Table of Contents
Sidra Agarwal, dietetic student
Falafel gyros, aka falafel sandwich, is all the Mediterranean flavors we love, wrapped in fluffy pita bread and topped with veggies and a creamy Tzatziki sauce. These gyros are incredibly healthy and topped with vegetables, plant-based protein and fiber from the chickpeas.
Tzatziki sauce adds creaminess and an extra dose of protein.
Ohh, and did I mention the falafel balls can be made at home, baked in an oven, and they turn out perfectly crispy! Perfect for a quick lunch, weeknight dinner, and meal prepping.
Making the Falafel
I always thought falafel needs to be deep fried or best ordered from a restaurant or store-bought. But my first attempt at making these at home from scratch was a success and even more satisfying.
Traditionally, falafels are made from dried chickpeas. For this recipe, we will use canned chickpeas to speed up the process. Everything goes straight into a food processor.
Consistency of the dough is key! You don’t want to make a puree like hummus. We are looking for a little texture, but at the same time, blend it well enough until clumps begin to form and the dough sticks together when you roll it into balls.
If the mixture is too wet, add some more flour or breadcrumbs. You want a slightly moist dough that doesn’t dry out when you bake but is also not too wet.
BONUS- I love creating meal prep-friendly recipes. These falafels reheat well, and you have them ready for wraps, bowls, and salads!
Assembling the Falafel Gyros
The options are unlimited!
For example, slather the pita with the traditional tzatziki sauce or spruce it up with hummus.
You could swap the lettuce with spring mix, peppery arugula, or spinach to bump up the healthy quotient for the topping.
I used pita bread when I made these at home, but you could use plain or garlic naan. Or choose whole-grain for more magnesium and filling fiber.
Feel free to top your sandwich with things you enjoy!
Falafel Gyros
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Falafels
- 2 cups Canned Chickpeas*
- 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp Tahini Paste
- 1 small Red Onion rough chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ cup Parsley rough chopped
- ½ Lemon juiced
- 1 ½ tsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- Cooking Spray
To assemble Falafel Gyros
- Tzatziki Sauce*
- 4 Pitas
- 1 Tomato Sliced
- 1 Red Onion Sliced
- Romaine Lettuce shredded
Instructions
To Make Falafel
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Add all the falafel ingredients to a food processor and start pulsing it. Scrape down the edges as you go. You want to make sure that you don't over-blend. It needs to be smooth but not to the point that it resembles hummus.
- Once blended, spray a little cooking spray on your palms and start forming patties. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and spray the patties with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, change your oven setting to high broil and cook until brown and crispy, roughly 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on them, so they don't burn!
To Assemble Falafel Gyros
- Place the shredded lettuce on the pita bread, top it with the falafel patties, onion, and tomato slices and finish it with a dollop of tzatziki sauce!!
- Enjoy!
Notes
*We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through links on our site. These commissions help support our work in providing valuable content to our readers. Thank you for your support!
For more Mediterranean Inspired Recipes
Grilled eggplant stacks are easy and pretty. Perfect for a vegetarian at a cookout.
My Mediterranean Quesadillas are always a crowd-pleaser. This recipe is easy to customize to your own preferences and contains a great tzatziki recipe.
For a vegan option, Minimalist Baker has an easy vegan tzatziki recipe to try out!
More About Sidra
My name is Sidra Agarwal. I am from India and have been in the DFW area for the last 10 years.
I am a senior at Texas Woman’s University, majoring in Nutrition with an emphasis in Dietetics. When I am not studying or working, I enjoy cooking/baking, working out, going on walks with my dogs, and binge-watching Netflix. I also love to travel and explore new cuisines and cultures and have a Europe trip on my bucket list for next year!
My Instagram handle is @SidraAgarwal
Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian, mom, wife, and vegetarian in North Texas. She has dedicated Dietitian Jenn to be a source of information, ideas, and inspiration for people like her, vegetarians that live with people with different dietary beliefs and/or needs in a multivore household.
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