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If you love falafel but are deterred by the idea of deep-frying at home, these falafel burgers are for you. They’re loaded with vegetables, herbs, and spices, making them not only delicious but healthy, too. Serve with pita, quick-pickled onions, schug, tahini or yogurt sauce — the combination is spectacular 🥙🥙🥙
If you, as I, may have been a wee aggressive in your stockpiling of dried chickpeas mid March, I have just the recipe for you: broiled “falafel” burgers.
Made with soaked-but-not-cooked chickpeas, this recipe follows the traditional falafel method:
- Soak dried chickpeas in water overnight.
- Drain and rinse the following day.
- Purée the chickpeas with vegetables, herbs and spices.
- Portion, shape, cook.
How this recipe differs from traditional falafel methods is in the cooking method. Whereas traditional falafel is portioned into small balls and deep fried, here the “batter” is portioned into larger balls, then formed into patties, and broiled. The mixture also includes a few beaten eggs as a binder, which traditional falafel does not.
For the home cook, broiling is so much more user friendly than deep-frying, the process and clean-up of which I never love. And while pan-frying is less of a hassle, with this wet, delicate batter, it’s tricky. I’ve tried.
Like the sweet potato and mushroom quinoa burgers I revisited recently, these falafel burgers crisp up beautifully under the broiler. Simply brush a baking dish with olive oil, lay the falafel patties on top, brush with more oil, season with salt, and broil away: in 3-5 minutes on each side, the falafel burgers will emerge golden crusted and piping hot.
I’m anticipating a few questions…
Can you use canned chickpeas?
No! Unfortunately, the mixture will be too wet and mushy. You really need to start with dried chickpeas here. Simply soak, drain, and rinse.
Can the Falafel Veggie Burgers be frozen?
Yes! To do so:
1. Freeze the patties in a flat layer until they are solid.
2. Then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months (or longer).
To cook the frozen patties:
- Follow the instructions in the recipe for preheating a broiler and preparing a sheet pan brushed with olive oil. Place the frozen patties on top. Brush with oil, season with salt. Broil 4-6 minutes a side, keeping a close watch the entire time.
Can You Replace the Eggs with an Egg Substitute?
If you are vegan or allergic to eggs, there are various substitutes, none of which I have tried — sorry! — that may work. A little research leads me to think one of these options might work. Let me know if you try one!
- Flax egg: whisk 1 tablespoon ground flax with 3 tablespoons of hot water; let it sit till it gels. (equivalent of 1 egg)
- Vegan egg replacement such as Ener-G
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas or beans): beat it lightly with a whisk or fork till it thickens slightly and becomes foamy. (equivalent of 1 egg)
- Instant mashed potatoes: use 2 tablespoons to replace 1 egg
What to Serve with Falafel Burgers?
Half of the fun, for me, of the falafel experience is eating the many condiments that go along with it. Here are a few of my favorites:
- quick-pickled onions (recipe in recipe box)
- tzatziki, not traditional, but it works
- tahini sauce (I love the tahini sauce in this recipe)
- schug, an herby, spiced green sauce I could eat with everything
- harissa
- lettuce
- homemade pita bread
Here’s the play-by-play: Soak dried chickpeas (right) overnight or for at least 12 hours. The will look like the bowl on the left after a night’s soak.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas:
Gather some vegetables and herbs; gather some spices:
Combine all in a food processor:
Purée until the mixture is finely chopped but still has a bit of texture:
Transfer to a large bowl and add the two beaten eggs:
Stir to combine:
Portion into 8 balls using a 1/2-cup measure.
When ready to cook, heat the broiler to high, brush a pan with olive oil, top with as many patties as you wish, brush tops with olive oil and season with salt, broil for 3-5 minutes a side or until tops are golden.
Serve in pita bread with desired condiments.
