Easy Vegan Falafel Burger Recipe. Chickpea patties with 5 minute tahini dressing, tomatoes, onions, pickles make for a filling and flavorful burger. Vegan Soy-free Recipe. Ready within 30 Minutes. Can be made gluten-free. Pin it for later. Jump to Recipe
Everyone needs a falafel burger! A simple Chickpea burger with falafel flavors, tahini dressing, pickles, lettuce and other fixings.
This falafel burger uses cooked chickpeas, cumin, coriander, cardamom, parley, lemon and a binder and comes together within minutes. Pan fry until golden. Make the 5 minute Tahini dressing. Serve these between buns with a generous dressing or in a pita bread! Sesame seeds add an amazing flavor and crunch to the patties. Use breadcrumbs, or coarsely ground oats as binder. Make these flavorful soft moist falafel burger patties!
I prefer these panfried as baked chickpea patties tend to dry out a bit more. To bake these, make sure to add some additional moistue holding ingredients such as tahini and 1 flax egg(1 tbsp flax mixed in 2.5 tbsp water). The patties come together very quickly. Put everything in a processor, shape and pan fry. The whole sandwich or wrap, however you want to serve these are ready within 30 Minutes.
Oh yes, if you use all cilantro instead of parsley, serve these with chutneys of choice. Also, serve 1 patty per burger. The stacking is for photo purposes only ;).
More Burgers from the blog
- Lentil Quinoa “Meatloaf” Burger
- BBQ Veggie Burger with Mango Carrot Cabbage slaw
- Lentil Walnut Burgers.
- Red Lentil and Cauliflower Burger with Onion rings and Chipotle Habanero Mayo
- Grill-able Artichoke Cauliflower Spinach Bean Burger
- and a 35 Veggie burger collection round up!
Classic falafel uses dry chickpeas that are soaked overnight and used. Since I almost never deep fry, I have found that the soaked chickpeas dont work as well when pan fried or baked. If using dry chickpeas, cook them a bit before using for best results. See notes in the Recipe box.
If you make these, do tag me on Instagram and let me know in comments how it worked out!
Make the falafel mixture, chill and shape into patties. Pan fry until golden. I use both raw garlic and roasted garlic in these patties. Raw garlic can sometimes be a strong flavor profile, so use whichever garlic you prefer.
Serve in a burger or pita bread with toppings of choice.
Video:
Easy Vegan Falafel Burger
Ingredients
Falafel Patties:
- 30 oz canned chickpeas washed well and drained. or about 3 cups cooked
- 3/4 cup loosely chopped red onion
- 4 cloves of garlic , preferably roasted or lightly cooked to golden
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup parsley
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1.5 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp or more ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 to 1 tsp salt depends on whether the chickpeas are salted
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp or more lemon juice
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup more breadcrumbs use gluten-free crumbs, coarsely blended oats or gf flour to make gluten-free
Tahini dressing:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 clove of garlic
- a handful of fresh parsley
- 2 to 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup or more water
- 1/4 tsp salt
Other Toppings:
- Sliced tomato
- Sliced onions
- Sliced pickles dill cucumber pickle
- lettuce or greens
Instructions
Make the falafel Burgers:
- Drain the chickpeas, wash and drain well and keep ready.
- In a processor, add onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro and pulse to mince.
- Add the rest of the ingredients through oil and the chickpeas and pulse to make a coarse mixture.
- Transfer to a bowl and add sesame seeds and breadcrumbs and mix in. Add enough crumbs to make a soft doughy mixture. The dough will become less sticky as it chills.
- Chill the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes.Taste and adjust salt, tang, flavor(add more spices if oyu like) and heat and mix in.
- Shape into patties and pan fry on a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes per side.
Make the dressing:
- Blend everything under tahini dressing. Taste and adjust salt and tang. Add more tahini for thicker dressing and more water for thinner.
Assemble:
- Toast the burger buns. Assemble the burger with sliced tomatoes, onions, lettuce or greens, falafel patties and a generous amount of tahini dressing, pickles. Add some hot sauce if you wish. Serve! I also often add a layer of hummus. Serve as burgers or in a pita bread.
The recipe for Easy Vegan Falafel Burger is really easy. Thank you for sharing. What is sliced pickles?
they are dill cucumber pickles (cucumber slices in vinegar and spices). http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pickles/best-ever-dill-pickles/
Hi Richa,
Thank you so very much for you recipes. Can these burgers be frozen?
You can shape and freeze or parbake for 15 mins and then freeze. Thaw, pan fry and serve.
Which ingredient is the binder?
breadcrumbs
This sounds amazing. I love falafel and this sounds so easy! Thank you!
Thanks so much for this recipe! I’m going to make it today ????
I have been craving a falafel burger and this looks like the perfect one! I am trying to cut out bread, so I think I will wrap this in romaine leaves instead of a bun. Looks amazing! Thank you!!
Ah, I love the taste of falafels! These patties look so tasty. Love the colors as well!
Looks amazing.
Do you think I can make a variation of it with lentils or sprouted mung beans? Got both ready to use in the fridge and dying to make some tasty patties with it…
Yes, you can use any combination of lentils and beans. You might need to add more or less breadcrumbs depending on the moisture content and binding needed. Mash them well and use. I also make falafel balls with lentils and split peas. http://www.veganricha.com/2014/07/lentil-split-pea-falafel-bowl-with.html
That looks absolutely divine! <3 Cannot wait to make it. Thank you for sharing x
nice recipe. looks so tasty! very simple to make a falafel burger but i think it’s full of energy for everyone in the morning. thanks for sharing, Richa.
can we add an egg as a binder, instead of breadcrumbs? great recipe
I haven’t used egg in a while, so I wouldn’t know. it would add too much moisture. Use flour instead.
