These 30-minute Air Fryer Falafel Bowls are crispy, fresh, and satisfying. Chickpeas, fresh herbs, and warm spices get air fried into perfectly crispy falafel that top a build-your-own bowl with cucumbers, tomatoes, hummus, tzatziki, and crumbled feta. Easy, customizable, and way better than takeout.
We’re big fans of a build your own bowl kind of situation. Not only are bowls the perfect way to keep picky eaters happy, it’s just fun to build the perfect bowl!
Easy, customizable, and always loaded with something good since you build it yourself.
Our Air Fryer Falafel Bowls are colorful, nutritious, and full of flavor! If you’ve never had falafel, I hope you’ll give them a try. I like to describe them as meatballs, but made with chickpeas! They’re a fabulous plant-based protein with big flavor and crispy little edges that I just can’t ever get enough of. And, pro tip – if you’re in a rush and don’t want to make your own falafel, a lot of grocery stores carry them in the freezer section!
Plus, did I mention the tzatziki? Hi. I love tzatziki. It really makes everything better. You can use storebought (we like this one – yes, it’s the store brand but it’s so creamy and delicious) or make our homemade tzatziki. Whatever works!
These taste like Cava, but made at home for a fraction of the price
If you have tried falafel already, you might want to give our air fryer falafel burgers a try next. A fun little twist on falafel!
Air Fryer Falafel Ingredients:
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Chickpeas – We’re starting with canned chickpeas (or garbanzo beans). They’re already soaked and cooked so it is real simple to go from the can to the food processor. This is not the most authentic way to make falafel, but it’s simple and that works for me!
Herbs & Spices – We’re mixing in some fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper! The cayenne can be adjusted to suit your taste, but as is these are not spicy.
Oil Spray – For spritzing the falafel before air frying. We like crispy bits.
Flour – This one isn’t always necessary, just depends on how wet the mixture is. It helps to bind everything together.
Falafel Bowl Ingredients:
Rice – The base of our falafel bowl is white rice, but you can swap in brown rice, quinoa, couscous, or even cauliflower rice!
Veggies – We’re adding sliced mini cucumbers, red onion, and tomato! Campari tomatoes, or cocktail tomatoes, are our favorite – they’re juicy, sweet, and flavorful all year round. You could swap them out for cherry tomatoes too.
Hummus – Make your own or buy it at the grocery store and keep life simple. Feel free to switch it up with different kinds too. I really like red pepper hummus!
Tzatziki – It’s cool and creamy and perfect for topping these falafel bowls! Try out our homemade tzatziki sauce recipe or pick some up from the store.
Feta Cheese – Some crumbled feta cheese is another simple topping that adds loads of flavor and pairs well with all the other ingredients. It adds a creamy, salty pop that really makes these bowls delicious.
Extra veggie boost – I’m a big Cava fan and always add their fiery broccoli to my bowl when I’m there. At home, I make something similar by air frying broccoli seasoned with salt, smoked paprika, and chipotle chili powder. After roasting, I mince it up and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Super easy way to add more vegetables to your bowl.
How to Make Air Fryer Falafel:
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pat them dry before adding to a food processor along with the herbs and spices. Pulse until well combined and the mixture is coarse. Don’t overmix – it should be coarsely ground.
Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the mixture into 12 balls. You can smash them a bit to form patties or leave them as round balls.
Spritz the air fryer basket and arrange them in an even layer in the basket. Spritz with more oil and air fry at 370 degrees for 13 minutes.
Divide the cooked rice between four bowls and let everyon start adding their toppings. Serve immediately.
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Storage
Falafel: Store cooked falafel in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes to crisp them back up.
Bowl components: Keep all the fresh toppings separate in individual containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. .
Freezing falafel: These freeze really well! Freeze cooked falafel in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the air fryer at 350°F for 6-8 minutes.
Make-ahead tip: You can prep the falafel mixture a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. Just form and cook them when you’re ready to eat.
FAQ:
Yep! But you will need to soak them first and that can take awhile. Canned is simpler, but dried and soaked will have a nice texture.
If there is too much liquid in your chickpea mixture, the balls may not hold their shape. You can add a little flour as needed to help bind them together. Just add enough to hold the mixture together – you don’t want to make things dry.
You can serve these falafel bowls however you like! If you want to skip the rice some good alternatives are quinoa, couscous, or cauliflower rice. Brown rice is okay too! Or you can serve the falafels over a salad with all the same ingredients, or on pita bread or a wrap.
Recipe Tips!
If your falafel mixture feels too wet to scoop, add a tablespoon or two of flour to help it hold together.
You can use any toppings you like! Feel free to swap anything out and make these falafel bowls your own.
If you’ve got the time you can soak dried chickpeas in advance but we usually keep it simple with the canned kind.
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