Vegan Falafel Burger Recipe

Name: Vegan Falafel Burger Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cup dried chickpeas (, soaked overnight); 1 cup chopped red onion; ½ cup cilantro (, or sub parsley if preferred); ¼ cup chopped red pepper (, or 1 tablespoon diced hot pepper); 3 cloves garlic (, chopped); 1 tablespoon tapioca starch; 2 teaspoons cumin; 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt; Burger buns; Red onion; Lettuce; Tomato; Tahini sauce; Vegan Tzatziki

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There is no reason you can only eat falafel in ball form! This vegan falafel burger is the perfect way to switch up your burger game. Baked and delicious!

A falafel burger topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion and sauce on a white plate

We love falafel but sometimes we need to switch it up so it doesn't get boring. So I decided to change up the style and got this burger piled high with all the things on the dinner table with success!

Falafel Basics

Traditionally falafel are round shaped balls of ground chickpeas that are fried to gain that crispy outside texture. They are served in pitas, over salads, and as a wrap.

You can smother them with tahini sauce or tzatziki and top them with anything you love.

So I basically took the basic falafel recipe on this website, added a little bit to the recipe and reshaped it into burger form!

Ingredients

The base of these falafel burgers is very similar to my regular falafel recipe, with a few ingredients switched up or added:

Chickpeas (I use dried for the best texture)
Red onion
Cilantro (you can sub parsley if you must)
Red pepper
Garlic
Starch
Cumin
Salt

How to Make a Falafel Burger

Most of the time put into this meal is the baking that the oven does. Human effort is pretty low, making this a great low energy meal! Here's how to do it:

Add ingredients into a food processor and pulse until crumbled and the mixture sticks together.
Shape into patties and put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment.
Bake.
Top with all your favorites!

Serving suggestions

You can serve these burgers on anything you prefer. It's great to mix it up so you can keep it exciting. Anything goes, but here are our favorite ways we've eaten these:

On a bun
In a pita
On sliced bread
In lettuce wraps
In a tortilla

Falafel burger with lettuce, tomato and red onion and a bite out of the front

Topping ideas

Because this is a burger, and we all have different tastes, you can switch this up any way you want. The topping ideas are endless! These are some of our favorites:

Lettuce
Tomato
Red onion
Jalapeños
Nacho slices
Cucumber
Tahini Sauce
Tzatziki
Fresh Salsa

Hands holding half a falafel burger over a whole burger

Optional sides

While this falafel burger is awesome all on it's own, adding sides makes for a delicious all around meal. Especially if your sides add extra veggies! Here are some of our go-to recipes:

Tips and Tricks

This is a pretty full proof recipe, but here is some info to help you along the way!

Make sure to drain the chickpeas well before adding to the food processor. Extra water will make the filling thinner.
When blending the filling, you want a medium sized crumble. If they are too large, the mix won't stick. If they are too small, you'll get hummus.
Check to see if the mixture sticks together before you stop blending. If it doesn't, it needs to be blended more.
When shaping, make a large ball, then flatten a bit in your hands. Place on the parchment and flatten a little more. Press the mixture gently.
These are best baked on parchment so they get a nice crisp on both side.
Flip carefully, if they crack at all just shape back into place with the spatula.

Common Questions

What does a falafel burger taste like?

The main ingredient in falafel is chickpeas and since those are mild in flavor, most of the taste comes from the other ingredients used. The spices and seasonings are what gives falafel their signature taste.

This falafel burger has a fresh garlicky taste, with a little earthiness from the dried chickpeas and cumin. The texture is grainy with a chew, almost like a meatball.

How do you store falafel burgers?

If you make the mixture and don't plan to use it all, store it uncooked in an airtight container in the fridge. Then cook more burgers the next day as you need them.

If the burgers are already cooked, I like to seal them with plastic wrap, then put them in an air tight container.

Can you freeze a falafel burger?

Yes! Once you cook them, allow them to cool. I like to individually wrap each burger in plastic wrap, then wrap all of them in foil and put in an airtight container. This helps prevent freezer burn.

You could also freeze the raw mixture, but I wouldn't shape them until after you defrost when you are ready to make them.

Can you prep falafel burgers ahead of time?

If you want to prep ahead, the best thing to do is make the mixture and save in the fridge until ready to use. You can also prep all the toppings so that dinner is quick and easy.

Can I sub canned chickpeas?

Using canned chickpeas will give you a mushier result. Dried soaked chickpeas have a chewy more firm texture. So just be aware of the texture different canned will give.

What if I forget to soak the chickpeas?

You can always use the quick soak method if you forget. Learn how to quick soak chickpeas in this post all about cooking dried chickpeas.

Other Recipes with Falafel

If you love falafel, here are some other awesome recipes to try!