Falafel Burgers (Vegetarian, Broiled)
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 24 hours 8 minutes
- Yield: 8 burgers
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Recipe adapted from the Goldie Falafel recipe in Israeli Soul, which is delicious.
For the quick-pickled onions: Finely slice a red onion and place in a bowl. Season with a pinch each of salt and sugar. Sprinkle with vinegar — it doesn’t have to be completely submerged, but do saturate it nicely — and let it stand for 15 minutes.
If you want to make more traditional falafel: Omit the eggs, and stir 1.5 teaspoons baking powder into the mix of spices. When you purée the mixture in the food processor, add a tablespoon or two of water. Scoop the batter into 1-inch balls. Deep fry in canola oil.
Store uncooked balls/patties in the fridge for up to three days. See notes below regarding freezing and thawing.
Ingredients
For soaking the chickpeas:
½ pound (1.25 cups) dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight and drained
For the falafel:
1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Big handful fresh parsley (35 – 40 g)
Big handful fresh cilantro (35 – 40 g)
1 medium carrot, chopped (105 g)
1 small onion, peeled and chopped (112 g)
1 garlic clove
2 eggs, beaten
Olive oil, for brushing
For serving:
Schug, optional
Chopped tomatoes, optional
Chopped cucumbers, optional
Soft lettuce leaves, such as Boston or Bibb, or chopped Romaine
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas: Place the chickpeas in a large bowl. Fill bowl with water. Let stand overnight on counter for at least 12 hours. Drain and rinse.
- Mix together the salt, cumin, and turmeric in a small bowl. Roughly chop the parsley and cilantro.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor — the drained chickpeas, herbs, chopped carrots, onions, garlic, and the mixed dry seasonings. (Note: My food processor is a 14-cup Cuisinart, and this amount of ingredients fills it to the brim. If yours is smaller, consider doing this in two batches.) Pulse until the mixture is very finely chopped, and it holds together when pinched between two fingers.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the beaten eggs. Use a spatula to combine.
- Form patties using 1/2 cup measure. Scoop out the mix, squeeze with your hands, form into a ball —mixture will be delicate/wet. Portion out all of the mixture, until you have about 8 balls.
- Broil: Heat your broiler to high for at least 15 minutes. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Pat each ball into a patty (or as many as you are cooking at one time) and place the formed patties on top of the oiled sheet pan. Brush tops of patties lightly with oil. Season with salt. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until beginning to lightly brown. Use a metal spatula to flip each patty. Brush tops with more oil. Season with salt. Return pan to broiler and broil for 2 to 3 minutes more or until evenly golden brown.
- Serve with pita and other condiments noted above.
Notes
How to freeze the falafel burgers:
- Freeze the patties in a flat layer until they are solid.
- Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months (or longer).
How to cook the frozen falafel burgers:
- Follow the instructions in the recipe for preheating a broiler and preparing a sheet pan brushed with olive oil. Place the frozen patties on top. Brush with oil, season with salt. Broil 4-6 minutes a side, keeping a close watch the entire time.
- Category: Veggie Burger
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keywords: baked, broiled, falafel, burgers, chickpeas, turmeric, cumin, vegetarian
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
LIZ GATES says
This looks amazing! And here’s me waiting on your pita recipe! 👀🧐✍️
I CAN’T WAIT!
alexandra says
😂😂😂😂😂 SOON! Thank you 🙂
CES says
Hi where did you get the baking sheet/ pan you broiled the falafel from? Thanks— will definitely try this recipe looks so good
Thanks
Ces
alexandra says
Hi! It’s from WebstaurantStore: Sizzle Platter
Pix says
Hi Ali, like this recipe a lot. Query: I have always been instructed to “boil pulses to death” for at least 10 minutes to neutralise natural toxins, will broiling for 3 – 5 minutes, then 2 – 3 minutes do the trick?
Pix
alexandra says
Oh Pix! I don’t know! I would consult a health professional or nutritionist … I have never had an issue, but that doesn’t mean anything. I’ll do some googling, too, and report back.
