If you’re into Greek food, you’re going to love this Falafel Bowl Recipe. Homemade falafel baked in the oven, served over savory parmesan rice with fresh veggies and tzatziki on top - yum!
This blog post and recipe is sponsored by Success Rice. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so much for supporting brands that make A Paige Of Positivity possible.
Table of Contents
About this Crispy Baked Falafel
Have you ever been to CAVA? It’s a Mediterranean fast casual restaurant with the most delicious bowls and pitas. Unfortunately, we don’t have one in Michigan, so of course I had to come up with my own Mediterranean falafel bowls to have at home.
And this delicious Falafel Bowl Recipe falls nothing short of mouthwatering. We start with chickpeas, plenty of fresh herbs, and some spices that get blended all together. And once you form the falafel balls, they’re going straight to the oven so no messy frying is required (plus it’s healthier this way with less oil!). The baked falafel gets put on a bed of creamy parmesan rice and I served mine with a tomato and cucumber salad with tzatziki on top.
This bowl is great for meal prep or a simple weeknight dinner. It’s perfect to serve with vegetarians around or for meatless Mondays! And if you’re looking for more bowls to try, also check out this California Roll Bowl, this Spicy Mustard Vegan Rice Bowl, or this Chile Lime Shrimp Bowl, tool
Recipe Ingredients
- Add important ingredients here with notes
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See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
There are so many ways to customize these Mediterranean bowls. A few variations you could try:
- Falafel: Try making it with another bean like white beans or fava beans. Play with the herbs and try swapping in basil or cilantro. You could add spinach or kale to the falafel base, too to add extra veggies.
- Base: Instead of Parmesan Rice, brown rice, try quinoa, farro, cauliflower rice, Mujadara (a Middle Eastern dish of rice and lentils), or keep it lighter and make falafel salad bowls with a bed of greens like spinach, kale, arugula, romaine lettuce or spring mix.
- Veggies: I love adding crunchy veggies to my bowl. Try kalamata olives, beets, cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes, purple cabbage, etc.
- Sauce: This is where you can get creative and add all sorts of fun flavors. Add creamy hummus, creamy tahini sauce, whipped feta cheese, a green goddess sauce, or your favorite Greek dressing.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas. Add the fresh parsley, fresh dill, diced yellow onion, seasonings, baking powder, and coconut flour to a food processor. Then add the chickpeas on top of everything (for easier blending).
2. Pulse until all of the falafel ingredients are minced and combined. Note: you may need to use a rubber spatula to push down the sides and ensure the chickpeas are blended.
3. Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl and use a wooden spoon to toss again.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Use a cookie scooper to scoop falafel. Use your hands to form them into small patties (recipe makes ~12).
5. Place falafel onto baking sheet and then drizzle generously with olive oil (this is how the falafel becomes crispy and golden brown since we’re not frying them). Bake for 12 minutes. Flip the falafel over (drizzle with more olive oil if needed) and bake for another 12 minutes.
6. While the falafel is baking, make the Parmesan Rice and prep any additional fresh vegetables you plan to serve with it.
After the falafel is cooked, allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes (helps the patties hold their shape). Serve over rice, tzatziki sauce, fresh pita, and greek salad (I do a mix of cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, tossed in some gyro seasoning and olive oil)!
Pack it up for meal prep or serve it warm! Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Don’t over process the falafel mixture. You want it still slightly chunky when forming it into balls, so pulsing works best rather than letting your food processor blend for an extended period of time.
- User fresh herbs! The result is much more flavorful. Don’t know what to do with all the leftovers? Blend with some olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper for an herby salad dressing.
Recipe FAQs
Store each of the falafel bowl ingredients separately to avoid anything from getting soggy. The baked falafel balls keep well in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, just let them cool first to avoid any of the steam getting trapped in your storage container.
I love baking homemade falafel because there is little mess to clean up afterward (especially if you line the pan with parchment paper). That said, you can also air fry the chickpea balls (~12 minutes at 400°) or deep fry them in oil for falafel more similar to the street food version.
I love a good bowl, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy falafel. One of my other favorite ways to eat baked falafel is tucked into a thick pita with cucumbers, tomatoes, and tzatziki, or in a thick piece of naan creating a sandwich more similar to a gyro with plenty of feta on top.
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Recipe
Falafel Bowl Recipe
Equipment
- sheet pan
- Food Processor
- Measuring cups and spoons
- rubber spatuala
- Baking sheet
- parchment paper
- cookie scooper
Ingredients
Falafel
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 cup fresh dill
- 1 small yellow onion
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne powder
- ¼ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
Serve with
- parmesan rice, or other grain
- pickled red onions
- tzatziki
- hummus
- herbs, such as dill, mint, or parsley
- fresh pita bread
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas. Add the fresh parsley, fresh dill, diced yellow onion, seasonings, baking powder, and coconut flour to a food processor. Then add the chickpeas on top of everything (for easier blending).
- Pulse until all of the falafel ingredients are minced and combined. Note: you may need to use a rubber spatula to push down the sides and ensure the chickpeas are blended.
- Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl and use a wooden spoon to toss again.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a cookie scooper to scoop falafel. Use your hands to form them into small patties (recipe makes ~12).
- Place falafel onto baking sheet and then drizzle generously with olive oil (this is how the falafel becomes crispy and golden brown since we’re not frying them).
- Bake for 12 minutes. Flip the falafel over (drizzle with more olive oil if needed) and bake for another 12 minutes.
- While the falafel is baking, make the Parmesan Rice and prep any additional fresh vegetables you plan to serve with it.
- After the falafel is cooked, allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes (helps the patties hold their shape). Serve over rice, tzatziki sauce, fresh pita, and greek salad (I do a mix of cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, tossed in some gyro seasoning and olive oil)!
- Pack it up for meal prep or serve it warm! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
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If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find Baked Falafel calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Courtney Paige says
FLAVORFUL is all I have to say. Especially with tzatiki sauce and warmed pita, YUM!
Sydney Van Acker says
This baked falafel is entering my meal prep rotation!!! so easy and so flavorful. I used basil instead of parsley because my basil plant was growing wild and I loved it!