A Falafel pita is a vegan sandwich made with crispy falafel patties and fresh veggies inside a warm pita. It’s a popular Middle Eastern fast food option that’s sure to be a hit in your home!
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Falafel is a staple among Middle Eastern cuisine food vendors and for good reason. Authentic, homemade falafel patties are made of ground chickpeas and spices, then fried to golden perfection. They can be eaten alone, dipped in a variety of savory sauces or enjoyed on top of a green salad.
The most popular way it is enjoyed is inside a pita as a Falafel Pita. Pita is the perfect bread choice for this sandwich. The pocket of bread is ideal for stuffing full of all your favorite sauces and veggies.
Falafel pitas are filling, packed with protein, vegan, and absolutely delicious. What’s not to love about crispy fried falafel in a warm pita pocket, topped with so much goodness?
Be sure to look through what to serve with falafel pitas because these 16 recipes will get you excited to dig into this Middle Eastern meal.
Recipe Origin
Falafel has been enjoyed for thousands of years and was likely first created in Egypt. There it was made with fava beans and spices to feed hungry British soldiers.
Over time it has spread all over the Middle East with each region making substitutions for whatever beans are significant to their culture or more readily available.
The magical idea of serving falafel inside pita bread is credited to Jewish immigrants from Yemen who came to Israel and began setting up falafel stalls in large cities. The pita bread made it easy to carry the food on the go and also stuff it with enough flavor and vegetables to provide lasting energy.
Before long falafel was named Israel’s national dish and falafel pita pockets began to spread all over the world.
Why Make This Recipe
- Delicious On-the-Go Meal: Falafel Pitas are great because they can easily be enjoyed on the go for lunch or dinner. If you have falafel patties premade and are in a rush out the door, a Falafel Pita is a great meal to throw together quickly.
- Great Meatless Option: If you are wanting to cut back on your meat consumption without sacrificing protein, falafel is a great choice. Chickpeas provide a great source of plant-based protein.
- Totally Customizable: No need to make multiple meals for your picky eaters. With Falafel Pita Sandwiches everyone can add the toppings they like best. Serve with a variety of veggies and sauces, like tzatziki sauce and tahini sauce, and you can’t go wrong.
What Do I Need to Make This Recipe?
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Dry Chickpeas: If you try to make authentic falafel with canned chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) they will fall apart while you cook them. You need to use dried, uncooked beans for this recipe.
- Fresh Herbs and Spices: Falafel patties are green on the inside because of the fresh parsley and fresh cilantro. Dried herbs will not work for falafel. Your garlic, onion and fresh herbs also give your dough just the right amount of moisture to stick together.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is necessary to achieve the best falafel texture. Adding this key ingredient just before cooking will make your falafel light and fluffy.
- Pita Bread: Quality pita bread will hold all your ingredients together and add another level of flavor that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. If you are using something store bought, be sure and warm the bread slightly before serving it to make it more pliable.
Tools
- Food Processor: Your chickpeas must be ground very fine to make the best falafel dough. This task is made easy in a food processor.
- Frying Pan: You can fry falafel patties in a frying pan, air fryer or the oven.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Prepare your Chickpeas
In a large bowl, cover the chickpeas completely with an additional 6 inches of water on top. Cover the bowl and leave it to rest for 16-18 hours until the chickpeas are tender and can be broken with your fingernail.
Drain the chickpeas and pat them dry.
Step 2: Prepare your Falafel
Blend your chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, onion, and garlic on high in a food processor until the ingredients break down and have the texture of damp sand. Test your coarse mixture by pressing it together with wet hands. It should hold together but not feel pasty. Add your spices and blend again.
Cover your falafel mixture with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for a minimum of two hours or even overnight.
Step 3: Fry your Falafel
Remove your dough from the refrigerator and add the baking powder. Mix well to combine.
Form your dough into small balls or patties to prepare for frying.
Fry your balls in about two inches of hot oil on the stovetop until they are golden brown. Your oil should be about 350 degrees Fahrenheit for each batch. Allow your oil to reheat between batches.
Step 4: Assemble Your Sandwich
Once the falafels are cooked, it is time to assemble the pitas. Cut each pita bread in half and gently use your hands to separate the halves. This may be easier to do if the pitas are warm.
Spread 1 tablespoon of hummus in each warm pita bread half. Then place 1-2 pieces of butter lettuce in each of your pita halves.
Continue to stuff the pitas with falafel, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Top with more hummus as desired. Enjoy!
Topping Ideas
Topping a Falafel Pita with all your favorite fresh veggies and homemade sauces is really what makes this meal irresistible.
Try it with any/all of the following:
- Cucumbers
- Butter Lettuce
- Roma Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Hummus
- Tzatziki
- Bell Peppers
Alternative Ways to Cook Falafel
There are several different ways to cook falafel, depending on the amount of oil you wish to use. You can do any of the following:
Pan Fry
Pan frying your Falafel is easy! You can add just a small amount of oil to a frying pan and fry one side of your falafel at a time. You will need to turn your falafel over so that it browns on both sides.
Air Fry
To cook your Falafel in the air fryer, spray the falafel balls with oil and place them in a single layer in the air fryer. Make sure they don’t touch each other! Air fry them until they are crispy and brown on the outside.
