Healthy Baked Falafel [+ Air Fryer]
This super-easy baked falafel recipe will make your chickpea dreams come true! No frying involved but all of the flavorful reward! Eat them inside a wrap with some veggies or inside a pita bread!
Servings: 2 to 3 servings
Calories: 280kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce / 425 g) can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 1 bunch green onions finely chopped
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ¼ cup (15 g) fresh Italian parsley chopped
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 Tablespoon (7 g) cumin
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 Tablespoons (30 g) potato starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Place the drained and rinsed garbanzo beans in a food processor and process on high for 20 seconds.
- Add the remaining ingredients and process until you have a doughy texture.
- Scoop out golf ball-sized portions and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, about 10 to 12 in all.
- Slightly flatten each one with your palm or a spatula.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm. Do not flip them while baking.
- Serve on pita with fresh lettuce, parsley, and tomatoes, and top with a tahini sauce (equal parts tahini and water with a squirt of lemon). Trader Joe’s tahini is already mixed and ready to use.
Video
Notes
- Air fryer method: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Arrange the falafel in a single layer with space between them (cook in batches), spray or brush with oil, and air fry for 10 to 14 minutes, until brown and crispy.
- Don’t overcrowd the falafel: They need space for hot air to circulate, so they become crispy.
- Don’t skip the leavening agent: Especially when using canned chickpeas, which already make for denser patties. This will help make them a little fluffier inside.
- When using raw chickpeas: Don’t over-process the dough or skip the chilling step, which is important for texture and shaping.
- Using canned chickpeas: Depending on how much you process the garbanzo beans, the texture of the canned chickpea falafel differs. Leave some texture for airier, fluffier falafel. Smooth, paste-like dough will be denser.
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 850mg | Potassium: 609mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 973IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 265mg | Iron: 6mg
