If you love falafels then you will love these vegan falafel burgers! Easy to make and top 8 allergen free.
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Vegan Falafels are a popular Middle Eastern dish that’s deep fried balls of dough made from chickpeas and naturally, but surprisingly gluten free. These vegan falafel burgers take the same concept, but shape it into a patty to have a burger!
Also, if you are trying to reduce oil consumption, these can be baked.
If you have never heard of falafels, you may be wondering what it even tastes like. Essentially, if a hushpuppy and a meatball had a baby, this is what you would get. Hopefully that visual reference will help.
Once the chickpeas soak, they are quick to make and you don’t need a lot of ingredients to make them.
The traditional way is to fry them in oil; however, we will share a baked method as well.
They also store really well, so they are great for meal prep lunches or dinners that you may want to prep ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use canned chickpeas for vegan falafel burgers?
The short answer, yes.
However, it is best to use dried chickpeas and do an overnight soak. In fact, we highly recommend you do dried and not try to use canned.
Canned chickpeas have been soaking for months at a time, sometimes maybe even longer, and because of that they retain a lot more moisture which gives a bit of an issue when making falafels.
If you are adamant about making vegan falafels with canned chickpeas, then we highly recommend that you not only thoroughly drain them from any juice in the can, but that you also dry them completely on a kitchen towel.
Even letting them sit for an hour or so to make sure you’ve gotten all the juice.
Think of it like trying to remove excess water from tofu. You don’t want mushy falafels, so you need to remove as much water from chickpeas as possible.
Can I make these oil free vegan falafel burgers?
Falafels are usually deep fried; however, we know for various reasons that people may want to not use oil.
There are two methods to doing so. Either way, make the recipe as instructed up until the deep frying.
So with your plate of uncooked falafels you can:
Air Fryer Vegan Falafel Burgers
Place the falafels inside your air fryer at 350 degrees F and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway.
They should be a golden brown color on the outside.
Oven Baked Vegan Falafel Burgers
Place the falafels on a baking sheet and into a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway.
They should be a golden brown color on the outside.
Can I prep vegan falafel burgers ahead of time?
Vegan falafels, once cooked and cooled, can be stored in an air-tight container for up to a week.
This makes them perfect for any weekly meal prep that you do.
Can you freeze vegan falafel burger patties?
Yes. Either uncooked or cooked vegan falafels can be frozen.
If cooked, make sure that they are completely cooled.
We prefer to place on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes, then place them into a freezer safe container or bag. Doing so helps make sure that they don’t stick.
If cooked before freezing, you can let them thaw out for a few hours and heat in the oven for 5-10 minutes or pop into a microwave for a few minutes.
If uncooked, you can cook from frozen according to the directions above, just adding a few minutes of cooking time.
Can you make falafels Top 8 Allergen free?
Falafels are almost always Top 8 Allergen Free. This recipe already is written to be Top 8 Allergen free.
Watch how to make vegan falafels:
We have a video on how we make falafels which will get you an idea of what to look for when making. The only difference is shaping them into a patty instead of a ball.
Pin these vegan falafel burgers for later:
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Vegan Falafel Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- ½ sweet onion, chopped into 4 pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (Can sub for parsley if you don't like cilantro)
- 1 tablespoon chickpea flour
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
If Deep Frying
- 1 qt vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
For the Burgers
- 4 burger buns (or put on lettuce wraps)
- lettuce
- tomatoes
- any other favorite burger toppings
Instructions
- Soak dried chickpeas overnight.
- Drain chickpeas from water and lay them out on a towel. Thoroughly pat them dry. Get as much moisture out as possible.
- Add chickpeas to a food processor with the remaining ingredients.
- Pulse, scrapping down the sides often, until all the ingredients are chopped up and a thick batter is left.
- Split mixture into 4 and shape each into a patty shape. *If you want thinner patties, you can shape into more.
For Deep Fried Falafel Patties (Traditional)
- Once all the balls are made, heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy bottomed pot and bring the temperature up to 350 degrees F.
- Add the baking soda to the oil.
- Drop falafel patties into the oil and cook for 2 ½-5 minutes, moving around to ensure golden brown on all sides.
- Remove from the oil and lay on a towel lined plate to remove excess oil. Repeat with remaining patties.
Skillet Method
- Once falafels are shaped – Add a little oil to a skillet and move them around for 5-7 minutes ensuring that all sides are cooked golden brown.Alternatively, if you want to deep fry but only have a skillet, you can add enough oil to a heavy bottom skillet or dutch oven and fry for a few minutes like above. It's best to have a thermometer to make sure you are frying at 350 degrees F.
Air Fryer Method (Oil Free)
- Once falafel patties are shaped -Place the falafels inside your air fryer at 350 degrees F and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway. Should be a golden brown color on the outside. May have to do in batches.
Baked Method (Oil Free)
- Place the falafel patties on a baking sheet and into a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway. Should be a golden brown color on the outside.
- Serve on burger buns or lettuce wraps with your favorite burger toppings. Also great with fries or vegan turmeric garlic rice on the side.
I made my patties 100g each, fried, put on a bun with pickles, lettuce, and vegan mayo and wowee they are divine!! I’ve never been so good at cooking, these are the best!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed it so much!