The Best Way To Reheat Falafel – I Test 5 Methods [Pics]

This article was updated on 14/07/2023 for clarity and to incorporate a new method we tested.

I’ve personally experimented with several different falafel reheating methods, to find out which ones delivered a crunchy exterior and a fluffy inside, and which ones left my falafel a little dry.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best way to reheat falafel is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Next, arrange the falafel on a baking tray and cover with foil. Reheat the falafel for 5-7 minutes, or until piping hot. If you prefer a crispy falafel exterior, skip the foil.

A note on my experiment

I spent a fun evening making some delicious falafel, which I then left in the fridge overnight.

The following day, I tested five different ways of reheating the falafel:

• In the oven: Decent falafel but slower.
• In the microwave: Moist inside but soft crust.
• In the air fryer: A bit dry.
• In a skillet: Good for patty-shaped falafel
• Deep frying: Crispy, but more effort.

Related: The Best Way To Warm Up Pita Bread

How to reheat falafel in the oven

Time: 5-10 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a baking tray inside.
2. Lay the falafel out on the baking tray and optionally cover with foil.
3. Heat the falafel in the oven for 5-10 minutes depending on size.
4. If you used foil, remove the foil for the last 2 minutes of heating to crisp the falafel up.

I chose to cover my falafel with foil because moisture is the most important thing for me. I don’t like dry falafel, and the foil stops too much moisture from escaping. If the falafel need rehydrating, I would also sprinkle them with water.

Skip the foil if a crispy outside is important to you and you don’t mind a slightly drier inside. 

400°F (200°C) is relatively high for reheating something, but it means the falafel can spend less time in the drying heat of the oven. I also tested reheating the falafel at 350°F (180°C), and they were significantly more dried out.

Results: I was impressed with the results from the oven and would use it again. I like the fact you can customize it to suit your falafel preferences, but it was slower than the other methods I tried.

How to reheat falafel in the microwave

Time: 5-10 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Cover the falafel in a damp paper towel.
2. Microwave the wrapped falafel on high for 30 seconds.
3. Check the temperature of the falafel and heat for another 10 seconds if needed.
4. If you want to crisp the outside, put the falafel under a hot broiler for 1 minute, or flash fry it in a hot pan.

The paper towels keep the falafel moist and help rehydrate it if its too dry. If you don’t have paper towels, put a glass of water in the microwave with the falafel.

Once the falafel are hot, eat them before they cool down. As they cool down, they will get very hard and take on a cardboard-like texture.

Results: The microwave is by far the quickest and most convenient way to reheat falafel and they come out really moist, but you have to compromise on crunchiness. If your falafel have been sitting in the fridge for a few days and have become really dry, definitely try the microwave.

How to reheat falafel in a skillet

Time: 2-3 minutes
Rating: 7/10

1. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet until it’s shimmering.
2. Add the falafel and fry on each side for 60 seconds if flat. For round falafel, keep moving them around the pan for 1-2 minutes.
3. If the falafel need rehydrating, sprinkle some water in the pan and put a lid on for 30 seconds to steam them.

Flash-frying the falafel can be difficult when they’re ball-shaped. It’s much easier if you have falafel patties.

Psst… for extra flavorful falafel, fry them in bacon grease instead of just oil. It’s not healthy, but everyone deserves a treat sometimes!

Results: My skillet falafel had a delicious flavor to them and a crispy outside, the inside was slightly dry though. And if you have big ball-shaped falafel, be aware the outside might start burning before the inside is fully heated.

How to reheat falafel in the air fryer

Time: 2-3 minutes
Rating: 6/10

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
2. Arrange the falafel in the air fryer basket, making sure the balls aren’t touching.
3. Heat the falafel in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes.
4. Cut one falafel open to check it’s heated all the way through. If it’s not, put the falafel back in the air fryer for another minute.

If you want to get a really crisp outside, spray the falafel lightly with oil before putting them in the air fryer. I don’t tend to do this because I think they get crispy enough without the extra oil (especially if they’re fried falafel).

Be very careful not to leave the falafel in the air fryer too long, or they’ll come out hard as rocks!

Results: The air fryer was a quick way of getting really crispy falafel, but the inside was chewy and dry. If you’re serving the falafel with lots of sauce it could be okay, but this wasn’t my favorite method.

How to store falafel

To store leftover falafel, wait for it to cool to temperature and put it in an airtight container lined with paper towels. Keep the balls from touching as much as possible and separate layers with more paper towels. The falafel will last for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them.

The paper towels will help soak up excess moisture and keep the falafel crispy.

While the falafel will stay good for up to 5 days, they’ll get drier as time goes on, so it’s best to eat them as soon as possible. Or freeze them to preserve the moisture.

You can also store uncooked falafel in the fridge for 3-4 days.

How to freeze falafel

You can freeze falafel before or after cooking. Freezing cooked falafel is more convenient, but you lose some of the crispiness of just-cooked falafel. Freezing uncooked falafel is better for the overall texture. However, the balls can become more fragile.

To freeze falafel, wait for it to cool to room temperature, and then lay the balls out on a sheet pan and put this in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Once the falafel balls are hard to the touch, transfer them to a heavy-duty freezer bag. The falafels will last for up to 6 months in the freezer.

Tip: flatten the balls slightly while shaping them so they don’t roll around on the sheet pan.

Freezing the falafel individually first ensures they don’t stick together in the freezer bag, so you can take out as many as you need each time.

Before putting the freezer bag in the freezer, squeeze as much air out of it as you can. Air is the primary cause of freezer burn, so you want to get rid of it. A step up from squeezing the air out of the bag is to suck it out with a straw.

How to thaw falafel

To thaw your falafel, take them out of the freezer the night before you want to use them and let them thaw slowly in the fridge. If you’re in a rush, put them in a sealed bag and submerge the bag in cold water. Alternatively, you can heat the falafel straight from frozen in the oven or the microwave.

BEST Way To Reheat Falafel [Tested Methods]

I've personally experimented with several different reheating methods, to find out which one’s best at delivering a crunchy exterior and a tender, tasty inside. No dried-out falafel in sight!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: falafel, how to reheat falafel

Prep Time: 1 minute minute

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 333kcal

Equipment

• Foil

Ingredients

• 1 portion falafel
• 1 spray oil optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Lay the falafel out on a baking tray.
• Cover the falafel with foil (optional*).

  Skip the foil if a crispy outside is important to you, and you don’t mind a slightly drier inside.
• Heat the falafel in the oven for 5 minutes.
• Cut one falafel open to see if it’s heated through. If it’s not, place the falafel back in the oven for another 1-2 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 333kcal