Make a delicious Greek-style falafel gyro with crispy homemade falafel balls, paired with chilled, tangy tzatziki salad, as well as some sweet tomatoes and piquant purple onion. Served it with pita bread for a perfect and easy lunch or dinner.
Do you need more ideas to serve with falafel? Take a look at these gorgeous falafel sandwiches with maple dijon tahini dressing. Not to mention we also show you how to build the ultimate falafel platter.
What to expect from this recipe?
When you think of gyros, you may first think of the popular Greek street food, where meat slices (pork or chicken usually, sometimes lamb or beef) are stacked on a large skewer. The skewer is turning around its axis to get all sides roasted. The server trims the edges of the meat as it gets crispy. Then the meat is wrapped up or stuffed into pita bread with tomato, onion, and tzatziki.
However, as a vegetarian alternative, falafels are also served just like a gyro in pita bread and with tzatziki or with a fresh tomato cucumber salad. So this is exactly what we did. We deep-fried some crispy falafels, whipped up a fresh dairy-free yogurt-based tzatziki, and stuffed our pita pockets with them.
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So what will it taste like? You’ll have some crunchy falafel balls that are fluffy, and grainy on the inside with a slightly nutty, herby flavor. Pair it with a chilled, tangy, and freshly grated cucumber salad, as well as some sweet tomatoes and piquant purple onion. All these flavors combined will give you a well-balanced meal that you can grab and go.
Ingredients
If you want to guild you only falafel gyro, you will need 1) pita bread, 2) falafel, 3) tzatziki, and 4) raw veggies. You can definitely make this recipe using store-bought falafels and premade sauce, but you are here to make them from scratch, am I right? So let me show you what exactly you need.
Falafel
As explained above there are many ways to make falafel, but this is our tried and tested falafel recipe that I am sure you’ll love too.
- Dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) – Don’t make a mistake by using canned chickpeas. You’ll end up with something similar to our chickpea meatballs instead of a proper falafel. You only need to soak them and they are ready to be used.
- Onion – White or red onion for sure. Purple onion only is you really don’t have anything else and you want falafels right this second.
- Garlic
- Fresh parsley – This cannot be substituted with dried herbs. For consistency, flavor, and color you need freshly chopped leaves.
- Fresh cilantro (aka coriander leaves) – The same goes here.
- Cumin
- Sesame seeds – It is a great addition to make a spotty falafel instead of an all-out brown ball. But you can skip them if you don’t have any at hand.
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Baking soda – You need just a pinch really to make sure that it is fluffy inside.
- Cold water
🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Tzatziki
You can add hummus or other tahini-based dressings (like maple dijon tahini dressing or lemon herb tahini), but that just makes it more like a Middle Eastern falafel sandwich rather than a Greek falafel gyro. Here is what you need to make vegan tzatziki sauce.
- Grated cucumber
- Garlic – We prefer fresh, but you can sub ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Fresh dill (or dried)
- Yogurt – We used this unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, but you can use your favorite brand.
- Sour cream – We used this dairy-free sour cream, but you can also use your favorite brand. If you need a homemade nut-free recipe, try our vegan sour cream recipe.
- White wine vinegar –
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
We made deep-fried falafel balls for this gyro recipe, but for other ways to prepare them, visit our detailed guide on how to make falafel.
Making homemade falafels
- Soak dry chickpeas in cold water overnight, but don’t cook them.
- Use a food processor and add chopped onion, garlic, fresh herbs, salt, black pepper, cumin, baking soda, and water.
- Pulse them until you get a creamy, grainy texture. Just pulse, not puree. If you overwork them, you’ll get a mush (see the below picture for reference).
- Empty the food processor into a large mixing bowl. Add sesame seeds and mix them well.
- Chill the falafel mixture in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using a spoon or your palms to form balls out of the chilled mixture.
- Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Add sunflower oil or coconut oil (not olive oil, but something that is high-heat resistant and suitable for deep frying).
- Gently place a couple of balls in the hot oil. Don’t drop it as hot oil can splash up and can cause blisters. Don’t overcrowd the pan as well.
- Fry them for approx. 5 minutes. Fried balls should be brown but not burnt and vibrant green in the middle (see the below picture for reference). We usually place them on a paper towel to capture any excess oil.
Making tzatziki
- Wash the cucumber and use a large hole cheese grater and grate it. I never peel them and you don’t need to either.
- Take a large bowl and place the grated cucumber in it. Sprinkle it with salt and wait for 5-10 minutes for the cucumber to release water.
- When you see water, squeeze the grated cucumber in between your palms or use a cheesecloth, or kitchen towel. Squeeze it as hard as you can. The more moisture you live, your chances will be higher to end up with a runny sauce.
- Take a small bowl and add all sauce ingredients (yogurt, sour cream, white wine vinegar, olive oil, finely chopped garlic, dill, salt, and black pepper). Mix them well.
- Finally, add the sauce to the grated cucumber and mix again. Now it is ready to be added to your falafel gyro sandwich.
Assembling a falafel gyro
- Warm the pita bread in a grill pan, in a skillet, or in the oven. We don’t recommend using a microwave because it just makes it dry.
- Especially if you have large wraps, you can fill them like you would a tortilla wrap. Or you can cut the upper ⅓ and open it up to shape pita pockets.
- Depending on the size pita you can add 2-4 falafel balls, 2-3 Tablespoons of tzatziki, a couple of tomato pieces, and some purple onion slices. If you make pita pockets, we recommend scooping some tzatziki first, then the balls, and drizzling some more on top.
