Baked Falafel Recipe With Canned Chickpeas
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These delicious baked falafels are so quick and easy to make, and they are made with canned chickpeas for ease and convenience. Wonderfully seasoned, these vegan falafels are ready to serve in 30 minutes and can be made ahead of time.
There’s nothing quite like freshly baked falafels, especially when they are this quick and easy to make! Loaded with flavor and seasoned with Middle Eastern spices, they are a wonderful addition to any meal!
Because these falafel are baked rather than fried, they are a great healthy alternative. They are vegan, gluten-free and high in protein.
Baked Falafel Ingredients
- Canned chickpeas
- Onion
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
How To Make Baked Falafel
These falafel are are so quick and easy to prepare. It takes 10 minutes to mix and shape them and then bake in the oven until they are perfectly golden brown.
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Put onion, garlic and cilantro in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until minced (click here for the food processor model I recommend).
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Add the chickpeas, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and process until combined and smooth.
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Shape the falafel mixture into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
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Flatten each ball with your hand and brush olive oil on top.
- Put falafel in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven, flip over each falafel patty with a spatula and brush the other side with olive oil.
- Put them back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden-brown.
How do you serve falafel?
One of the most popular ways to serve falafel is in pita bread. Top it with fresh garnishes like lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber and drizzle over some hummus, tzatziki or a spicy dip. You can also place them in a burger bun for a great vegan burger option or a wrap. They also make a great addition to salads, serve them whole or crumbled on top of a fresh bed of lettuce.
Can you make falafel ahead of time?
The falafel mixture can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and store in the fridge in an air tight container. Baked falafels can be kept in the fridge in the same way for up 6 days.
You can reheat falafels in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes to warm them through to serve.
Can you freeze baked falafel?
Yes! You can freeze these vegan falafel either baked or unbaked, making them perfect for freezer meals.
- Unbaked: Make the mixture and form it into patties. Freeze them on a baking sheet and once solid transfer the to a freezer bag or container. They will keep for up to 6 months. Thaw the patties in the fridge overnight and bake as per the recipe.
- Baked: Allow the cooked falafel cool to room temperature and freeze on a cookie sheet until solid. Transfer to an airtight container and separate the layers with parchment paper. You can reheat them from frozen in an oven at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Can you make falafel with dried chickpeas?
I like to use canned chickpeas for ease, this is a great recipe for when I don’t have time to soak and cook dried chickpeas. If you have dried chickpeas you want to use, you can cook them in the Instant Pot first and follow the recipe as is.
Can you fry rather than bake falafels?
I like to bake falafels to cut down on the amount of oil, but if you are in a hurry, frying is a quicker method. Heat some oil in a frying pan, enough to cover half of the falafel patty. Once hot, add the patties to the oil, cook for about two minutes before flipping over and cooking for another couple of minutes on the other side. Fry in batches and take care not to overcrowd the pan.
More Easy Chickpea Recipes
- Air Fried Roasted Chickpeas
- Quinoa and Chickpea Mason Jar Salad
- Vegan Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Vegan Buddha Bowl
Baked Falafel With Canned Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas 30 oz total, drained and rinsed
- 1 small onion quartered
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander optional
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Recommended Kitchen Tools (click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put onion, garlic and cilantro in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until minced (about 1 minute)
- Add the chickpeas, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and process until combined and smooth, scraping down the sides if needed (about 1 minute). Add more salt to taste if needed.
- Shape falafel mixture into balls (about 2 inches in diameter). Put falafel balls on the baking sheet and flatten each ball with your hand so they turn into patties about 1/2 inch thick.
- Brush the falafel patties with olive oil on top.
- Put falafel in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven, flip over each falafel patty with a spatula and brush the other side with olive oil. Put them back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden-brown.
Nutrition
See also:
They’re quick to make and perfect for adding to salads or wraps.
Baked falafel with canned chickpeas is a great healthy option! 👌