Easy Vegan Falafel Recipe
This easy vegan falafel is made with canned chickpeas and a handful of pantry staples. This recipe only takes a few minutes to prepare!
Traditionally, you’re not supposed to make falafel with canned chickpeas. This is definitely not meant to be the most authentic falafel, but it’s delicious and it’s super quick and easy to make. So if you’re having a falafel craving and you don’t have time to soak chickpeas, grab a can of chickpeas and give this one a try! While we were stuffing our faces with this homemade falafel Alex said “I feel like I should feel guilty for eating this because it’s so good.” (But don’t worry- it’s filled with healthy ingredients!)
Yeah, this vegan falafel is good. And it’s also super easy, requiring just a few ingredients that you probably have sitting in your pantry.
Tips for Easy Vegan Falafel
- Make sure you rinse and drain your chickpeas well before using. They don’t need to be completely dry but too much liquid can make the falafel mushy.
- I wouldn’t try to substitute dried parsley for the fresh parsley but if you absolutely have to, add 1 tablespoon of dried parsley.
- You can use any neutral oil when pan frying the falafel. It’s fine to use olive oil since the heat is relatively low. (Olive oil has a low smoke point.) But you could also use avocado oil or canola oil, depending on what you have available. I also like to use a non-stick pan which cuts down on the amount of oil I need.
I love that this falafel can be made in a food processor. It comes together so quickly and easily!
You can enjoy this falafel by itself or add it on top of a salad or mixed greens. It’s also delicious when turned into a falafel sandwich by tucking it into a pita!
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Easy Falafel Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooked
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Description
This vegan falafel uses canned chickpeas to make this recipe quick and easy! It makes 6 small patties, enough to serve 2 people as a main dish.
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (see note)
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup curly parsley, stems removed
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon za’atar seasoning (optional)
- 2–4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Add the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, parsley, salt, za’atar, and 2 tablespoons of flour to the food processor.
- Pulse for 10-15 seconds until chunky. If the mixture is too wet, add the additional 2 tablespoons of flour.
- Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop up the mixture and press into patties
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
- Gently place the patties into the skillet and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned
- Flip and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, adding the additional tablespoon of oil, if necessary.
- Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to cool slightly before serving
Notes
After rinsing the chickpeas, be sure to drain them well. You don’t want any extra liquid in these patties so be sure to drain them until the liquid is gone.
If you’re vegan, serve with hummus or enjoy it as-is! If you eat dairy, try it with a scoop of this tzatziki sauce on the side!
Looking for other easy vegan recipes?
Try this easy, one pan ratatouille recipe!
Craving something sweet? Make this vegan granola bark!
Don’t forget to pin this vegan falafel so you can make it later!
Yep, I’m from the canned chickpeas team. 🙂 I have never tried making a falafel — had no idea it’s this easy! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
I am so excited to try this for our Meatless Monday meal tomorrow night! We all love falafel, but I never seem to make it because most recipes require soaked beans and not cooked/canned (which I always have on hand). Thank you so much!
I love that these are so quick and easy to prepare and need just a handful of ingredients from your pantry. They look delicious
I love falafel and yours look so delicious and so easy to make! I have to try it soon for dinner – such a great healthy idea with a side of salad and potato. YUM!
Yay! I hope you give it a try, Natalie!
good to know you got good results with the canned chickpeas, makes this a handy recipe! I see there’s no tahini used here, which is good for us as we have a sesame allergy.
It took quite a few tries to figure out a way to make it work with canned chickpeas but I figured it out! 🙂
This falafel recipe sounds really easy and I always have canned chickpeas available. Definitely gonna give this a try with some gf flour.
I love how quick these are to prepare. So healthy!
Yum, I do love falafel, I’ve not made them in ages but this recipe is so easy it makes me want to.
Always looking for easy meatless recipes- I think canned beans are such a great shortut!
Easy falafel, yes please! I always found it daunting to make falafel with fresh chickpeas from scratch. Your falafels look perfect!