How to serve it?
- In pita pockets – You can serve falafel gyro wrapped in a large pita or naan bread. Or cut the upper ⅓ and open it up to shape pita pockets.
- On a plate – You can also serve it as a main dish with french fries or roasted potatoes. Place a small bowl of tzatziki sauce as a dip next to it.
- As a salad bowl – Make a vegan greek salad, tabbouleh, or any other Mediterranean or Middle Eastern-inspired lettuce or bean salad, and place the falafel balls on top.
- Part of a platter board – We have this amazing Mediterranean grazing board as well as this gorgeous falafel platter (pictured below).
We also have a whole list of creative ideas you can serve with hummus. Since falafel and hummus are a must-have pairing, you can go and choose one or more out of those 16 ideas as well.
FAQs
How to store it?
You can store falafels and tzatziki in a separate airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The falafel will lose its crispy outer crust the next day though. You can pop them back in the oven to make them crispy again. Reheating them in a microwave will not do that.
We don’t recommend storing the complete falafel gyro pitas for a long time since the pita will likely soak up the yogurt-based sauce and will get soggy if you don’t eat it within 24 hours or overnight.
Can you freeze it?
Yes, you can store the falafel balls in a freezer. It is a perfect recipe for batch booking. We don’t recommend freezing the un-fried balls as excess moisture can ruin the texture after thawing. Re-heat them in the oven to make them crunchy and crispy again. Only take out the amount you need to build your falafel gyro sandwich.
Allergen info
This Falafel Gyro recipe is meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free.
- Vegan – All ingredients are supposed to be vegan.
- Nut-free – All ingredients are supposed to be nut-free. Check for cross-contamination issues in any products you buy especially for store-bought dairy-free yogurt and sour cream since they can be made of cashews, almonds, or coconut.
- WFPB-friendly (whole foods plant-based) – This recipe is oil-free if you bake the falafels or use an air fryer. We add a dollop of oil to the tzatziki sauce, but you can skip them without any issues. Make sure you use oil-free yogurt and sour cream as well.
- Gluten-free – All ingredients are supposed to be gluten-free but pay attention to which apple cider vinegar or baking soda you choose. They are usually gluten-free, but worth checking them to make sure. You also need to use gluten-free pita bread. In any event, always check the packaging for cross-contamination info as well.
- Soy-free – All ingredients should be soy-free, but check the store-bought dairy-free yogurt and sour cream since they can be made of soy.
More recipes with falafel
More chickpea recipes
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Falafel Gyros with Tzatziki
Equipment
Ingredients
Homemade Falafel
- 1+½ cup Chickpeas (dry not canned) dried
- 1 Onion (medium)
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 0.8 oz Fresh parsley
- 0.6 oz Fresh cilantro
- 1+½ tsp Ground cumin seeds
- 2 Tbsp Sesame seeds
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ½ cup Cold water
Tzatziki
- 8 oz Cucumber
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Fresh dill or dried
- ½ cup Dairy-free yogurt (plain)
- ½ cup Vegan sour cream
- ½ Tbsp White wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- ½ tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp Black pepper
Other items
- 8 Pita bread use gluten-free
- 16 Cherry tomatoes
- ½ Purple onion
Instructions
How to make homemade falafel?
- Soak dry chickpeas in cold water overnight, but don’t cook them.
- Use a food processor and add chopped onion, garlic, fresh herbs, salt, black pepper, cumin, baking soda, and water.
- Pulse them until you get a creamy, grainy texture. Just pulse, not puree. If you overwork them, you’ll get a mush.
- Empty the food processor into a large mixing bowl. Add sesame seeds and mix them well.
- Chill the falafel mixture in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using a spoon or your palms to form balls out of the chilled mixture
- Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Add sunflower oil or coconut oil (not olive oil, but something that is high-heat resistant and suitable for deep frying).
- Gently place a couple of balls in the hot oil. Don’t drop it as hot oil can splash up and can cause blisters. Don’t overcrowd the pan as well.
- Fry them for approx. 5 minutes. Fried balls should be brown but not burnt and vibrant green in the middle. We usually place them on a paper towel to capture any excess oil.
How to make tzatziki?
- Wash the cucumber and use a large hole cheese grater and grate it. I never peel them and you don’t need to either.
- Take a large bowl and place the grated cucumber in it. Sprinkle it with salt and wait for 5-10 minutes for the cucumber to release water.
- When you see water, squeeze the grated cucumber in between your palms or use a cheese cloth, or kitchen towel. Squeeze it as hard as you can. The more moisture you live, your chances will be higher to end up with a runny sauce.
- Take a small bowl and add all sauce ingredients (yogurt, sour cream, white wine vinegar, olive oil, finely chopped garlic, dill, salt, and black pepper). Mix them well.
- Finally, add the sauce to the grated cucumber and mix again.
Assemble
- Warm the pita bread in a grill pan, in a skillet, or in the oven. We don't recommend using a microwave because it just makes it dry.
- Especially if you have large wraps, you can fill them like you would a tortilla wrap. Or you can cut the upper ⅓ and open it up to shape pita pockets.
- Depending on the size pita you can add 2-4 falafel balls, 2-3 Tablespoons of tzatziki, a couple of tomato pieces, and some purple onion slices. If you make pita pockets, we recommend scooping some tzatziki first, then the balls, and drizzling some more on top.
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