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This tasty falafel burger is easy and bursting with Mediterranean flavor! Smother in sauce for a satisfying vegetarian or vegan dinner.
Meet our favorite vegetarian and vegan dinner recipe: the falafel burger! Alex and I don’t always have the energy to fry up a batch of authentic falafel. So eating it in burger form is the next best thing!
These are easy to make with canned chickpeas. The combination of a cumin and coriander-scented chickpea patty with cool cucumber sauce is pretty epic, in our opnion. It’s a healthy vegetarian and vegan dinner recipe that everyone loves!
Why you’ll love this falafel burger recipe
These falafel burgers are much easier to whip up than a classic falafel sandwich. The sandwich is full of delicious authentic flavor, but it does require some thinking ahead. This one is faster and easier! Here’s why to make falafel in burger form:
- You can use canned chickpeas! No need to soak dried chickpeas overnight. This means you can make it with little to no advanced planning (a big plus in our book).
- It’s easy to shape. The patties are much easier to shape than the balls with traditional falafel: and you only have to make four!
- There’s no messy frying! Authentic falafel requires frying, which can be a little tricky. These falafel burgers need just a quick and easy fry with a drizzle of oil, then they’re finished in the oven.
Key ingredients in falafel burgers
This falafel burger is a great healthy dinner idea when you’re cooking for many diets! It’s vegetarian and vegan, and you can make it gluten-free by using gluten-free flour. Here’s what you need to make a great falafel burger:
- Canned chickpeas: The canned variety is easiest. You can also cook your own dried chickpeas in advance: try our stovetop or Instant Pot methods.
- Carrot, red onion, and garlic: These veggies add aromatic flavor.
- Cilantro: This fresh herb adds just the right flavor nuance. Use parsley if you have a cilantro aversion.
- Flour (or gluten-free flour): This binder holds the burgers together.
- Cumin, coriander, salt and pepper: This spice blend rounds out the flavors.
- Neutral oil: You can use neutral oil or olive oil for frying.
Falafel sauce options
There are several falafel sauce options that are authentic for serving with falafel. There are options for both vegetarian and vegan diets! Here’s a little breakdown:
- Yogurt sauce: This yogurt-based tzatziki sauce, cucumber sauce, or dill sauce are quick and easy to whip up, and traditionally served on a falafel sandwich.
- Tahini sauce: This tahini sauce is vegan and plant-based, and also traditional for serving with falafel. You could also add some chopped fresh dill for an herby punch.
- Cilantro sauce: A green cilantro sauce is also traditional! Zhoug is another green sauce made with olive oil and herbs that’s served with falafel in Israel.
Storing leftovers
The great thing about these falafel burgers is that they store very well! Consider making a double batch and saving them for easy meals. Since they take about 45 minutes start to finish, we like to double it so we have leftovers. Here’s storage info for falafel burgers:
- Refrigerate for up to 1 week. You can reheat in a 350°F oven if you’d like, or eat them cold or room temperature.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. The freeze well! Just thaw in the refrigerator or reheat in a 350°F oven.
What to serve with falafel burgers
Making a meal to impress a crowd and need some sides for these falafel burgers? Here’s what we’d recommend:
- Fresh Mediterranean salads like Greek salad or quinoa tabbouleh
- Simple crunchy salads like carrot salad, celery salad, or cucumber salad
- Fries are a classic combo, like baked fries, Greek fries or sweet potato fries
- Go for a green salad like arugula salad
Dietary notes
This falafel burger recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free. For gluten-free, use gluten-free flour and serve without a bun or with a gluten free bun.
Epic Falafel Burger
This tasty falafel burger is easy and bursting with Mediterranean flavor! Smother in sauce for a satisfying vegetarian or vegan dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For the falafel burgers (double to make leftovers*)
- 15-ounce can chickpeas (1 ½ cups cooked)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 large carrot
- ½ red onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, loosely packed (or parsley)
- 6 tablespoons flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil (for frying)
For serving
- 4 buns
- Tomato
- Cucumber slices
- Red onion slices
- Lettuce
- Quick Cucumber Sauce, Dill Sauce, Tahini Sauce (vegan) or Cilantro Sauce (vegan)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Dab the chickpeas with a paper towel to remove extra moisture, then place them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the sesame seeds, then process until a paste-like consistency is formed. (If you don’t have a food processor, use a potato masher or fork to mash them in a bowl until they’re mostly mashed.) Scrape the mixture into a bowl.
- Add the carrot, red onion, garlic, and cilantro to the bowl of the food processor; pulse until finely ground. (If you don’t have a food processor, use a large size grater to grate the onion and carrot, then finely grate the garlic and finely chop the cilantro.) Scrape the vegetables into the bowl with the chickpeas.
- Stir in the flour, cumin, coriander, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix with a spoon until combined, then form 4 round patties and place them on a baking sheet.
- In a medium frying pan, heat ¼ cup oil over medium heat. Carefully add the patties to the pan. If you have one, top with a splatter screen. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown on one side. Flip and fry for another 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown, turning down the heat as necessary.
- Transfer the patties to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and baked through. Remove the patties from the oven and let them cool for at least 15 minutes to firm up.
- Meanwhile, make the falafel sauce. To serve, place on a bun with tomato, cucumber, red onion, and lettuce, and top with sauce. The burgers save well in the refrigerator for 1 week, so they’re great to make ahead and eat throughout the week. They also freeze well!
Notes
*It’s easy to make 8 and freeze the rest for eating later: they also save well refrigerated for up to 1 week. Just double everything!
More veggie burger recipes
Veggie burgers are so satisfying! Here are a few more veggie burger recipes to try:
- This portobello mushroom burger is irresistible with cheese and special sauce.
- Our veggie burger doesn’t fall apart on the grill!
- These chickpea burgers are a hugely satisfying vegan dinner!
- Try this black bean burger made with savory spices and walnuts for texture. So good!
Why can’t I Pin your recipes to Pinterest? I want to save these somewhere I’ll be able to find it again because these look fantastic!
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