Name: Air Fryer Falafel Balls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Ingredients: 2 cups dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), soaked for 24 hours; 1 medium onion, roughly chopped; 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 2 red Thai chili peppers, seeded and diced; ¾ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (with stems); 1 tablespoon chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour); 2 tablespoons *Falafel seasoning; Avocado oil spray (or canola); 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon allspice; 1 teaspoon black pepper; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; ½ teaspoon turmeric powder; ½ teaspoon ginger powder; ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt; ¼ cup light mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon sambal oelek

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Crispy, vegetarian Air Fryer Falafel Balls with an Asian twist are super tasty and much lighter than the traditional version. Serve with my spicy aioli dipping sauce!

air-fried falafel balls in a white bowl with a side of spicy aioli dipping sauce on top of a white wooden board

Just returned from an amazing trip to Israel and the number one street food by far were falafels! My first bite of side-of-the-road falafels was probably the best of the best. Here, I've created this dish with a healthier Asian twist (of course), my Air Fryer Falafel Balls!

How to make crispy Air Fryer Falafel Balls

This is a must: soak the dried chickpeas in a large bowl with plenty of water for at least 20 to 24 hours to soften. They will double in size when done. There are no shortcuts here!
Place the chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients in a large food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarse but not puréed. Place the mixture in a large bowl.
Using a small scoop (or your hands), shape each falafel into about 1 ½ inch balls and place on a tray to prepare for cooking. Add another teaspoon or so of the chickpea flour if the mixture is too wet. You can also squeeze out some of the moisture from the mixture.
Place about 9 falafel balls into your air fryer and spray the tops of the balls with the avocado or canola oil. This helps to brown them. Air fry the falafel balls at 370 degrees for 15 minutes. They should be nice and golden brown and crispy. Repeat the air frying until you’ve fried around 30 to 34 falafel balls.

chickpeas soaking in water in a glass bowl on top of a white wooden board

chickpeas soaking in water in a glass bowl

Soak the dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in a large bowl filled with water for at least 20 to 24 hours. 24 hours is really ideal. The chickpeas will double in size when ready.

dried chickpeas in a measuring cup and garbanzo bean flour in a package on top of a wooden board

I used Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour for the binder. You can find this online, or I found it at Whole Foods.

falafel mix paste in a food processor on a white board

The falafel mixture should look like a paste, but not over-processed. You want it to have a nice texture.

Uncooked falafel balls on a white serving plate

I made 1 ½-inch balls with the falafel mixture which made them all uniform. Prepare on a plate before air frying.

Falafel balls placed in an air fryer ready to be cooked

My air fryer will only fit around 9 balls at a time, at 15 minute cooking intervals.

air-fried falafel balls on a white plate with a side of spicy aioli dipping sauce on top of a white wooden board

I made a mildly spicy aioli dipping sauce for the falafel balls using just light mayonnaise and sambal oelek. Perfect!

Look how crispy these vegetarian falafels are! Can you believe they're air-fried? I served these with a spicy aioli dipping sauce, just two ingredients!

TIPS & TRICKS

You need to soak the dried chickpeas in water for at least 20 to 24 hours. 24 hours is ideal. There are no shortcuts here! Using canned chickpeas will not work, they are too mushy! Once soaked the chickpeas with double in size when ready.
I like to use a small cookie scoop so that the falafel balls come out uniform. The perfect size is 1 ½ to 2 inches in size.
If the mixture is too wet, add a little more chickpea flour, but not too much or the falafels will come out dry. You can squeeze out the extra liquid as well.
Spray the falafel balls with cooking spray which will make them golden brown and crispy when cooked!
Store leftover falafel balls in the refrigerator for up to two days. You can freeze the leftovers in a large baggie and reheat.
The prep time does not include the soaking of the chickpeas.

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Update Notes: This post was originally published on July 17, 2019, but was republished with slight text changes and additions, like step by step instructions and tips in April 2020.