The egg industry culls 100 million male chicks every year as soon as they are born, by grinding them up alive in machines or suffocating in trash bags. 100s of millions of hens live in horrible conditions, many die when their bodies give up after producing egg after egg. eventually the rest are electrocuted or scalded to death. There is no need to use eggs for taste or nutrition in everyday food, which is why I have a vegan blog with 1000s of egg-free recipes.
susan you just got destroyed. richa you’re the best
Thank you for sharing this truth with those who haven’t seen it yet!
I have never commented on a blog before. This is the first recipe of yours that we tried. They were amazing. We have enjoyed every single recipe we have tried- veggies and lentils in peanut sauce, quinoa cauliflower bowl with almond siracha, kachumber salad. We are a busy family and appreciate that many recipes do not take an excessive amount of time to make (less than an hour is critical for us). We just bought your paperback. It cannot arrive quickly enough. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Will the patties hold together without the oil? What are the alternatives (low fat)?
Thanks
Yes, they well. mash them well. Maybe add another tbsp of tahini and bake them.
good chickpea flavor, but the falafel taste wasn’t that complex or dynamic. After adding some sunflower seeds for a nice crunch and some cumin, I enjoyed the patties much more
Thanks. maybe the cumin was a bit old? usually these are pretty flavorful. sunflower seeds are a great addition.
Also the added seeds will need additional spices
These patties always come out so amazingly! i make them in all sizes for variety of meals.
Made this tonight for dinner and it was delightful! I made it into little felafel balls to go with my pita bread and I made 1.5 of this recipe for 5 of us. Let me tell you, we need a much bigger portion! These lovely falafels just keep creeping into my mouth like chicken poppers, but better for you.
The only thing I would change is to add more salt, since I used unsalted chickpeas so the result did not come out as salty as I would like it to be. Never the less, its delicious, delightful and pack full of spices. and flavour.
Also used a blendtec instead of food processor, a bit of a pain but I made it work!
Hi. Great recipes. What do you use to shape the patties?
Thanks
I pack them in a cookie cutter, then tap the cutter to remove the patty. Flatten it more using your hands if needed.
HI!
So I am in the process of making these burgers now. As I am frying them, I am noticing that they are not holding together very well and are a bit mushy… How can I fix this? Maybe I didn’t let them sit long enough?
Maybe they need to be mashed a bit more? you can also add more flour to help bind if there is too much moisture. Chickpeas can be too crumbly or a bit over cooked and soft. Also, falafel texture is generally slightly crumbly.
I tried making the falafel burgers. While they tasted GREAT, they fell apart. What can I do to keep them from breaking up the next time?
you can add a flax egg ( 1 tbsp flax seed and 2.5 tbsp water mix and let sit for 2 minutes then use). and also mash the chickpeas well. Chickpeas depending on the brand can be well cooked or slightly less cooked and that affects the moisture content and texture. You can also add some cooked rice or quinoa for additional binding.
Thanks for this recipe. Just made them me and my wife lovend them
Dear Richa,
Can you please tell me how to make tahini sauce?😇
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-tahini-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203314 its toasted sesame seed paste. Toast and blend sesame seeds with bit of olive oil
I tired the recipe and the burgers melted and broke apart so bad when I was pan frying
Plz help it smells amazing but it failed
Maybe it needed more binding (breadcrumbs or flour) or if it was dry crumbly, then add some tahini. Pack them really well
Urggghhh… no lemon juice for the falafel Any subs?
vinegar, half the amount
I used fresh oj
do you think they would hold on a grill?
Add another flaxmeal, some more flour and pack them really well and they should work
Made these for dinner yesterday. Smaller patties and we put them in pita wraps with cucumber, lettuce, tomato, the dressing. So delicious!
Loved this recipe. I was able to make it in my vitamix. Wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but it was great! I used a combination of ground flax seed and gluten free quick oats and they came together nicely! Love the taste and will make again!
awesome!
Is there a store bought Tahini that you recommend. Recipe looks amazing!
Soom and whole foods brands are good
Love Trader Joe’s tahini!!!
Hi RIcha, Recipe looks interesting. But question… As per the ingredients and quantity…does it make 2 patties for one burger or 1 patty per burger?
it makes 5 patties.
This was THE most delicious recipe but couldn’t get it to bind despite adding some aquafaba and more bread crumbs. I see that you have suggested flour. Is there supposed to be flour in this recipe anyway or are you just suggesting it if we can’t get them to bind? Also I noticed that when you list the breadcrumbs in the ingredient list, it says 1/2 cup “more”. Does this mean that there were bread crumbs used in the early part of the recipe and you are adding more or does it mean 1/2 cup or more.
I really want to make this work b/c the spices are perfect and it couldn’t be more delicious.
Thank you.
GF flour is an option only if you didn’t want to use breadcrumbs. 1/2 cup is a starting point; you may have to add more until the mixture reaches a soft doughy consistency. There’s only one time you add them which is after step 3. (Add the rest of the ingredients through oil and the chickpeas and pulse to make a coarse mixture.)
At what temperature and for how long would you recommend baking the burgers? We don’t have a grill or skillet.
oil/spray the baking sheet first and go at 375* for 30-40 minutes. parchment optional
Thank you!
And do we need turn them through halfway point or we don’t need to?
Baking these would make it even easier.
Richa,
This recipe was so delicious. Love the flavors and it was easy to make. Thanks!
Richa this was better than any falafel sandwich I’ve ever had!! Your blog is the best thing that has happened in 2020 <3
Thank you for a great tasty recipe. As Richa says. If you bake these. You need to add more moisture. Really yummy and enjoyed the tahini dressing too. 👍
♡ thanks for popping in