Falafel Burgers with Tzatziki and Pickled Onion

Meet our Middle Eastern Inspired burger filled with a baked falafel patty, tzatziki, pickled onion and fresh cos!

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Make the pickled onions (store in an airtight container in the fridge)

Ingredients 

  • ½ red onion (sliced)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt


Method 

  1. Add the sliced red onion to a glass jar and set aside. In a small saucepan add the water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and pour over the onions.

Prepare the falafel patty mix (store in an airtight container in the fridge)

Ingredients 

  • 400g tin of chickpeas (drained, rinsed and patted dry)
  • ½ red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 carrot (grated)
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 lemon (zest)
  • 1 cup fresh parsley (loosely packed)
  • 1 cup fresh coriander (loosely packed)
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)
  • ¼ cup flour
  • Salt and pepper


Method

  1. To make the falafel patties start by adding the chickpeas to a blender, nutribullet or food processor, and blend until the texture is chunkier than a fine crumb. Place into a large bowl.

  2. Add the onion and garlic to the blender and blend until a paste forms. Add the carrot, cumin, coriander, lemon zest and fresh herbs; blend until combined.

  3. Add the onion and herb mixture to the chickpeas, then add the flour and sesame seeds; mix well to combine.

  4. Pop into an airtight container and form patties before cooking.

Make the tzatziki sauce (store in an airtight jar in the fridge) 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup greek yoghurt
  • 1 garlic clove (crushed)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon (juice)
  • ½ cucumber (grated and squeezed)
  • ¼ cup mint (finely chopped)
  • Pepper


Method 

  1. Add all the ingredients (except the cucumber and the mint) into a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Add the cucumber and mint, and gently stir through; season with pepper.
  • Salt helps to draw liquid out of vegetables which can help them cook, but in the instance of tzatziki, it’s important to salt just before serving to prevent a watery dip from the cucumber.

  • It’s really important to pat dry the chickpeas before adding them to the food processor. If you don’t, it can make the falafel mix too moist and hard to cook.

  • If you’re feeding a hungry household we recommend serving the burgers with a side of our sweet potato fries!

 

Shortcuts

  • Use a store bought falafel mix.

  • Use a store bought tzatziki.

  • Swap pickled onion for raw red onion.

 

Vegetables

  • Add roasted eggplant rounds.

  • Swap cos for finely sliced cabbage.

 

Protein

  • Add some pan fried halloumi.
  • Swap the falafel patties for our lamb kofta patties.
  • 500g lamb mince
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 small red onion (grated and excess moisture removed)
  • 1 garlic clove (crushed)
  • Salt and pepper
  1. In a medium bowl add all of the ingredients, mix well to fully incorporate (we like to use our hands). Roll into 4 patties.

  2. Add olive oil to a large frying pan or griddle over high heat, add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes each side, or cooked to your liking and golden brown on both sides.

 

Other

  • Add sauerkraut.

  • Add a drizzle of tahini.

  • You could swap regular flour for chickpea flour, which has a less ‘floury’ texture and is gluten-free.

  • Swap a burger bun for pita pockets.

  • For a lighter option you could serve on a bed of lettuce with some grilled vegetables like eggplant, capsicum and zucchini. Our marinated vegetables are delicious.

 

Ingredients

Pickled onion

  • ½ red onion (sliced)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar/brown sugar
  • ½ tsp salt


Falafel patties

  • 400g tin of chickpeas (drained, rinsed and patted dry)
  • ½ red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 carrot (grated)
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 lemon (zest)
  • 1 cup fresh parsley (loosely packed)
  • 1 cup fresh coriander (loosely packed)
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)
  • ¼ cup flour
  • Salt and pepper


Tzatziki sauce

  • 1 cup greek yoghurt
  • 1 garlic clove (crushed)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon (juice)
  • ½ cucumber (grated and squeezed)
  • ¼ cup mint (finely chopped)
  • Pepper


Burger and cos 

  • 1 petite head of cos (finely sliced)
  • 4 burger buns
Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, fan bake.

  2. Prepare the pickled onions, add the sliced red onion to a glass jar and set aside. In a small saucepan add the water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and pour over the onions. Set aside to pickle while you prepare everything else.

  3. To make the falafel patties start by adding the chickpeas to a blender, nutribullet or food processor, and blend until the texture is chunkier than a fine crumb. Place into a large bowl.

  4. Add the onion and garlic to the blender and blend until a paste forms. Add the carrot, cumin, coriander, lemon zest and fresh herbs; blend until combined.
  5. Add the onion and herb mixture to the chickpeas, then add the flour and sesame seeds; mix well to combine.

  6. Form 4 falafel patties and place onto a tray lined with baking paper; brush with olive oil and then pop into the oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway. Falafels should be golden and crisp on the outside when cooked.

  7. Meanwhile, prepare the tzatziki. Add all the ingredients (except the cucumber and the mint) into a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Add the cucumber and mint, and gently stir through; season with pepper.

  8. Pop the buns into the oven if you’d like your buns slightly toasted.

  9. Time to assemble the burgers, add some tzatziki to the base of a bun, followed by a falafel patty, lettuce, pickled onions and another dollop of tzatziki.

 

Variations

Vegetables

  • Add roasted eggplant rounds.

  • Swap cos for finely sliced cabbage.

 

Protein

  • Add some pan fried halloumi.
  • Swap the falafel patties for our lamb kofta patties.
  • 500g lamb mince
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 small red onion (grated and excess moisture removed)
  • 1 garlic clove (crushed)
  • Salt and pepper
  1. In a medium bowl add all of the ingredients, mix well to fully incorporate (we like to use our hands). Roll into 4 patties.

  2. Add olive oil to a large frying pan or griddle over high heat, add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes each side, or cooked to your liking and golden brown on both sides.

 

Other

  • Add sauerkraut.

  • Add a drizzle of tahini.

  • You could swap regular flour for chickpea flour, which has a less ‘floury’ texture and is gluten-free.

  • Swap a burger bun for pita pockets.

  • For a lighter option you could serve on a bed of lettuce with some grilled vegetables like eggplant, capsicum and zucchini. Our marinated vegetables are delicious.

 

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