Falafel is such a vibrant food, bursting with spices and flavor. The crunchy outside gives way to pillowy goodness inside. Starting with frozen, pre-formed balls only makes things easier! Once you take a bite of Trader Joe’s frozen falafel cooked in the air fryer, you’ll never look back.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Starting with frozen falafel makes things so much easier. No more grinding up chickpeas, seasoning, rolling, and frying! Just pop this pre-formed version into the air fryer in their frozen state, no defrosting required.
They’re ready in just about 10 minutes, making these falafel a quick and easy meal anytime of day. Pair with a side salad or stuff them in a pita for lunch. Serve with some hummus on the side for an easy dipper appetizer. No matter what, they’re going to be crispy and delicious!
What You Need for This Recipe
- Trader Joe’s frozen falafel
- Sides or dippers (optional)
Ingredient Notes and Suggestions
- Falafel. Trader Joe’s frozen falafel is delicious, so that’s why I always grab theirs. However, any other brand (like Aldi or Costco) will work with this same method. If you use mini falafel (like Trader Joe’s mini dill pickle falafel) you’ll want to cut the cooking time down by 3 minutes
- Sauces. I typically serve falafel with hummus, tahini, tzatziki, or garlic sauce (but they’re also delicious on their own)
How to Cook Trader Joe’s Frozen Falafel in Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 370°F (or 375°F depending on your air fryer’s options)
- Place the Trader Joe’s frozen falafel in the preheated air fryer basket, allowing air space between each one
- Cook on air fry setting for 8-10 minutes, pausing halfway through to flip
- If they are not as crispy as you’d like, add additional time in 1-2 minute increments
- Serve with sides, sauces, or in a sandwich!
Sides to Serve with Falafel
- Hummus
- Rice pilaf
- Pickled vegetables
- Ratatouille (or other roasted vegetables)
- Tahini sauce
- Tabouli
- Lentils
- Pita bread
- Stuffed tomatoes
- Green salad
- Cucumber salad
- Roasted cauliflower
- Baba Ganoush
- Roasted chickpeas
- Quinoa
- French fries
Recipe FAQs
Can You Cook Frozen Falafel in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook frozen falafel in an air fryer.
The outside gets crispy, crunchy, and browned. The interior stays soft, moist, and gets perfectly heated.
How Long to Cook Frozen Falafel in an Air Fryer?
Standard sized frozen falafel takes 8-12 minutes on average in an air fryer, depending on the temperature and the specific air fryer.
Mini frozen falafel takes 5-10 minutes on average due to the smaller size.
Recipe Pro Advice
- There’s no need to add any additional oil during cooking, as the frozen breading already contains enough
- I recommend tongs or a spatula to aid in flipping the falafel, as really aggressive basket shaking can break them apart
Other Trader Joe’s Air Fryer Recipes to Try
- Trader Joe’s Empanadas
- Frozen Hash Browns
- Trader Joe’s Potato Latkes
- Salmon Pinwheels
- Trader Joe’s Frozen Quiche
Final Thoughts
With Trader Joe’s frozen falafel air fryer cooking method, you’ll get perfectly crispy, hot, and delicious falafel in just about 10 minutes! Their standard ones are vegan and gluten free, so they’re suitable for a wide range of diets.
I like to pair mine with a pita and some hummus for an easy workday lunch, but they’re delicious as an appetizer or side as well!
Check out some more of our best gluten free air fryer recipes that deliver the flavor!
Trader Joe’s Frozen Falafel Air Fryer Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pieces Trader Joe's frozen falafel
- Sides or dipping sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 370°F (or 375°F depending on your air fryer’s options)
- Place the Trader Joe’s frozen falafel in the preheated air fryer basket, allowing air space between each one3 pieces Trader Joe's frozen falafel
- Cook on air fry setting for 8-10 minutes, pausing halfway through to flip
- If they are not as crispy as you’d like, add additional time in 1-2 minute increments
- Serve with sides, sauces, or in a sandwich!Sides or dipping sauce
Notes
- This cooking method works with Trader Joe’s frozen falafel of course, but is the same for other brands as well, such as Aldi or Costco
- If you use mini falafel, you’ll want to cut the cooking time down by 3 minutes
- I typically serve falafel with hummus, tahini, tzatziki, or garlic sauce (but they’re also delicious on their own). Stuff them in a pita with lettuce and sauce for an easy sandwich!
- A serving is 3 falafel, and you’ll generally get 4 servings in a bag. As long as your air fryer is large enough, cook as many as you want at a time and there’s no need to change cooking time
- Don’t add any additional oil during cooking, as the frozen breading already contains enough
- 8 minutes was perfect in my Ninja Dual Zone air fryer. Other air fryers may differ slightly on total cook time needed
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand of ingredients and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
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