Baked Chickpea Falafel

Name: Baked Chickpea Falafel
Prep time: PT-468436H22M57S
Cook time: PT-468436H22M57S
Total time: PT-468436H22M57S
Cuisine: Middle Eastern-Style
Ingredients: 15-ounce can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained; ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs; ½ cup fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley); Zest and juice of ½ medium lemon; ¼ medium yellow or white onion, peeled and chopped; 4 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves; Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

By Julie Andrews

This falafel is a Middle Eastern-inspired recipe using chickpeas (instead of the traditional fava beans), and grinding them with herbs, lemon, aromatics (onion and garlic) and breadcrumbs, then forming them into balls and baking them until they’re light and golden.

I serve them with a little drizzle of spicy aioli and they make for the perfect fiber-packed vegetarian meal. They also go nicely on top of a rice bowl, salad or stuffed in lettuce cups. You’ll love them, I promise!

How to make baked falafel

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grab a baking sheet and a wire rack and coat it with cooking spray.
Place the chickpeas (rinsed and drained), breadcrumbs, herbs (cilantro and parsley), lemon zest and juice, peeled onion and garlic, olive oil, salt, black pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes in the food processor. Give them a whirl, scraping the sides as needed, until a paste forms.
Roll the paste into 2-inch balls and line them on the prepared wire rack. Spritz them with cooking spray. Bake 13-17 minutes or until they’re slightly crispy and set.
Let them slightly cool, then serve with the aioli or on top of a rice bowl, salad or in lettuce cups. YUM!

Substitution Ideas

To make them gluten free, use gluten free panko breadcrumbs.
To make them vegan, make them as-is and serve them with plant-based aioli.
Try them with fava beans or edamame instead of chickpeas.

No matter how you decide to serve them, I know you’ll enjoy them!