Bake
If you are going to bake your recipe, make sure to coat them in oil before placing them in the oven. Failure to do so will result in soggy falafel. Once they are coated, bake in an oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes. Flip them over halfway through the baking time to make sure that they are evenly cooked on both sides.
Expert Tips
- Fresh, soft pita bread is the only way to serve this. Take your time to find a pita bread you enjoy and I promise it will be worth it!
- There are so many different sauces and toppings you can add to this meal. I love it with fresh hummus, tzatziki, tahini, lemon juice, Greek yogurt or even baba ganoush.
- Fresh herbs will add the best flavor to your falafel, but too much will make your dough too wet. If you are worried about adding too much, try adding just a small amount at a time into your food processor to ensure the best texture.
- Creamy tahini is so delicious. If you’re unsure about buying a jar just for this recipe you can also use tahini for cookies and as a dipping sauce with sweet potato fritters.
FAQ
Falafel balls can be difficult to form. Your hands may need to be a little wet to keep the dough together. If your dough is too wet, it will fall apart in the oil. You can find more tips in my falafel recipe.
If you’re in a rush, falafel pitas can definitely be made ahead of time. Just form your falafel balls the night before and put them in an airtight container in the refrigerator or even the freezer. You can cook them ahead of time or for peak crispiness fry them just before serving.
Falafel pitas are a great meal by themselves, but if you are feeding a crowd you could also offer a fresh salad, french fries or roasted sweet potatoes on the side.
If you want to make your Falafel ahead of time, you certainly can! The easiest thing to do is to form the uncooked patties together and leave them in the fridge until you are ready to fry. If you have already fried your falafel, you can keep them in an airtight container for about 4-5 days.
If you’ve made too many falafel and want to freeze them, place the Falafel in a ziplock bag and seal it tightly. Wrap the plastic bag in aluminum foil to ward off freezer burn.
Did you enjoy this recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
If you make this recipe at home, leave a review/comment on this post letting us know what you thought!
And don’t forget to share a photo of your finished product on Facebook and Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork.
Falafel Pita
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
Falafel Ingredients
- 16 oz dried chickpeas, soaked in water for 16 hours (do not use canned chickpeas)
- 1 cup Parsley, roughly chopped & stems removed
- ½ cup Cilantro, roughly chopped & stems removed
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 5 large garlic cloves
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ tsp Coriander
- ⅛ – ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper, depending on preference
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Vegetable oil for frying
Assembly Ingredients
- 5 Pita Breads
- 10 tbsp hummus
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 3 Roma Tomatoes, sliced
- 1 English Cucumber, sliced
- ½ Red onion, sliced
Instructions
- Falafel Instructions
- In a large bowl, cover 16 oz chickpeas with 6 inches of water. Cover and leave to rest for 16-18 hours until the chickpeas are tender and can be broken with your fingernail.
- Drain the chickpeas and pat them dry.
- In a food processor, add the chickpeas, 1 cup parsley, ½ cup cilantro, 1 onion, and 5 cloves garlic. Turn the food processor to HIGH and process the falafel mixture until it is well broken down, fine and crumbly but will hold together if you press it with your hands (like wet sand).
- Add the spices (1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 2 tsp cumin, ½ tsp coriander, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper) and process again until well combined.
- Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and allow to rest for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Right before frying your falafel, add 1 tsp baking powder into the mixture and mix to combine.
- Add a large pot to the stove and add about 2 inches of oil to the pot. Turn the heat to high and heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Using 3 Tbsp of mixture at a time, form the falafels into patties in your hand. If preferred, you can keep them spherical like a ball.
- Drop about 5 falafel at a time into the pot, frying for 3-5 minutes, until the falafel is brown and crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain any extra grease. Continue frying in batches until all of the falafel are fried. Enjoy!
- Assembly Instructions
- Once the falafels are cooked it is time to assemble the pitas. Cut each pita bread in half and gently use your hands to separate the halves.
- Spread 1 tbsp of hummus in each pita bread half. Then place 1-2 pieces of butter lettuce in each pita bread half.
- Continue to stuff the pitas with falafel, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Top with more hummus as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Dry Chickpeas: If you try to make authentic falafel with canned chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) they will fall apart while you cook them. You need to use dried, uncooked beans for this recipe.
- Fresh Herbs and Spices: Falafel patties are green on the inside because of the fresh parsley and fresh cilantro. Dried herbs will not work for falafel. Your garlic, onion and fresh herbs also give your dough just the right amount of moisture to stick together.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is necessary to achieve the best falafel texture. Adding this key ingredient just before cooking will make your falafel light and fluffy.
- Pita Bread: Quality pita bread will hold all your ingredients together and add another level of flavor that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. If you are using something store bought, be sure and warm the bread slightly before serving it to make it more pliable.
- Fresh, soft pita bread is the only way to serve this. Take your time to find a pita bread you enjoy and I promise it will be worth it!
- There are so many different sauces and toppings you can add to this meal. I love it with fresh hummus, tzatziki, tahini, lemon juice, Greek yogurt or even baba ganoush.
- Fresh herbs will add the best flavor to your falafel, but too much will make your dough too wet. If you are worried about adding too much, try adding just a small amount at a time into your food processor to ensure the best texture.
- Creamy tahini is so delicious. If you’re unsure about buying a jar just for this recipe you can also use tahini for cookies and as a dipping sauce with sweet potato fritters.
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