These Air Fryer Falafels are crispy, herby, and incredibly easy to make. Compared to deep-frying, they are much less oily but they are still super crispy. The best part is you can use many different kinds of herbs, so this is a great recipe to clear out those leftover herbs in your fridge.
Looking for another air-fryer recipe? Try my air-fryer cauliflower next!
About This Recipe
I used to always think falafel was hard to make, but actually, it is very easy to make- especially if you have a food processor. All you do is blend chickpeas with herbs and spices until they are very fine, then you use your hands to shape them into balls. Typically, they are deep-fried, but in this recipe, I'm air-frying them.
These falafels are seriously so good, you guys. I will never be buying them from a restaurant again. They have so much flavor, and the crisp on the outside is incredible. Ever since I made these a few weeks ago, my wife has been asking me when I will add them to my blog so I can make them again for her. Well, today is the day!
Key Ingredients
Dried chickpeas: Dried chickpeas are the base of this recipe. Do not use canned chickpeas here. The texture of canned chickpeas is very mushy, and it will translate to the texture of the falafel. Dried chickpeas are much firmer and will give your falafel a crumblier and crisper texture.
Herbs: What I love about falafel is its fresh and herby flavor. You can use any combination of herbs: parsley, cilantro, dill, or mint leaves. Even using just 1 is fine. I'm using parsley and cilantro because they were both on sale. Keep in mind you only want to use the leaves as the stems will water down the falafel. Unfortunately, that means you will need to pick off the leaves from the stems, which can take a while.
Aromatics: Onions and garlic is all you need. Some people use scallions instead of onions, and that works perfectly fine too.
Seasonings: Salt, coriander, and cumin. I used whole seeds and ground them in myself in a mortar and pestle.
Instructions
STEP 1: Rinse the chickpeas and soak them in a bowl of cold water overnight. Notice how much the chickpeas expand. You'll want to use a bowl that can hold at least 3 times the original size of the chickpeas.
STEP 2: Add the chickpeas, herbs, and seasonings to a food processor and blend until very fine. My food processor is very small so I had to do this in 5 batches.
STEP 3: Use your hands to shape the mixture into balls.
STEP 4: Air-fry at 400ยฐF for 18-22 minutes until crispy and browned. Because we are air-frying them for a long time, you do not need to flip them at all. The bottom will get browned without any flipping.
๐ Recipe
Air Fryer Falafel
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas
- 2 cups fresh parsley, cilantro, dill, or mint leaves (or a combination of all four)
- 1 small onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Add the dried chickpeas to a large bowl and rinse with water. Fill the bowl with enough water to cover the chickpeas by three times their size. Let the chickpeas rehydrate at room temperature for at least 12 hours.
- To a food processor, add the chickpeas, fresh herbs, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt. Pulse until very finely blended. You should be able to squeeze a handful of the filling into a ball and it should stay together.
- Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes. This will make the falafel hold their shape better when we shape them.
- Shape the falafel into balls and set aside.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400ยฐF. Arrange the balls in the air fryer with some space between them. Spray with a generous amount of oil. Air-fry for 18-22 minutes until brown and crispy.
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