Lynett Oliver says
Ali & Pix, the FDA Big Book of Bugs talks only about raw or undercooked red kidney beans being a problem. It doesn’t mention any other beans and specifically says cannellini (white kidney beans) and fava beans are okay raw/undercooked. Just FYI. https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/bad-bug-book-second-edition
Pix says
Thanks Lynett for this info. Shall go ahead with this recipe. Big thanks to Ali for inspiring me to cook.
Pix
alexandra says
Lynett, thank you! So great to know this, and I appreciate you taking the time not only to research but also to report back here. Thank you!
Pix, thanks for asking and for your kind words 💕
Kate says
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try! The broiler on our oven is… funky. Would you recommend trying to bake them? Or using the broil function on our toaster oven? Can’t wait to try!
alexandra says
Hi Kate! I tried a number of versions baked, because I worried about finicky broilers. I would try baking at pretty high heat: 450-500ºF for 4 minutes a side. If you have a broil function on your toaster oven, I would definitely give that a try! Or, you could bake the burgers in your oven for 5 minutes; then flip, brush with oil, season with salt, and stick in your toaster oven and broil on the second side.
Rose says
About how many cups is 1/2 pound of dried chickpeas?
Thanks!
Rose
Sara says
A 1/2 lb is 8 oz =1 cup
alexandra says
Hi! It’s about 1.25 cups. I’ll make a note in the recipe.
Sara says
I’ve been craving falafel, but don’t love that they’re fried. Very excited to try this one out. I’ve searched the web and have never been happy with other baked recipes. I trust yours over all else (yes, I’m a fan-girl lol) Thank you, thank you!
P. S. Favorite brand of the Tahini paste?
★★★★★
alexandra says
Sara! Thank you, means the world 😍😍😍😍😍
Deep frying at home is just, to me, never worth the effort. I hope you love this baked version.
Favorite brand of Tahini: Soom!
Cathy says
Last Friday I picked up my first CSA box of vegetables. It contained small turnips with their greens still attached. The farmer said that she recommends using them for turnip burgers. Have you ever made turnip burgers? I haven’t, yet.
These falafel burgers look wonderful and make my mouth water. I will definitely try them!
alexandra says
Cathy! Yes, I actually have a recipe for turnip burgers that I wrote for Food52: https://food52.com/recipes/36615-turnip-burgers They are so yummy! I bet they would work under the broiler, too.
Cathy says
Oh my gosh I had no idea that I was asking about a recipe of yours!
Well, I made the turnip burgers tonight and they were wonderfully delicious!
Pleased myself, pleased my husband and used up some CSA veggies, so they were an all around win.
Now to try the falafel burgers next week.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes!!!
alexandra says
Yay!! So wonderful to hear this Cathy. Those burgers are next on my agenda, too, as I just picked up a bundle of turnips with greens intact this week. I haven’t made them in ages, so your comment is encouraging. Thank you 😍
Louise says
This looks delicious! Do you have to use dried+soaked chickpeas or is it possible to use ones from a can in this recipe?
alexandra says
Hi Louise! You do have to use soaked-but-not-cooked here. Canned will make the burgers too mushy unfortunately.
Mindy says
Ali – I made these last night for dinner with homemade pita and the falafel burgers were just perfection. A vegetarian recipe and my 14 year-old approves — thank you! I served it with the quick pickled onion, garden lettuce, cucumbers and tahini dressing. Can’t wait to try it with the schug. Cheers to you and your family this Father’s Day weekend!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Oh Mindy, yay! So wonderful to hear all of this. Approval from a 14 year old is a huge win in my book 🎉🎉🎉 Happy Father’s Day weekend to you as well!
katiequack says
would love to hear from anybody who had success (or failure!) with a vegan egg substitute in this recipe! i don’t think flax egg would be sticky enough to bind… but would love to hear what others tried. we have egg allergies up in here…
Priscilla says
Hi there,
I made these tonight and used flax egg. They held up just fine! Just make sure to let the flax/water sit a few minutes so it gels up before you mix it into the chickpeas.
