Crispy Falafel Waffles with Tahini and Zhoug

Name: Falafel Waffles
Prep time: PT-487957H38M30S
Cook time: 30 min
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 1 cup dried chickpeas; ½ small onion, diced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 3 tablespoons chopped parsley; 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon ground coriander seed; ¼ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ¼ teaspoon cayenne; 1 cup cilantro; ½ cup parsley; 2–3 jalapeño or serrano chiles (or 1–2 Thai bird’s eye chiles); 2 garlic cloves; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom; Sea salt, to taste; 3 tablespoons olive oil; Squeeze of lemon juice; 4 oz dried chiles (e.g., ¾ guajillo, ¼ ancho, 1 chipotle); 1 red bell pepper, roasted; 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for topping); 2 tablespoons water; 1½ teaspoons coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; Salt, to taste

We love this savory spin on falafel, pressed into crispy waffle form and layered with a spread of vibrant sauces, quick-pickled vegetables, and herbs.

byLinda Schneider

Jump to Recipe

I’m not usually one to drag the waffle iron out of storage. Most of the year it lives quietly in the back of a cabinet, wedged somewhere between the rice cooker and a bundt pan. But every so often, something makes it worth the hassle – something a little different, perhaps slightly weird, and definitely absolutely delicious — and falafel waffles fall squarely into that category.

Falafel doesn’t need an introduction. We all know it and love it, often after an evening out for a few drinks – perhaps on the way home from a cocktail bar in Berlin or a club in Beirut? What it sometimes needs is a little less frying oil and a new format. Enter the falafel waffle — same chickpea base, cooked in a waffle iron instead of a deep fryer. No splattering oil, no waiting for the perfect batch of golden orbs to float to the top. Just press, cook, and you’ve got a crisp, spiced canvas ready for toppings.

Why Waffles?

Falafel is at its best when it’s fried to order — hot, crisp outside, soft inside. Anyone who has grabbed falafel an hour after it’s been sitting knows how quickly it dries out. Deep frying at home, however, is another story: messy, smelly, and never quite worth it unless you’re cooking for a crowd.

A waffle iron offers a workaround. The surface heat helps build a good crust, while the chickpea mixture stays moist in the middle. You don’t get the exact same crunch of deep-fried falafel — nothing truly replaces that — but you do get a smart, weeknight-friendly version that still works in a pita or on a plate.

Two Ways to Falafel Waffle

There are two routes here:

Traditional mixture: soaked dried chickpeas, herbs, onion, garlic, and spices pulsed in the food processor. This gives you the most familiar falafel taste and texture.

Shortcut mixture: chickpea flour batter. It’s faster but tends to be rubbery straight from the waffle iron. A quick pan-fry afterward in a little oil crisps it up nicely, if you’re willing to add the extra step.

The verdict? The soaked chickpea version wins for authenticity, but the flour version has its place if you’re short on time.

Building the Plate

Falafel without condiments is like bread without butter or extra virgin olive oil — fine, but it’s definitely missing a key component. What makes falafel worth craving is the delicious mix of sauces, herbs, and pickles layered on top. Here are the essentials and why they belong:

Tomato and cucumber salad
The simplest accompaniment, and probably the one you’ll find everywhere from Tel Aviv to Berlin. I usually keep it bare-bones — just diced tomato, cucumber, olive oil, and lemon — because the falafel already carries plenty of spice.

Zhoug
A green chili paste with Yemeni roots that has found its way across Middle Eastern kitchens. Zhoug is sharp, herbal, and fiery in a way that tahini never is, which makes the two a natural pair. Cilantro and parsley form the base, garlic and cumin add depth, and the heat depends on how brave you’re feeling. Personally, I like it aggressive — a few Thai bird’s eye chilies give it that jolt that sneaks up after the first bite.

Harissa
A North African chili paste built from dried peppers, garlic, spices, and olive oil. It’s less about freshness and more about depth; earthy, slightly sweet, with a slow-building heat. I like to spread a thin layer across the waffle before piling on everything else, so each bite carries that smoky backbone.

Pickles
A crisp pickle makes the whole plate pop. Cabbage, radish, carrot — anything sharp enough to cut through the starch. Here I used quick-pickled kohlrabi, which looks like an alien vegetable but behaves like a firm, juicy turnip. Kohlrabi holds its crunch and takes on vinegar quickly, which means you can pickle it in the morning and have it ready by lunch.

Tahini Sauce
No falafel plate is complete without tahini. Smooth, nutty, slightly bitter, often blended with lemon juice and garlic. It ties everything together — the cooling balance to zhoug’s heat and harissa’s smoke.

How to Make Falafel Waffles