Classic falafel sandwich recipe with lots of topping ideas. Warm pita pockets with crunchy falafel, tomatoes, arugula, creamy tahini sauce and much more. An ultimate lunch or dinner idea to share with family and friends.
Total time 1 hour 10 minutes
Falafel pita sandwich is one of the most filling delicious sandwiches I grew up having for breakfast at least 2 times weekly. Warm crunchy and freshly fried falafel topped with crisp veggies and drizzled with tahini sauce. This is the perfect Middle Eastern falael sandwich recipe.
Next time, try the Egyptian falafel made with beans.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- A simple, delicious homemade falafel recipe for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- Learn how to make falafel like a pro so you can enjoy this popular street food any time you like. Way better than what you get at the grocery stores.
- A freezer-friendly recipe, this is especially great when you meal plan for the week.
📝 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
- Dried Chickpeas.
- Fresh parsley and cilantro.
- Small onion.
- Garlic.
- Salt, cumin, coriander and baking soda.
- Pita bread.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Place chickpeas in a big bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 20-24 hours, changing water if possible. Drain and give them a quick rinse.
- To your food processor add about ⅓rd of the chickpeas, onion, garlic and herbs. Process, scrapping the sides of the food processor bowl, until you get consistent mix.
- Add in all the spices and baking soda and mix well.
- Wet your hands with cold water and start shaping the falafel into discs or balls.
- Fry falafel patties in a hot oil until deep golden brown and crispy.
- Assemble falafel sandwich: put fried falafel into warm pita bread with fresh vegetables and a drizzle of tahini sauce.
🥣 Equipment
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- Food processor.
- Frying pan.
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💡 Tips
I recommend testing one falafel before proceeding with the rest of the amount. Fry one and check that it will not break into the oil; if it does, then most probably the falafel mixture is too wet. Add a couple of tablespoons of flour (preferably chickpea flour)
- Wet your hands in between falafel so they glide easily into the oil.
- When dropping falafel into the oil, they should not brown instantly ( this means the oil is too hot), or dip to the bottom of your pan ( this means the oil is not hot enough). Instead they should float and be surrounded with bubbles.
- You can dip falafel in some sesame seeds before frying.
Serve with
- Slather your falafel pita sandwiches with a hefty load of baba ganoush and slices of red onion.
- I like to add feta cheese, arugula, and tomatoes to my hot falafel sandwich. This is the ultimate falafel sandwich ever.
- Serve falafel sandwich with your favorite hot sauce. For an extra kick, try this Sriracha Mayo.
🧺 Storage
Refrigerate- Store leftover falafel in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Freeze - Place uncooked falafel balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until hard. Put frozen falafel in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3-4 months. Fry from frozen.
Reheat—Reheat your falafel in the oven or an air fryer until heated thoroughly. I do not recommend using a microwave, as it will not give you crispy falafel.
📣 Related Recipes
- Ful medames is a traditional Egyptian dish that is made with cooked fava beans and a variety of spices and toppings. It is a staple on Egyptian breakfast or lunch.
- This ricotta cheese recipe is simple, inexpensive, and delicious. Add your favorite herbs to the cheese for extra flavor. Irresistible!
- Baghrir is the Moroccan style pancakes with a distinctive shape and texture. Made with semolina flour and served with honey and butter these pancakes are sure to impress.
- A tasty take on the classic Middle Eastern dish, Potato Shakshuka is a delightful breakfast of potatoes and eggs. Melted cheese is atop crispy potatoes and poached eggs in a flavorful sauce.
- Discover the beauty of Mediterranean Eggplant Recipes with these simple and flavorful varieties of dishes. Salads, dips, main and more, you will for sure enjoy this underrated vegetable.
- These Dill Cucumber Sandwiches are a refreshing, crisp summertime staple. Crisp cucumber slices are layered on soft bread with a creamy spread and fresh dill.
More Falafel Recipes
- Egyptian falafel is one of the seriously best falafel you can make at home.
- Have you tried stuffed falafel? I like mine stuffed with feta but many like them stuffed with sumac onions.
- If you want to cut back on fried food, try these baked falafel made with canned chickpeas!!.
- Falafel is a breakfast/ lunch and sometimes dinner recipes in the Middle East. Here are some great authentic ideas for what to serve with falafel
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Thank you.
Falafel Pita Sandwich
Classic falafel sandwich recipe with lots of topping ideas. Warm pita pockets with crunchy falafel, tomatoes, arugula, creamy tahini sauce and much more. An ultimate lunch or dinner idea to share with family and friends.
