drain and rinse chickpeas.
- Step 3: Put all ingredients into the food processor.
- Step 4: Blend until a coarse mixture forms. Be careful not to overprocess.
- Step 5: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and form the falafel patties or balls with clean hands. You can use the back of a spoon or an ice cream scoop to flatten out the patties.
- Step 6: Carefully place the falafel patties in the air fryer basket, leaving room between them to evenly cook. 400°F (205°C) for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown and firm.
If oven baking, bake the falafel in a preheated oven at 425°F (218°C) for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
This air fryer falafel should be crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. Salt to taste. Enjoy on a salad or wrap topped with Tahini Lemon Sauce, or Garlic Hummus!
Tips for The Best Air Fryer Falafel
- Use dry chickpeas and soak them overnight for at least 8 hours, ideally 12 to 24 hours. Do not use canned chickpeas.
- During processing, you may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl to ensure all ingredients get incorporated.
- Don’t overblend or overprocess. The mixture should be coarse enough to just hold its shape but not too mushy.
- Avoid crowding the air fryer basket; cook in batches for best results.
Leftovers and Meal Prep Tips
Store leftover cooked falafel in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat leftover falafels in the air fryer to restore crispiness.
You can freeze this falafel mixture for later. Be sure to form the balls or patties first and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 6 to 8 hours to harden. Remove from the baking sheet and transfer to an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. Falafel keeps well in the freezer for about two months.
To cook from frozen, place in the air fryer and cook at 400°F (205°C) for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. If using an oven to cook from frozen, preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
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Serving Suggestions
This air fryer falafel is so flavorful and packed with protein and fiber-rich chickpeas, fresh herbs, aromatics, and various spices like coriander and cumin, it will become your new go-to meal prep.
Serve these air fryer falafel balls with a side of Gluten Free Tabouli.
Enjoy this tasty air fryer falafel in a wrap topped with Tahini Lemon Garlic Sauce, garlic hummus, or butter bean hummus.
Also, you don’t need to be boxed into, or should I say, circled into making falafel into balls or little patties. You can take the falafel mixture to make a falafel burger, similar to our chickpea burger. It can also be used as crumbles for tacos or pizza, like in our vegan Mediterranean pizza.
Recipe FAQs
Air frying falafel is a healthier and cleaner alternative to deep frying. Using an air fryer basket, falafel becomes wonderfully crispy on the outside while staying soft inside, without needing oil. It’s the best cooking method if you’re looking for a low-fat, whole food, plant-based option. Air frying also avoids the mess, calories, and heaviness of oil-soaked fritters.
Oil does not add anything to this dish other than calories. One tablespoon of oil adds 120 calories, so omitting the oil helps to keep the calorie density down. Check out our vegan crab cakes and air fryer potatoes, which are also an oil-free air fryer recipe.
The short answer is that canned chickpeas make the falafel mushy.
This falafel recipe is so delicious. I've taken this to potlucks and get-togethers. They are consistently a hit among vegans and non-vegans.
This Air Fryer Falafel recipe is a great one to keep in your meal prep rotation. It's the easy way to enjoy all the flavor and texture of deep-fried falafel without the oil or hassle.
Whether you’re serving it for dinner, packing it for lunch, or freezing it for later, this dish is always a great idea.
Other Air Fryer Recipes to Check Out
We hope you love this oil-free falafel as much as we do. Please rate and leave a comment below. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielsplaterecipes so we can see your creation!
Air Fryer Falafel (Vegan, Oil-Free)
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer (oven-baking instructions are included in the Notes)
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans NOT canned
- ½ cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 6 to 7 fresh mint leaves
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp coconut or regular aminos
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Pinch cayenne pepper optional, for heat
Instructions
- Use dry chickpeas and soak them overnight for at least 8 hours, ideally 12 to 24 hours. Do not use canned chickpeas. In a large bowl, soak dry chickpeas in plenty of water (about 2 inches above the chickpeas should be sufficient) for at least 8 hours, but ideally, 12 to 24 hours.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Add soaked chickpeas, chopped red onion, garlic, fresh herbs, and spices to the bowl of a food processor. For the best air fryer falafel, process until a coarse falafel mixture forms, being careful not to overprocess!
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the falafel mixture and form into falafel patties or balls with clean hands. You can use the back of a spoon or an ice cream scoop to flatten out the patties.
- Carefully place the falafel balls or patties in the air fryer basket with room in between them so they cook evenly. Cook them at 400°F (205°C) for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown and firm. If oven baking, bake the falafel in a preheated oven at 425°F (218°C) for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- This air fryer falafel should be crispy on the outside, and moist and tender on the inside. Serve on a salad or wrap topped with Tahini Lemon Sauce, or Garlic Hummus. Salt to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- Preparation Tips: Don’t overblend or overprocess. The mixture should be coarse enough to just hold its shape but not too mushy. Avoid crowding the air fryer basket; cook in batches for best results.
- Serving Suggestions: Enjoy this tasty air fryer falafel on a salad topped with Epic Tahini Lemon Garlic Sauce, garlic hummus, or butter bean hummus. This falafel is also used on the vegan Mediterranean pizza.
- Leftovers/Meal Prep: Store leftover cooked falafel in the refrigerator for up to four days. Falafel keeps well in the freezer for about two months. To cook from frozen, place in the air fryer and cook at 400°F (205°C) for 12 to 14 minutes.
Nutrition
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Kris says
This is on my meal prep rotation oil free falafel yay!!
Fee says
Have been making this for a while and love it. Love that there is now baking powder or flour and is simple. Falafels are denser and more satisfying. Simple recipe. I make large batches and freeze them.
Fiona Marzinotto says
I love this recipe. I use it all the time. Thank you very much.
Gigi & Sersie says
Awesome! Thank you, Fiona. We're so glad you love it. It's one of our favs too. 🙂
Gayi says
Thank you for the wonderful recipe !! No more oil drenched falafels for me. The addition of flax powder was great. They came out perfect !!
Gigi & Sersie says
Awesome! Thank you for your feedback. We're so glad you enjoyed it.
Marie says
Oh my goodness, I love love love this recipe.
Gigi & Sersie says
I'm so glad y'all enjoyed this recipe. There's so much you can do with falafel. Plus, it's super easy to store leftovers in the freezer for reheating later.
Regina says
very tasty! will definitely make this one again.