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Falafel Burgers are a wonderful easy and healthy alternative to traditional falafel. With canned chickpeas, chickpea flour, sesame seeds, onion, garlic, coriander leaves, parsley, cumin, coriander, and Aleppo pepper, they’re zesty, earthy, and naturally gluten free. Since we’re using canned chickpeas and skipping the deep frying, they’re also so simple to make and the perfect weeknight meal that the whole family will enjoy.

I love to serve these with a cucumber mint yogurt, lettuce, pickled red onion, and potato buns, but you can easily swap out the yogurt and buns if you’re looking to make this plant-based and/or gluten free.

Chickpea Flour

Chickpea flour, also called garbanzo bean flour or gram flour, is a great binding agent in fritters and pancakes and gluten free alternative to all purpose flour. It’s made by grinding dried gram chickpeas until they’re a fine powder. It’s widely used in South Asian cuisines and in the Caribbean.

When testing this recipe, because chickpea flour holds its shape so well, I was worried that the burgers would be too dense. When I bit into the burgers, the texture was smooth and moist with a slight crunch on the outside. Honestly, they were perfect.

Ingredients

Chickpeas — I almost always have cans of chickpeas around to whip up quick batches of hummus or to add to pilafs. You’ll need 2 cans of chickpeas. I like to lay them out on a baking sheet to dry for about an hour, just so they don’t end up super mushy.

Chickpea flour — Chickpea or gram flour really amplifies that chickpea flavor and helps bind the patties. You can buy it at an Indian specialty store, or you can purchase from Bob’s Red Mill. If you don’t have chickpea flour, and you don’t care to make it gluten free, you can sub all purpose flour. It might be a bit more difficult to get that perfectly shaped patty, but it will still be delicious.

Sesame — Raw sesame seeds really help these patties look and taste like real falafel.

Onion — Grated onion, either on a box grater or with the grating attachment of the food processor, adds some moisture and flavor. I squeeze it dry for ultimate control of the moisture content.

Garlic — Garlic adds tons of flavor to these burgers.

Coriander leaves/cilantro — Helps lend the signature green color of falafel and adds such a zesty punch. Wash them by swishing them around in a bowl full of water until it runs clear, and then spin them in a salad spinner and lay out to dry while you prep the other ingredients. Use the leaves and tender stems.

Parsley — Also provides the green and herby quality. Prepare them them the same as the cilantro and pick off the leaves.

Ground Cumin — Cumin adds a delicious earthy flavor.

Ground Coriander — Whenever I add cumin in cooking, I almost always use coriander. It tends to brighten up the earthiness, making them a match made in heaven.

Aleppo pepper flakes — Aleppo pepper is a red pepper grown in northern Syria (near Aleppo) or southern Turkey. It’s picked, dried, and turned into a powder to season dishes. I love to use it when I want a fruity mild spice, like on chicken or eggs. It especially pairs well with cumin. If you don’t have any, you can substitute with a bit of crushed red pepper.

Salt — Any kind of salt will work in this recipe. I like to use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Its granules are finer than regular table salt, so it dissolves much more quickly and it’s less salty, making it easier to control. If you’re using regular table salt or sea salt, start with half of what I mention in the recipe and adjust to your taste.

Red Onion — Red onion’s purple color contrasts so well with the yellow buns and green falafel. Sometimes, the bite can be too strong, so I like to soak the sliced red onion in apple cider vinegar to tame it. It goes perfectly on so many salads and sandwiches.

Method

The method is so simple. First, you’re going to lay the chickpeas out to dry on a baking sheet for about an hour while you prepare everything else. Wash your cilantro and parsley, spin them, and set out on the counter on paper towels before picking the leaves for the parsley and leaves and tender stems for the cilantro.

Grate the onion on a box grater or using the grating attachment on the food processor and transfer to a large bowl, squeezing out the moisture if you find it excessive. Wipe out the excess moisture. In the same food processor, switch to the chopping blade and add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, herbs, and seasoning and process until well combined a paste.

Transfer to a large bowl and combine with the chickpea flour.

Preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C. Take out a medium sized baking sheet. Form the falafel mixture into 6 even patties and transfer to the baking sheet.

Heat about 1/4 c vegetable or avocado oil in a large sauté pan until shimmering. Add the falafel patties in batches and fry until golden brown, flip, and repeat. Transfer to the oven and baking 15 minutes each side until they’re cooked through.

While the patties are in the oven, you can prepare the accompaniments. Wash the lettuce, spin dry, and set them out on paper towels. Soak the sliced red onion in apple cider vinegar in a small to medium-sized bowl. Combine the yogurt with grated or cucumber and dried mint, or sub coconut yogurt if making it plant-based.

Take the patties out of the oven, and enjoy! If you have young kids, you can serve everything on a large board to encourage interaction and selection of accompaniments. Young toddlers (12m+) can enjoy these too! Place a scoop of yogurt with grated cucumber and dried mint. Cut the patties into bite-size pieces and lay it on top of the yogurt mixture to encourage dipping.

I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayah on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.

Recipes like this often make it onto my monthly meal prep guides. I map out the month with a calendar, recipes, and weekly grocery lists to make cooking super streamlined for you. Be sure to sign up to get the next one to your inbox.

Other gluten free recipes:
30 Minute Vegan Mushroom Shawarma
Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers (Syrian Inspired)
20 Min Oven Chicken Shawarma

Other plant based recipes:
Lentil and Beet Salad
Vegan Sfeeha 2.0
Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini and Aleppo Pepper

Falafel Burgers (Gluten Free)

Yield 6

Using chickpea flour instead of all purpose flour makes these herby and zesty patties naturally gluten free.

Ingredients

Falafel Patties

2 cans chickpeas
2 c cilantro and parsley leaves, washed and dried
1 onion
4 garlic cloves, smashed into a paste
3/4 c chickpea flour
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes or 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or 1 tsp table salt
1/4 c vegetable or avocado oil

To Serve

6 potato buns or gf buns of choice
1 small red onion, sliced
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 c full fat yogurt
2 small cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped (or grated if serving to young toddlers)
1 tbsp dried mint

Instructions

Drain, rinse, and lay the canned chickpeas out to dry on a baking sheet for about an hour.
Grate the onion either on a box grater or using the grinding attachment on the food processor. Transfer to a small bowl, squeezing out the moisture with your hands.
If you used the food processor, wipe out the excess moisture. Add the chickpeas, herbs, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, Aleppo pepper, and salt. Process until it's a smooth paste and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the chickpea flour and sesame seeds and mix with your hands or a large spoon. Taste, adjust seasoning, and form into even-sized patties, transferring to a small to medium-sized baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C.
Heat the vegetable/avocado oil in a large sauté pan until shimmering. Cook the falafel patties in batches until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side, adding more oil if necessary, placing on another baking sheet. Transfer the patties to the oven and cook about 15 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, prepare the accompaniments. Soak the sliced red onion in the apple cider vinegar for about 10 minutes in a small to medium-sized bowl. Combine the yogurt, cucumbers, and dried mint. Wash and dry the lettuce.
Serve the burgers with potato buns or any gluten free alternative, and enjoy!