NYC Style Falafel Sandwich

By
MacKenzie Smith
MacKenzie Smith
Recipe developer, food stylist, author, and teacher with a passion for sandwiches. She's behind the popular blog Grilled Cheese Social.
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Updated on 12/28/22
NYC Style Falafel Sandwich
Grilled Cheese Social
Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 90 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 wrap
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1095 Calories
48g Fat
139g Carbs
30g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 1095
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 48g 62%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 1419mg 62%
Total Carbohydrate 139g 51%
Dietary Fiber 12g 43%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 15mg 76%
Calcium 318mg 24%
Iron 9mg 50%
Potassium 1023mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This tasty NYC style falafel sandwich recipe is inspired by the 24-hour middle eastern restaurants that line the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Freshly fried falafel balls, pickled vegetables, herbs, greek yogurt, and a quick and easy lemon garlic tahini dressing are stuffed into a warm pita and drizzled with hot sauce if desired. 

Want a meat-filled Mediterranean sandwich? Try this lamb gyro sandwich or this ​chicken souvlaki recipe. 

2:32

Ingredients

For the Falafel: (makes more than the recipe requires)

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 1 handful parsley

  • 1 handful cilantro

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1/2 onion, chopped

  • 1/2 tablespoon cumin

  • Juice from 1/2 lemon

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes

  • Vegetable oil, for frying

For the Garlic Lemon Tahini Dressing: (makes more than the recipe requires)

  • 2 tablespoons tahini

  • 1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley

  • Juice from 1/4 lemon, or more to taste

  • 1/2 tablespoon water, to adjust the thickness

For the sandwich:

  • 1 pita, warmed

  • 1 tablespoon chopped red onion

  • 1 tablespoon carrot matchsticks

  • 1 tablespoon chopped cucumber

  • 1 tablespoon chopped tomato

  • 1 tablespoon chopped pickled beets

  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic pickles

  • 1 tablespoon chickpeas

  • 1 pinch chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 pinch chopped fresh dill

  • 1 splash red wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

  • 4 falafel balls

  • 2 tablespoons garlic-lemon tahini dressing

  • Your favorite hot sauce, optional

Steps to Make It

For the Falafel:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Begin by adding the chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until chunky.

  3. Add in the parsley, cilantro, garlic, onion, cumin, lemon juice, flour, salt, and red pepper flakes, and pulse until all the ingredients are minced and not pureed smooth.

  4. Season with salt to taste. Place the mixture in the fridge. 

  5. Heat the oil to 375 F.

  6. Once the oil is hot, remove the falafel mixture from the fridge and roll them into little balls about the size of a pingpong ball.

  7. Add a few to the hot oil, being sure not to crowd them, and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

For the Garlic Tahini Dressing:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, garlic, olive oil, chopped parsley, and lemon juice.

  3. Add water, little by little, until desired thickness occurs. Season with salt to taste. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before using.

For the Sandwich

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Begin by warming pita. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add onion, carrots, cucumber, tomato, pickled beets, garlic pickles, chickpeas, parsley, dill and red wine vinegar and salt to taste.

  3. Add the plain Greek yogurt to the middle of the warmed pita and top with half the pickled veg mixture. Add falafel balls, garlic tahini lemon dressing, and the rest of the pickled vegetable mixture. Add hot sauce if desired.

  4. Fold stuffed pita in half and use aluminum foil to keep half the sandwich wrapped. Peel back the foil as you eat it, sort of like a burrito.

  5. Enjoy.