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plate filled with falafel air fryer
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Easy Air Fryer Falafels

Delicious golden air fried falafels made with almonds and chickpeas.
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main, Snack
Cuisine American, Middle Eastern, Western
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 366kcal
Author Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

Air Fryer Falafels Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (250 g) dried chickpeas soaked over night
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 medium red onion roughly chopped
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves (coriander)
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 allspice
  • 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp almond flour ground almonds

Tahini Yoghurt Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (250 g) yoghurt
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp tahini paste

Instructions

Air Fryer Falafels Instructions:

  • Add the chickpeas, garlic, onion and cilantro leaves to a food processor and whiz until the mixture is coarsely ground.
  • Then stream in the olive oil and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped but not mushy.
  • Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add in all the spices, salt, baking powder and ground almonds and mix well.
  • Adjust seasoning before refrigerating for 1 hour.
  • Wet your hands and roll about 2 tbsp of the falafel into a small ball and transfer to a plate or baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the mixture until all falafel balls are formed.
  • Place the falafel in the air fryer basket, making sure they do not touch.
  • Cook at 370 F / 187 C for 10 - 15 mins, shaking air fryer basket halfway through the cook time. Falafel is done when crisp and golden brown.

Baked Falafel Instructions:

  • Follow steps 1-5 above.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 F / 170 C / Gas 5 and line a baking tray.
  • Spray the falafels with some olive oil and then bake for about 25 mins until golden brown and crisp.

Tahini Yoghurt Sauce Instructions:

  • Combine all the ingredients for the tahini yoghurt sauce in a bowl and mix until well combined.
  • Serve your Air Fryer Falafels with the tahini yoghurt sauce, flatbreads, pickled onions and salad.

Notes

Slightly adapted from Chickpea and Almond Meal Falalels from The Whinery.

Air Fried Falafel Tips

  • It is important to let the falafel dough rest in the refrigerator before shaping into balls. If there is a lot of liquid you can squeeze it out.
  • You need to whiz carefully so that the falafel mix is not mushy and completely pulsed. Leave a bit of texture which really makes a difference to your Air Fryer Falafels.
  • Although you can make these oil-free, you can spray the basket with cooking spray so that they don't stick.
  • You can make falafel patties instead if you prefer.
  • Make the balls (or patties) the same size so that they cook at the same rate
  • Turn the falafels very carefully with the tongs as you can easily break them. Shaking them to let them roll round might be easier.
  • Feel free to substitute in other gluten-free flour instead when making your falafel in air fryer.
  • Always use dried soaked chickpeas, not canned cooked chickpeas as these are way too soft for air fried falafels.
  • Vary the fresh herbs you use - I have used mint and parsley in the falafels instead.
  • Add in some chili if you like some heat.

Air Fried Falafels Serving Suggestions

I serve the Air Fried falafels or baked falafels with some:
And pile high with pickled onions, tomatoes and this tahini yoghurt sauce for a truly delicious feast!

Air Fryer Falafel Weight Watchers Points

There are 5 FreeStyle SmartPoints in a serving of Air Fryer Falafels.

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 495mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 6.1mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 3.9mg