Air Fryer Falafel Pita with Cucumber Yogurt
Crisp air-fried falafel tucked into warm pita with a cool cucumber yogurt. A light, high-protein wrap that comes together with almost no effort.
- Total
- 24 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 14
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting
- Savory
- Air fryer
Instructions
-
In a mixing bowl, stir 100 g falafel mix with 80 ml water and 0.25 tsp salt until no dry pockets remain. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes so the mix hydrates and firms up.
~5 min
Resting lets the dry mix fully hydrate and firm up, so the falafel holds its shape instead of crumbling.
-
While step 1 waits
While the falafel mixture hydrates, grate 60 g cucumber on the coarse side of a grater into a small bowl. Stir in 100 g yogurt, 0.25 tsp black pepper and a small pinch of salt. Set the cucumber yogurt aside.
~3 min
Salting and draining grated cucumber keeps the yogurt thick rather than watery.
-
Shape the hydrated falafel mixture into 6 balls about 3 cm across and flatten each slightly into a small patty. Brush or rub them with 1 tsp olive oil so they brown in the air fryer.
~4 min
A thin oil coating conducts heat and browns the surface, mimicking deep-frying crispness in the air fryer.
If the falafel mixture feels too wet to shape, let it stand 2 to 3 more minutes; the mix firms as it hydrates, and a drier mixture crisps better in the air fryer.
-
Arrange the falafel patties in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving space between them. Air fry at 190°C for 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway, until they are deep golden and crisp on the outside.
~12 min
Single-layer spacing lets hot air circulate, so patties crisp evenly instead of steaming where they touch.
Shake the basket at the halfway point so the patties brown evenly on all sides instead of sticking to the basket floor.
Roasting Arrange in a single layer with space so hot air reaches every side; crowding steams the falafel and it never crisps.
-
Open the pita and slide it into the air fryer basket for the last 2 minutes of cooking, just until it is warm and pliable.
~2 min
Brief warming makes pita pliable so it folds without tearing.
-
Fill the warm pita with the crisp falafel patties and spoon the cucumber yogurt over the top. Serve right away while the falafel is still crunchy.
~1 min