★★★★★
alexandra says
So nice to hear this, Priscilla! Thanks for sharing … so helpful for those looking for an egg replacement.
Michelle says
these were a huge hit at my house. my picky teenage girls loved them and want them on the regular rotation. we love falafel but did not want to fry them at home. these were delicious. thank you for another great meal! we have made so many delicious recipes from your site in the past few months. so glad we found you!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Wonderful to hear all of this, Michelle! Thank you for the kind words 😍😍😍
Denise says
I made the falafel mixture yesterday and pan sautéed it with just a little olive oil today
On both sides (too hot to turn oven on!)
It was really delicious! Healthy and flavorful.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Yay! Wonderful to hear this, Denise! It has been SO hot indeed.
Donna c says
Made a double recipe the first tome out! Both my sons wanted to try it too. We have 3 separate households and it was rated a must make again in all of them. My only addition was sumac since I had some. These were great! The broiler method awesome! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Wonderful to hear this, Donna! Sumac sounds delicious. Thanks so much for writing 😍😍😍
DEBRA says
Having enjoyed falafels last week from a local restaurant, I remembered how much I love them. This recipe looks wonderful and I cannot wait to try it! Do you think I could use a Vitamix to process the ingredients? By the way, I learned to make sourdough bread from your website, thanks for the great instructions.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Oh, yay! So nice to hear this re sourdough 😍😍😍
And yes, I think you could, but I would pulse the ingredients in 2 to 3 batches.
Kristin says
These were perfect! Added to our regular rotation. I missed your pita recipe by one day! (Had to use one from another site.) It took quite some time to food-process everything, as the mixture just stuck to the sides. Lots of opening, scraping, pulsing for a second or two, repeat. Ramped up the excitement on this fella by *setting my oven on fire*. A little too much oil in the pan (I used a cast iron skillet) started an internal grease fire. Fun times, fun times. After the smoke cleared, I cooked the remainder on the stovetop (in another cast iron pan), and they were lovely, as well. So grateful for this recipe.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Oh my goodness, Kristin! Truly an adventure. This made me lol: “Ramped up the excitement on this fella by *setting my oven on fire*.” But I’m sorry about the fire!! Glad the stovetop method worked out well. Thanks for writing. Hope you try and like the pita recipe!
keena says
I’ve always felt falafel was something I would like because of my food tastes but I never have. It was always very very dry and hard and usually overladen with garlic or onions or both and it never hit the mark. Plus all the grease. This recipe piqued my interest as none of your recipes have been less than delicious for us. We tried it and LOVED it. Tender and moist and flavorful with a crispy coating that wasn’t greasy. Good balance of the aromatics. Served with zhoug, harissa on pitas with pickles. Delicious!
Makes a lot…they are big portions so now I have some lunches for next week at work. Thank you!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Oh Yay! Keena, so nice to hear all of this. Thanks so much for writing. And yay for leftovers 🎉🎉🎉
Ashley S says
Any idea what the measurement of the soaked chickpeas would be? I had planned on just making some chickpeas so they have been soaking without measuring first but would like to give this recipe a try!
alexandra says
Hi Ashley! I would guess about 2.5 cups. They essentially double in volume over night.
Debra says
Great recipe! My broiler wasn’t doing the trick so I got them nice and crispy in my all clad non stick skillet with a little olive oil. My husband said it’s the best sandwich he’s ever had! I think I’ll start making this twice a month !
★★★★★
alexandra says
Oh yay! Wonderful to hear this, Debra!
Pina says
Best baked falafel yet. Placed in the fridge for about 2 hrs after forming into patties. Held up during broil. Great flavour and texture, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Highly recommend making these!!
★★★★★