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Baked Falafel are the easier alternative to the classic dish, no frying! Once baked I serve them in pita bread with fresh herbs and a labneh. This is a favorite weeknight meal for me! So cozy and delicious.
You know I love a weeknight meal. I want them snappy and delicious (see my Picadillo, One-Pan Chicken Orzo).
Regular falafel is fried and absolutely delicous. But to make things easier and healthier for us, we’re doing baked.
How to Make Baked Falafel:
You should be able to use whatever recipe you’d normally fry up, but if you don’t have one just use the one below. It comes together quickly in a food processor!
- Prep the baking sheet. When you’re ready to cook your falafel, just generously brush a baking sheet with olive oil (no aluminum foil or parchment here).
- Scoop the falafel. Place scoops of your falafel onto the baking sheet and gently flatten.
- Brush. Again with the olive oil, brush the tops of the falafel and bake.
- Flip. Halfway through baking, flip the falafel for equal browning opportunities.
- Serve. Once the falafel have baked, serve however you’d normally eat falafel!
What to Serve with Baked Falafel:
- Lots of herbs are a must.
- Labneh or yogurt. I love to mix in a garlic clove, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Crunchy things like a cucumber, tomato and raw onion mixture.
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Baked Falafel Recipe
Ingredients
Falafel:
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 yellow onion, peeled
- 1 cup packed fresh Italian parsley
- 2 to 3 fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- Juice from 1/2 lemon, about 2 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Accompaniments:
- 3/4 cup labneh or Greek yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- Kosher salt
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Warm pita, for serve
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1/2 vine ripe tomato, diced
- Italian parsley leaves, minced
- Mint leaves, minced
Instructions
To Make the Baked Falafel:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a food processor (you may need to do this in batches if your food processor is small), add the garlic cloves, yellow onion, Italian parsley. Pulse until the mixture is minced, scraping down the sides, as needed.
- Add the cumin, cayenne pepper, juice from 1/2 lemon, baking soda, salt and chickpeas. Pulse until completely combined and the mixture is mostly smooth–but don't over do it. This mixture should have some texture.
- Brush your baking sheet liberally with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Scoop out heaping tablespoons of the falafel mixture and roll them into balls. Place them on the baking sheet and lightly push the tops in. Brush the falafel balls with olive oil and transfer to the oven to bake for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping at the halfway point (around 5 minutes) to ensure even browning.
To Assemble the Wraps:
- Mix together the labneh or Greek yogurt, garlic cloves, a pinch of salt and lemon juice.
- Slather a few tablespoons of labneh onto each pita wrap.
- Top with warm falafel balls, slices of red onion, tomato, parsley leaves, mint leaves and cucumber. Wrap them up and tie them with a twine and eat immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Your BAKED FALAFEL Recipe caught our attention, so we added it to our list.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe. Keep up the good work!
i made something similar the other night but didn’t actually make falafel, i just roasted the chickpeas and then threw in all the herbs in a pita with tahini and yogurt and red onion! I want to make actual baked falafel though and you made it seem easy enough to do! ; ) definitely going to try!
Hi!
Do you think the falafels will freeze well?
I think they could freeze well pre-baked? Maybe…
I have no idea what I did!!! These ended up very wet and. Never formed or firmed up? What did I do wrong???
Ohhhh!! Sorry this recipe gave you trouble. Maybe you blended it too much? But not all is lost. If you stick the whole mixture in the fridge for an hour, it’ll firm up. Try that!
Thank you infinitely for getting back to me so quickly. I think over pulsing may have been the culprit. I didn’t have time to put them in the fridge but I just baked them til they finally got a bit golden. This was delish regardless. Thanks again!
I love a good falafel recipe. I have many recipes on rotation. These, Adrianna are soooo good. I love the addition of cayenne pepper and I had never used baking soda in my falafels but they were moist and fluffy on the inside. It made for a beautiful lunch for me and my girls. I had all of the fixin’s on mine and made a deconstructed one for my little ones!
Made these for dinner last night–delicious! Thanks for sharing!
YAY! Awesome!
Mark Bittman is a genius with that oven-frying trick. Also, what is up with this avocado rose you speak of? I want an avocado rose!
What is lebneh?
It’s a thick yogurt. You can replace it with Greek-style yogurt if you can’t find lebneh.
I don’t care for yogurt, can u suggest an alternative?
Creme fraiche or sour cream would also work!