If you’ve never had falafel before, first off: Where have you been? But also, it’s a seasoned fritter, typically made of chickpeas or broad beans, and often shaped into a ball or patty. It’s also delicious, and goes equally well on salads, in pitas, or just on its own. The big hassle is making falafel, as baking or frying it up is both time-consuming and a hassle. And that brings us to the obvious solution: frozen falafel.
But how can you tell which frozen falafel is the best falafel? Well, we spent some time toasting and trying every frozen falafel brand and flavor we could find, all so you can know which fritters are the fanciest. Here’s our mix of the best frozen falafel for your snacking enjoyment!
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- 365 Falafel Burger
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Sometimes you want your falafel to be one big patty that you can slap between two pieces of bread. If you agree, then this is the best falafel for you because that’s what this is, with plenty of falafel to really fill out your burger needs. The flavor is a pretty traditional falafel flavor, so there’s no surprises there. But after air frying it, I found that it had a nice, moist texture inside with a fairly crispy outside. And for the serving, it definitely gave you a lot of falafel for your buck.
Credit: Merc / Whole Foods
- Afia Garlic & Herb Falafel
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While most falafel recipes include some garlic, these frozen falafel patties bump it up, adding in roasted minced garlic and onion for a more savory taste. These falafel patties are pretty small, perfect for adding to bowls or wraps, and you get a good amount per bag, enough for a filling two-person meal. I baked these in the air fryer, which gave them a bit of a crunch, but didn’t dry them out too much. Overall, they were just really tasty, and they’re definitely the best frozen falafel if you’re into garlic.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Afia Za’atar Falafel
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If you’ve never tried za’atar, it’s a mix of spices and herbs with an earthy, delicious taste. And that’s what this falafel gives you, with a mix of oregano, thyme, and sumac, along with some toasted sesame seeds. And all of that gives the falafel flavor a really nice twist. Sizewise, they’re the same as the last entry: smallish patties you can eat in one or two bites. And they have the same, nice moist center when tossed in an air fryer. They’re the best frozen falafel balls if you’re looking for something just a little bit different.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Afia Traditional Falafel
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Yeah, the Afia brand of frozen falafel has definitely been dominating this list. And if you’re looking for the “traditional” falafel flavor, with notes of cilantro, cumin, and garlic, then this is the best falafel for you. You get some smallish patties with a nice bite and moist center. It’s everything you’d expect from a falafel patty. And sometimes, that’s all you want.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- EAT GÜD Falafel
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I wasn’t expecting this one to be the best frozen falafel brand, especially since EAT GÜD’s main selling point is that they’re allergy-friendly, with the bag listing that these frozen falafel balls are free from the top eight allergens. But these just ended up having a really delicious flavor, with plenty of cilantro and a bit of cumin. And I’d swear there’s a little bit more of a veggie taste than in the other falafel brands, but it ended up just adding to the delicious flavor. Also, despite being baked in an oven, they came out moist and tender, with just a bit of crunch on the outside. It definitely lived up to its name—and surpassed it. This frozen falafel brand isn’t just GÜD, it’s the best frozen falafel.
Credit: Merc / Whole Foods
Best Falafel Burger
Best Garlic
Best Za’atar
Best “Classic” Flavor
Best of the Best
Other falafels we tried: Taámti Falafel balls, Three Bakers Falafel