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Servings: 10 pitas
Calories: 231kcal
Ingredients
- 5 pita bread
To make the falafel:
- 2 cups dry chickpeas 350g
- 4 cups cold water
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves about 15g from 6 springs
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves about 7g from 10 springs
- 1 small onion 130g quartered
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Wash chickpeas and add them to a big bowl.
- Add water, generous enough to cover and top by 1 inch, this can be 4-5 cups.
- Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter for 20-24 hours, if possible change the water halfway through.
Make the falafel:
- Drain chickpeas and give them a quick rinse.
- Working in batches, depending on your food processor size, add about ⅓rd of the chickpeas and ⅓rd of all the fresh herbs, onion and garlic.
- Process scrapping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Dump the ingredients of the food processor into another large bowl and proceed with the remaining ingredients until you are done.
- You will have a coarsely grind mixture, now repeat the grinding again by adding about ⅓rd of the mixture to the food processor and process again to get the mixture finer until you are done with the whole batch.
- If your mixture gets hot from the food processor, refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to cool down.
- Add in all the spices, baking soda and mix well.
- If your mixture is still very crumbly add the water one tablespoon at a time and mix with your hand.
Frying the falafel:
- In a frying pan add about 1 ½ inches of oil, heat on medium until oil reaches between 330-350F.
- Lower the heat to medium low and start shaping the falafel.
- Wet your hands with cold water.
- Scoop about two tablespoons of the mixture in your hands and lightly shape into a disc, 4cm wide and 1 cm height.
- Drop the falafel into the hot oil and proceed to make others, do not cram the pan.
- Raise temperature to medium again and wait for falafel to cook and brown nicely all over.
- With a slotted spoon take falafel out into a plate lined with kitchen paper towels.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and start shaping the next batch of falafel.
Assemble the sandwich:
- Cut the pita in half, place 3 falafel or to your liking in the pita pocket with some sliced onions, arugula and tomato slices. Drizzle some tahini sauce over.
Notes
- This recipes makes about 30 falafel so if you are not frying them all, add spices and baking soda only to the amount that you are going to fry. Keep the rest in an airtight container and freeze.
- It is recommended to test one falafel before proceeding with the rest of the amount. Fry one and check that it will not break into the oil, if it does, then most probably the falafel mixture is too wet, add a couple of tablespoons of flour ( preferably chickpea flour).
- Wet your hands in between falafel so they glide easily into the oil.
- When dropping falafel into the oil, they should not brown instantly ( this means the oil is too hot), or dip to the bottom of your pan ( this means the oil is not hot enough). Instead they should float and be surrounded with bubbles.
- In Egypt we call this kind of falafel Syrian or Shamy falafel which is actually falafel made with chickpeas. Original Falafel does not have any herbs but home cooks like us love making it with some green herbs.
- To serve:
- Serve with sliced onion, tomatoes, cucumber, chopped parsley, arugula, pickled turnips and tahini sauce or as we call it tahini salad.
- My take: I like adding feta cheese to my falafel sandwich, try it you might like it.
- Storage: Store falafel in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- To reheat: Place falafel in you oven or an air fryer and air fry for 5 minutes on 400F or until crisp and heated thoroughly.
- Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Nutrition
Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 538mg | Potassium: 471mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 652IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 4mg
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First published Feb 2, 2015 . Last updated May 10, 2023 with important tips, clear step by step instructions and readability.
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Nandy
Thank you. I made the falafel. Can you please revise your recipe to make falafel by "adding chickpea flour or flour" as part of the ingredients." I did not use the chickpea flour or flour and the falafel fell apart in the fry pan. I had to throw the batch out.
I added a couple of tablespoons of flour to the remaining falafel since I did not have chickpea flour. The falafel did not fall apart. It came out very good. Please keep sending the recipes.
Rana
Hi Amira, I really enjoy your blog :). I was wondering if these can be baked instead. I'm sensitive to fried foods. Thank you!
Amira
Rana, I have another recipe actually for baked falafel here, check it out.
Henna
It's so easy to fall into a negative mindset about our lives, my sister. But you're right, when we look at those who have a harder life than us, it can only make us grateful for what we do have.
May Allah ease everyone's suffering and hardships. May He guide us all, and may we be reunited with our loved ones in the beautiful gardens of Jannah!
Marie kléber
Thank you for raising your voice Amira. The world seem to be in such a terrible state these days with all the killings and the madness around us. At least, you are right to outline it, some of us have the chance to have a roof, enough money to eat and healthy kids.
When I look at Syria, I feel pain in my stomach. I will join you in donating. There's no small action.
Will now need to try the falafel recipe cause I love falafel and I would definitely love to do them by myself.
