Meatless Monday is a popular practice in my house, so creating an easy homemade falafel gyros recipe of my own was really only a matter of time, right?
I will admit that making your own falafel at home takes a little bit of prep work. For best results, you'll need to start with dried chickpeas and soak them overnight. But the rest of this super-savory recipe comes together quickly and is worth every minute of that soaking time.
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step-by-step instructions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Chickpeas: this recipe calls for dried and soaked chickpeas. If you're trying to make falafel with canned chickpeas, you won't have the same experience. But if you're desperate for falafel, just be willing to play with adding more flour or chickpea flour to tighten up your mixture before frying. And add less salt at the start.
Spices: this mixture is heavily spiced - not spicy, just deeply savory. Feel free to make a test patty and add more seasoning or herbs or spice as you go!
Complete measurements included in the recipe card below.
How to make this recipe:
1. Process chickpeas and prep falafel mixture
Combine soaked garbanzo beans, fresh parsley and cilantro, minced garlic, large diced onion and jalapeno in the bowl of a food processor.
Next, add your dry ingredients - coriander, cumin, baking powder, salt and pepper to the mixture.
Pulse the food processor until the mixture is fairly uniform and crumbly in texture, but not a paste. Then transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Cook falafel
Prepare one baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper. Scoop falafel mixture onto the parchment paper in your desired shape. Heat ¼ cup of neutral oil in a sauté pan or large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, gently add the chickpea falafels into the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan.
Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, monitoring and rotating the patties in the pan to achieve an even, golden brown color.
Then prepare a second sheet pan with a layer of paper towels. Once the falafels are cooked through, carefully transfer to the paper towels to drain any excess oil. Continue cooking in batches until all of the falafels are crispy and fried.
3. Assemble and serve!
To serve, layer your homemade falafel onto a warm, fluffy pita and top your vegetarian gyro with lettuce, tomato, red onion and lots of creamy shawarma sauce.
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
Falafel is a classic Middle Eastern dish of ground and spiced chickpeas or fava beans. The little gems of crispy patties are often piled into a warm pita and served with all sorts of fresh veggie toppings and creamy sauces. When seasoned and cooked well, the crispy exterior of the falafel opens to a soft, almost fluffy, highly flavorful and herbaceous center.
I have not made this recipe with canned chickpeas, but my previous experience tells me you could do it, if you are flexible in adding flour or chickpea flour to the falafel mix to keep it together while cooking. Just be willing to make a tester patty or two and taste and adjust for seasoning and texture.
You know it! Adding more fresh jalapeno or red pepper would give you an extra kick. And of course we have dried cayenne or red pepper flakes as an option.
If your mixture feels too wet, add a tablespoon or two of regular or self rising flour to the mixture. (Chickpea flour or gluten-free flour will also work!) Mix well and make a test patty to ensure you have the texture you need.
I like making a tray of toppings and condiments so everyone can personalize their wraps. My tray usually includes arugula, halved cherry tomatoes, thin sliced red onion, fresh herbs and feta cheese. And of course, my Greek yogurt-based shawarma sauce with creamy tahini. Hot sauce is always on the dinner table! Other topping options include sliced Persian cucumbers, Alton Brown's homemade tzatziki sauce, and hummus.
There are literally dozens of options - I covered most of them in this post. But my go-to sides include spicy garlic hummus, Jerusalem salad, Middle Eastern yellow rice and shawarma sauce.
To store, transfer cooked falafels to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Falafels can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat by thawing and warming in the microwave until just heated through. Or pop into a convection oven for 4-5 minutes.
Amazing Homemade Falafel Gyro Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Make this delicious and wildly popular street food in your own kitchen! Perfect for a meatless Monday, meal prep Sunday, or backyard party with friends.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
1 cup cilantro
1 large yellow onion, large diced
8 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and large diced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup neutral oil, for sautéing
For serving:
6 warm pita bread
Shawarma Sauce
Arugula, Red onions
Instructions
- To begin, combine soaked garbanzo beans, fresh parsley and cilantro, large diced onion and jalapeno, minced garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse the food processor until the mixture is fairly uniform and crumbly in texture, but not a paste. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat ¼ cup of neutral oil in a sauté pan or large skillet over medium heat. Prepare one baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper. Scoop falafel mixture onto the parchment paper in your desired shape. A two-tablespoon metal scoop would be ideal. I used a one-tablespoon measurement and created rounded scoops, equaling about 2 tablespoons with it.
- Once the oil is hot, gently add the chickpea falafels into the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, monitoring and rotating the patties in the pan to achieve even golden brown color.
- Prepare a second sheet pan with a layer of paper towels. Once the falafels are cooked through, carefully transfer to the paper towels to drain any excess oil. Continue cooking in batches until complete.
- To serve, warm a fluffy pita and layer with crispy falafels, lettuce, tomato, red onion and lots of creamy shawarma sauce.
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Jen
the best flavor ! made your shawarma sauce with them and loved the combination. I'm thinking about making a big batch to freeze and eat throughout the month. Do you think I can freeze in a zip top bag?
Christina Jolam
Ziplock bags should work, Jen. If you have a snap-on, freezer-safe container, that may be better. And ensure that odors from the freezer don't infiltrate your tasty little falafels. Thanks for the great review! Appreciate you coming back to let me know you loved them.