Air Fryer Falafel with Tabbouleh and Tzatziki Recipe – How to Make it in 13 Simple Steps

Made from chickpeas and tasty, middle-eastern seasonings, our recipe for Air Fryer Falafel takes this regional treat and remakes it in a way that eliminates the deep fat frying of traditional falafel. We also include recipes for tzatziki sauce and tabbouleh for a full meal for your family.

A staple of Mediterranean and middle eastern fare, falafel may not be familiar with many people in the United States. These small, fried bread chunks resemble a hush puppy, but they are made with ground chickpeas and seasoned with different herbs than the typical hush puppy. Often, falafels are served atop a salad or in sandwiches with vegetables. These delicious treats are high in fiber and absolutely delicious. 

Traditionally, falafel is considered a street food in the Mediterranean and mid-East. The dough balls are deep-fried and are soft in the middle and crispy-crunchy on the outside. The deep-frying of falafel may give the health conscious diner a pause, making them wonder if it is possible to make falafel without deep-frying. 

Air Fryer Falafel with Tabbouleh and Tzatziki Recipe

April Freeman

Made from ground up chickpeas, falafel is a filling, protein-rich, vegetarian-friendly choice. Whether you stuff it in pita bread or serve it on top of a salad, falafel is easily made with the help of your air fryer. We also include recipes for tabbouleh and tzatziki sauce which will give you a complete dinner for the whole family.

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Prep Time 50 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Preparation Time for Tabbouleh and Falafel 4 hrs 30 mins

Total Time 5 hrs 30 mins

Course Snack Recipes

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 8 Servings

Equipment

• Heat Safe Bowl
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Container with Tight Lid
• Colander
• Food Processor
• Medium-Sized Bowl
• Air Fryer
• Tongs

Ingredients

  

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Tabbouleh Ingredients

• ½ cup Bulgur Wheat
• 2 pcs Tomatoes seeded and chopped
• 1 pc Cucumber peeled, seeded, and diced
• 3 cloves Minced Garlic
• 2 cups Parsley washed and chopped
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ¼ cup Lemon Juice
• 5 tbsp Olive Oil

Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients

• 6 ounces Plain Yogurt
• ½ pc Cucumber peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 teaspoon Dried Dill Weed
• ¼ teaspoon Salt

Falafel Ingredients

• 2 cans 15-Ounce Chickpeas
• 2 tbsp Dried Parsley
• 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 pc Egg
• ¾ teaspoon Ground Cumin
• ¾ teaspoon Ground Coriander
• ¾ teaspoon Salt
• 1½ teaspoon Baking Powder
• ⅓ cup Flour
• Flour for Dredging Patties
• Cooking Oil Spray
• Pita Breads

Instructions

 

Tabbouleh Instructions

• Place the bulgur wheat in a heat safe bowl and cover it with boiling water. Let it sit for about half an hour to soak.
  
• Drain the excess water and squeeze out any extra. 
• Combine the wheat, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, parsley, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil in a large mixing bowl.
  
• Toss the mixture to combine it all. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least four hours to allow the flavors to blend.
  

Tzatziki Sauce Instructions

• Mix the Tzatziki Sauce ingredients in a container that has a tightly fitting lid.
  
• Store this in the refrigerator for at least four hours to allow the flavors to blend.
  

Falafel Instructions

• Open the cans of chickpeas and drain the liquid from the cans. Rinse the chickpeas by placing them in a colander and running cool water over them in the sink. Shake the chickpeas to remove excess water. 
• In the bowl of a food processor, grind the chickpeas by pulsing them. If your food processor is smaller, you may have to work in batches.
  
• You want them to be all chopped up but not necessarily creamy. Scrape the ground chickpeas into a bowl. Add the parsley, garlic, lemon juices, egg, cumin, coriander, salt, and baking powder along with the flour. Stir this well, until all the ingredients are combined. 
  
• Place the mixing bowl into the fridge for about half an hour. This will help the patties form more easily.
• After about 20 minutes, preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
• Take the chickpea mixture from the refrigerator and scoop out balls of falafel by the tablespoon. Flatten the balls into discs that are about 1 to 2 inches in diameter.
  
• You may want to flour your hands if the dough balls are too sticky. Place them in the basket of the air fryer and spray them with cooking spray. Cook them for about 5 minutes and then use tongs to flip them, spraying the backside with cooking spray. Cook them for 3 to 5 more minutes. Use tongs to carefully remove the falafels from the air fryer. Serve the falafel in a pita bread atop a bed of tabbouleh and topped with tzatziki sauce.
  

Notes

Using the new and popular kitchen appliance, the air fryer, our recipe makes falafels that are crisp on the outside and still tender in the middle. Using an air fryer does give you good results, but they are still not exactly the same as a deep-fried recipe. However, if you want a tasty substitute, this recipe is a good, healthful alternative. 

Chickpeas are a great item to add to your diet. These tasty peas are actually a kind of bean, known in some areas as a garbanzo bean. They are low in fat and have no cholesterol, though our ingredient adds a bit by including an egg and some cooking oil spray. Chickpeas are very high in dietary fiber, which may help lower cholesterol in those who consume them regularly. 

Our included recipe for tzatziki is a tasty, tangy condiment that is delicious atop falafel. However, this dressing is also good for many other uses. You may want to use it as a dressing for a garden salad, or you could dip raw veggies into it. This recipe will keep for up to a week, so if you have any of it left after dinner, you can experiment with using it on all kinds of food.

Both the recipes for tzatziki and tabbouleh are significantly tastier if you make them at least 4 hours ahead of when you plan to eat. Letting these items sit in the refrigerator before you eat them allows the seasonings and flavors to blend.

Keyword Air Fryer Falafel with Tabbouleh and Tzatziki, Dinner Recipe, Snack

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