Take care and stay blessed always.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
That is such a wonderful campaign and I agree with you, we don't realize just how lucky we are sometimes. I've never heard of Syrian falafel before but I'm so eager to make it. What a color!
Liz
P.S. So glad the cupcakes were a success! Thanks for the lovely review!!! xo
easyfoodsmith
Reading your post brought back the memories my father shared with us about how they were all uprootes from their homes in Pakistan and move to India post the independence and partition of India. Its heart wrenching seeing these pics. We should indeed always thank God for what he has blessed us with. Even the smallest blessings count.
The falafel in its green glory looks tempting.
Kristn
Wow! What a beautiful post. It is *so* great to be reminded how blessed we are and to look at the things we are frustrated with as blessings that others would love to have. Thank you for such a significant and important reminder.
And, on a completely separate, your falafel looks absolutely amazing!
Cheers and God bless!
Norma Chang
A very thoughtful post, yes we are very blessed but many of us do not appreciate all that we have.
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz
Great post, it is good to appreciate what we have and think of others less fortunate. A great cause for Syrians for sure. Lovely Syrian falafel too, never saw green ones, looks yummy.
Carrie
Thank you for this heartfelt post. It's easy to get wrapped up in our own lives (and there's always plenty to complain about!) but there are some truly upsetting things going on in the world that really put things in perspective.
Vanessa
This is a beautiful post, that brought tears to my eyes...There is not a single day I do not think about Syria... feeling so hopeless and sad to be unable to do anything.
The fallafels look delicious, too.
Amira
Yesterday I cried A LOT almost like the moment I heard that my dad passed away. I felt so helpless, full of anger, full or resentment of what happened to the poor Jordanian pilot. I kept asking why??? why they are doing this? who they are fighting? I cannot understand them anymore... it seems that are fighting everyone and anyone who stands against them!!!. I have no doubt now that they are just bloody killing machines :(.
John@Kitchen Riffs
Really great post! An important one, too, and one we should all heed. Conditions in part of Syria (and unfortunately, too many other places in the world) are a real mess. And there aren't any quick remedies, at least none that I can see. But anything we can give will help at least a bit. Really thoughtful post. And lovely recipe -- falafel is wonderful. Good, but sobering, read -- thanks.
Hotly Spiced
This is such a timely post and it's so true that most of us in the West grumble and moan about trivial issues when compared to what those outside of the West are suffering. The plight of the Syrian people is shocking. I met a guy who now lives in NY but he grew up in Syria. He said years ago it was the most peaceful place on earth and no one living there could ever have imagined the violence that was ahead of them. It's heartbreaking to watch xx
Joanne T Ferguson
G'day What a beautifully written post and thanks for genuinely touching my heart today Amrita!
My Nana used to say...one is never the first, nor the last of anything in this world, then follow it up with...and someone always has it worse!
Thank you for sharing views through your heart and mind and of a good reminder to all re perspective! Cheers! Joanne
Liz
You are so right---we have so many blessings, and they tend to get forgotten with the chores of daily life. I'll keep all those suffering in Syria in my prayers.
P.S. Your falafel look wonderful!!
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You
Hi, Amira! I love shamy falafel. Every time that I go to Whole Foods, I have to buy the ones that they make which are very good. Thanks for the recipe! I can try to make them at home.
What a heartfelt post. You are not gonna believe but I have been thinking about people that are suffering in Syria for a while and one of my projects for this year includes to write a post asking for donation. Many of these who are suffering are my fellow Christians. Many have died by ISIS hands and others are orphans or are working on potato fields. Every time that I see their suffering it reminds me how blessed I am and how much I want to help them. May the Lord bless you and your family richly!!!! Stay warm... and yes, kids are kids!!! Mine sometimes drive me insane but I ma happy for having them in my life. xx
Amira
I cannot believe what is happening in the world these days :(... I've just saw what happened to the Jordanian pilot.. so cruel!! I still cannot believe that there is someone in this world who can do this. May all the victims RIP and give their families patience.
sarvenaz
Il est peut-être vrai que la famille Bachir Al Assad a mal gouverné la syrie ou pire encore, je l'ignore mais au moins les gens avaient un toit, un repas, travaillaient et les enfants allaient à l'école sans avoir la hantise de voir une bombe saccager leur maison ! Maintenant ces mêmes personnes n'ont plus de toit, plus d'emplois, vivent sous les bombes et le bon vouloir de personnes qui ne craignent pas Allah.
Qu'Allah soit avec le peuple syrien.
Amira
I believe this is the precious cost of freedom. I know they did not have their freedom yet and the poor innocent civilians are now trapped between Bashar regime, ISIS , Islamic militants and other militants and it is chaos ... but I think there will be light at the end of the tunnel.