These Baked Falafel Burgers with chickpea patties, arugula, and tzatziki are a great vegetarian burger option and a nice change from classic falafel wraps!
After spending a month in Tel Aviv, Israel and eating my body weight in falafel sandwiches (this 6-shekel falafel - less than 2$!- place was just too close to our house!), I was kind of bound to recreate something-falafel in my kitchen.
Baked falafel this time because, hey, when it's in your kitchen you have zero excuses and can't pretend you don't know the falafels at your 6-shekel falafel place are fried. Ahem.
These falafel burgers, while healthier than your regular cheeseburgers, are still packed with flavors. The falafel patties themselves are loaded with spices and the garlic + onion give them an extra kick.
The sauce is basically tzatziki and adds so much freshness and lightness to the falafel burgers. I love the peppery taste of the fresh arugula to finish it off. You can also add tomatoes, onions...any of your favorite healthy burger toppings! Enjoy.
If you tried these falafel burgers, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!
Baked Falafel Burgers {Vegetarian + Gluten-Free/Vegan Options}
These Baked Falafel Burgers with chickpea patties, arugula, and tzatziki are a great vegetarian healthy burger option and a nice change from classic falafel wraps!
Ingredients
For the falafels
- olive oil spray
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley about ½ cup, packed
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro about ½ cup, packed
- 1 ½ tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ freshly cracked black pepper
For the burgers
- 6 gluten-free burger buns I used brioche buns with sesame seeds - You can use a large lettuce leaves or gluten free buns to make gluten free
- 1 ½ cups tzatziki store-bought or homemade
- 2-3 cups arugula
Instructions
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The day before, place dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight. Rinse and drain thoroughly.
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Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with olive oil.
For the falafel patties
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Add all the falafel ingredients to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until everything is well incorporated but a little bit chunky (before it forms a paste) scraping the edge of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
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Using your hands, roll ½ cup of mixture into a ball, squeeze to make sure it's as compact as possible and arrange on prepared baking sheet. With the palm of your hand, flatten the ball and form a patty. Continue with the remaining mixture until you have 6 patties.
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Spray with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly golden, flipping them with a spatula halfway through cooking. They should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Assemble
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Toast the bread slightly and spread one side of the buns with tzatziki (about ¾ tablespoons per bun, depending on the size). Place falafel patties on top then top with arugula and finish with the bun. Enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE: use some lettuce leaves to make wraps or gluten-free buns.
TO MAKE VEGAN: leave out the tzatziki and add some hummus instead.
Other toppings you may add: thinly sliced red onion, sliced tomatoes, sliced red cabbage
Cateraar Den Haag
This looks amazing! Yum!!
krishi
A beautiful and scrumptious looking baked falafel burger!. Thanks for sharing
Marie
Thanks Krishi!
40A.
I love the look of these chickpea patties and I love that you make them from scratch with dried chickpeas! A great veggie burger recipe!
RD
Thought you might like to know that there's a misspelling in the directions: "2. Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Line a baking shit with parchment paper and spray with olive oil."
I think you meant sheet. I just about died laughing. This recipe looks phenomenal though, and I'm eager to try it!
Marie
OMG hilarious - and embarrassing! haha. Thanks for letting me know, I'll update the recipe NOW lol.
Leonie Barry
Could these be frozen? If so would you cook from frozen or thaw first?
Marie
I have never tested freezing them but i think it would work, yes. I would cook them from frozen and lengthen the cooking time.