Crispy homemade falafel are stuffed inside pita pockets and topped with tzatziki, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, and onion. Falafel sandwiches are a protein-packed vegetarian lunch or dinner that even the pickiest of eaters will happily eat up.
It’s the Crispy Vegetarian Sandwich Converting Devoted Carnivores
It took me a few years to try to make falafel sandwiches at home because I was afraid they’d turn out either gummy or dusty dry, and wouldn’t live up to those at my favorite Lebanese restaurant. But after trying a few recipes, then testing and tweaking my own, I can confidently say this falafel sandwich is pretty dang perfect.
There’s the homemade falafel that’s a little herby, a little garlicky, and a whole lotta crispy; cooling tzatziki, which balances out the richness of the falafel; and fresh veggies galore for lots of crunch.
These sandwiches are surprisingly simple to assemble (gotta love a food processor!) and use budget-friendly dried chickpeas as the key ingredient. If you’re looking for a protein-packed meal that’s made without meat, give this recipe a go — I know you’ll love it as much as we do!
Enjoy! Heidi
Heidi’s Tips for Falafel Success
- Use dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight to make the lightest, crispiest falafel. Using canned chickpeas isn’t recommended because they require lots more flour to hold everything together, weighing down the falafel and making it too dense.
- Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying the falafel. Something like canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil is perfect. Avoid anything with a strong flavor or low smoke point, like olive or coconut oil.
- Create patties, not balls, when shaping the falafel mixture. Falafel patties fit more easily into the pita halves and reduce the risk of overstuffing and ripping the tender bread.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Dried chickpeas — Dried chickpeas need to sit in 3 inches of water overnight to rehydrate. You don’t have to cook them afterwards, but if you blend up the chickpeas when they’re fully dry you’ll wind up making chickpea flour rather than falafel.
- Onion + garlic — Finely chop both aromatics to infuse the falafel with flavor.
- Fresh parsley and spices — You need a little freshness to balance out the earthy flavor of the ground cumin, coriander, kosher salt, and pinch of cayenne.
- Flour and tahini — Together, these two ingredients bind the patties and prevent the falafel from falling apart.
- Baking soda — Helps break down the chickpeas as they’re frying, which ensures they cook all the way through and makes them light and crisp.
- Pita bread — I can find Greek pita bread most easily at my local grocery store, which is thick enough to split in half and stuff with the sandwich fixings. (If you get a thinner type of pita bread, add the toppings and roll up your sandwich.)
- Tzatziki sauce and sandwich toppings — Use your favorite store-bought cucumber tzatziki, and load up our sandwiches with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion, and a sprinkle of fresh mint.
How to Make a Falafel Sandwich
- Soak the chickpeas overnight. If you don’t soften the chickpeas beforehand, your falafel mixture will be dry, crumbly, and the patties will fall apart.
- Blitz together the falafel mixture. The drained chickpeas are quickly whizzed up in a food processor with the tahini, flour, spices, aromatics, baking soda, and parsley.
- Shape the mixture into patties. I find this easiest to do with wet hands (this prevents the chickpeas mixture from sticking).
Heidi’s Tip: I always chill the falafel patties for 15 to 30 minutes before frying them. This helps them hold their shape and prevents them from falling apart as soon as they touch the hot oil.
- Fry the falafel. You can preheat the oil while the falafel is in the fridge. Whip out your candy thermometer if you have one, because you want the oil to reach 350ºF before frying the patties.
- Assemble your pita sandwiches. I always slather the inside of the pita pockets with tzatziki, then load in the homemade falafel and toppings. This helps everything stick to the pita and prevents spillage.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Falafel Sandwich Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Falafel:
- 8 ounces dried chickpeas, covered with 3 inches of water and soaked overnight, drained
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- grapeseed or canola oil for frying
For the Pita Sandwiches:
- 4 pitas
- ½ cup tzatziki sauce
- slivered lettuce
- sliced cucumber
- sliced tomato
- sliced red onion
- fresh mint, slivered
Instructions
- In a food processor, add the soaked and drained chickpeas and blitz until finely chopped. Scrape the sides and blitz again. Add ½ cup chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 tablespoon tahini, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Cover and process, pulsing until the mixture is coarsely pureed. Add 2 tablespoons flour and ½ teaspoon baking soda, and pulse until blended.
- Wet your hands, then form the mixture into 12 patties, about 1 ½ inches across. Chill the patties for 15-30 minutes.
- Heat 1 inch of grapeseed oil to 350°F in a heavy-bottom skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Fry the patties in batches until golden, flipping halfway through, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- To make the sandwiches, open the halved pita and slather with a few dollops of tzatziki, then layer lettuce, cucumber, and tomato. Place 3 falafels in each pita half, top with sliced onion, and enjoy.
Nutrition
FAQs
I mean, you could, but I don’t recommend using canned chickpeas because they’re much softer than soaked dried chickpeas and contain more moisture. You’d then need to increase the amount of flour used to counterbalance all that extra moisture, and your falafel would end up being denser and less crispy.
Absolutely! The tzatziki gets better with age and will last up to 3 days in the fridge, and the fried falafel will last up to 4 days. Chop the veggies and store in separate containers so that all you have to do when you’re ready to eat is quickly assemble your sandwich.
In a pinch, you can cover the chickpeas with water and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, remove them from the heat and let sit, covered, for about an hour to soften.
What to Serve With Falafel Sandwiches
Storage Tips
Store the falafel, tzatziki, and toppings in separate containers for best results. The falafel will last up to 4 days, the toppings for 4 to 5, and the tzatziki for 3 days.
More Easy Sandwiches and Wraps to Make
- Hummus Veggie Wrap
- Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap
- Greek Chicken Gyros
- Italian Chicken Wrap
- Grilled Vegetable Sandwich
- Tuna Melt
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