Falafel Sandwich Recipe

This is the sandwich of my dreams

This Falafel Sandwich is the stuff that dreams are made of. Maybe just my dreams? But I suspect not.

It's the contrasts for me. Crisp, hot falafel snuggled next to cool cucumber. Tangy pickled red onions with luxurious tahini sauce. Everything comes together in an explosion of texture and flavor to form the most perfect sandwich that I can think of. Our warm Halloumi Sandwich or our 15-minute smashed chickpea sandwich might be close seconds.

Oh and did I mention that this Falafel Sandwich is completely vegan? Packed with plant-based protein? Brings tons of dietary fiber? And is loaded with veggies? This makes my cold, dark, nutritionist heart so happy.

I make this recipe with our internet-famous air fryer falafel, but store-bought is perfectly fine if you want to keep things simple. Grab frozen falafel from your grocery store, or go for deli-made falafel if you have a good source.

Like I said, it's a dream come true. And once you've got the hang of it, this is sure to become one of your back-pocket recipes.

Step 1: make your tahini sauce

Simply whisk together the tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, water, salt, and black pepper.

Tip! If the sauce doesn't taste garlicky enough, set it aside and wait a few minutes before you add more garlic. The garlic flavor tends to "bloom" over time, and I find that less is more when it comes to this sauce.

Step 2: prepare your fillings

Slice your cucumber, wash your lettuce, chop your tomatoes, and gather your herbs.

This is also when you'll want to heat up your falafel. If you're making them from scratch, you'll be air-frying them now. If you're heating cold or frozen falafel, the oven or the air fryer are great options for crisp falafel.

Step 3: assemble your sandwich

Take your bread of choice and smear it liberally with hummus. Top with veggies, then the hot falafel patties. Add pickled onions, fresh cilantro (or coriander for those on the other side of the world), and a drizzle of that creamy tahini sauce.

That's it! Your Falafel Sandwich is ready.

Tips for the Best Falafel Sandwich

This recipe is super easy to make, but there are a few tips to keep in mind to ensure you have the best possible falafel sandwich!

Choose the right bread

I find that stuffing falafel into pita pockets is always problematic as they tend to break. My preference is to use big, soft flatbreads that you can wrap around the filling to make a falafel pita sandwich - large, warm pita bread works well for this. Otherwise, I love to use a baguette, which I know is not traditional, but it makes a wonderful falafel sandwich.

Use hot falafel

This is a sandwich that relies on contrasts for its deliciousness. While you certainly can use room-temperature falafel, your sandwich will always be most delicious with crisp, hot falafel.

Don't overfill

Less is more when it comes to filling your sandwich! You can of course stuff it as full as you want, but it's going to be a messy undertaking to eat it if it has been overfilled.

Mix it up!

This recipe is written the way we prefer our falafel sandwiches, but you can of course mix it up! Use the fresh vegetables, herbs, and sauces that you like best and make it your own.