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Falafel Stuffed Flatbread with Tzatziki Sauce

by Laura Fuentes

August 13, 2015
updated Aug 28, 2023
4.92 from 49 votes
Love healthy Mediterranean food? Check out this recipe for Falafel Stuffed Flatbread with Tzatziki Sauce.
Jump to Recipe

All the articles & recipes on this website have been created through real-life testing and experience (no ai) since 2010.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

I love falafels. They are bite-sized pieces of deliciousness filled with my favorite Mediterranean flavors. The other day, I made some for dinner, and I happened to get lucky and have leftovers for the next day. For lunch, I turned a couple of the falafels into a delicious lunch idea: stuffed flatbreads with tzatziki sauce.

falafel stuffed flatbread

When I lived in Berlin, many years ago (1994), I indulged in a lot of Turkish and Greek food. By far, my favorite of these delicious foods was these handheld flatbreads stuffed with falafels.

They were sold in street kiosks and were made fresh to order. The flatbreads were stuffed with fresh veggies, falafels, and lots of tzatziki sauce. Tzatziki sauce is a Greek yogurt and cucumber based sauce that is good on everything. When I say everything, I mean, everything!

falafel stuffed flatbread

Now, as an adult, I make my own falafels at home. I love them by themselves and I usually use them to top a large green salad drizzled with tzatziki sauce on top. Of course, my husband needs a little more substance so I stuffed some whole-wheat Toufayan flatbreads with his falafels.

While the original falafels I enjoyed long ago had a lot of parsley, I had to pick my battles when creating a version to make at home. Oh you know, parsley is green and my kids are not fond of green speckles in their food. Even without the parsley, however, I feel that these falafels are a close competitor to the ones I enjoyed many years ago.

ingredients to build falafel stuffed flatbreads with assembly of falafels on the counter

Once you have all your ingredients, making these falafel stuffed pitas is a breeze. Now you know why I love leftovers! It’s instant fast -and healthy- food. Make these falafels the night before and they become a healthy grab-and-go lunch option.

For that reason, I included the recipe in my first cookbook, The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet. How could I have a lunches book without my beloved falafels? And then, I realized that I forgot to include the Greek sauce! Yes, there is something that happens to an author after the book goes to print that drives me crazy: the realization that you “forgot” to add something (nevermind that there are over 200 recipes in the book).

Luckily, I wrote a second cookbook called The Best Homemade Kids’ Snacks on the Planet where I made sure I included my tzatziki sauce (in the book I called it Yanni’s Greek Dip). And in case you are wondering, I also remembered recipes from the past I forgot to add to that book as well. Go figure.

In the end, the recipes are there, inside my cookbooks for many years to come reminding me of my amazing adventures back in 1994 where I ate my fair share of street-made falafel stuffed flatbreads.

Have you tried falafels? Do you use flatbreads at home? If so, what do you stuff them with?

falafel stuffed flatbread

Falafel Stuffed Flatbreads

Laura Fuentes
4.92 from 49 votes
Love healthy Mediterranean food? Check out this recipe for Falafel Stuffed Flatbread with Tzatziki Sauce.
Servings: 6
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

Falafels:

  • ½ cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight , or 1 cup canned chickpeas
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • ½ teaspoon coriander
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 fresh parsley sprig, minced
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • Vegetable oil to pan fry

Greek Yogurt Sauce:

  • 1 cucumber, peeled
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon dried dill
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Flatbreads:

  • 6 flatbreads, for serving
  • Green lettuce leaves or salad greens
  • 2 tomatoes, sliced
  • ½ cucumber, thinly sliced

Instructions
 

The falafels:

  • Drain and rinse chickpeas from soaking overnight or canned chickpeas.
  • In a food processor, mix chickpeas with all ingredients until it becomes a smooth thick paste.
  • With wet hands, form dough into small balls, the size of a large walnut. Press down to form 1 ½ inch patties. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little bit more breadcrumbs. If it’s too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water.
  • Pan-fry falafels in an oiled pot over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes each side, or until sides are brown. Remove falafel onto a paper towel-lined plate and blot excess oil with additional paper towels.

The Tzatziki sauce:

  • Grate the cucumber on top of a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Ring out the excess water over the sink, then transfer it inside a medium bowl.
  • To the cucumber, add the garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, dill, and salt. Mix to combine.
  • Refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days or until ready to serve.

Serve:

  • Place a flatbread on a flat surface, layer greens, tomatoes, and a few slices of cucumbers. Place 1-2 falafels on top, and drizzle with tzatziki sauce. Fold the flatbread and enjoy.

Equipment

packed lunches ebook on a tablet
101 Packed Lunches eBook
Food Processor

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 10gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 222mgPotassium: 318mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 85IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 3mg
Like this recipe?Rate and leave a comment below

From time to time, I work with awesome companies to develop recipes for this website.  Today’s post was brought to you by Toufayan Bakeries . All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that encourage my creativity. 

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Joanne Katzman

    August 21, 2023 at 10:43 am

    5 stars
    This recipe lists the ingredients for the Greek Yogurt sauce but doesn’t explain how to make the sauce. To make the sauce should I mix all the listed ingredients in the food processor? This is not clear.

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      August 28, 2023 at 11:45 am

      Hi Joanne, thank you for catching that! I missed a paragraph when typing it up. It’s been updated.

      Reply
  2. Allison

    May 18, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    Ok, when I try to pan fry them, they completely disintegrate. What am I doing wrong? I tried more oil, less oil…and they weren’t sticky or crumbly. Ugh.

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      June 17, 2021 at 12:05 pm

      It will depend if you used canned chickpeas, these tend to make the mixture more “wet” than using dry, soaked chickpeas. I would add a bit more bread-crumbs to the mixture to hold them.

      Reply
  3. Fouzia

    September 09, 2019 at 5:50 am

    5 stars
    Hi,
    Can I airfry the falafels ? If yes for how long
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      September 20, 2019 at 11:12 am

      Yes! airfrying them would work perfectly!

      Reply
  4. Carey

    February 27, 2019 at 7:23 am

    5 stars
    Hi there, I’m wondering if these can be baked rather than fried. And, if so, should I change anything in the recipe? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      March 13, 2019 at 5:06 pm

      They can be baked at 375F for approximately 20-25 minutes, depending how thick you make them. make sure to grease/spray the baking sheet and the tops so they crisp up. Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Julie

    September 19, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    Okay, sorry, I am confused. The recipe says it is for falafel stuffed flatbread, but think it is just for the falafel? What do you use for the sandwich? Also, it says it makes 12 – 15 1/2 inch falafels. But the directions say to use 1 1/2 inch balls? How do I get them 15 1/2 inches from that? Can you please clarify for me?

    Thanks! I really want to try these.

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      September 20, 2015 at 1:18 pm

      Julie, the recipe itself is for the falafels. The flatbread is an ingredient purchased separately used to make a sandwich/stuffed falafel. The directions say to make dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, to press down, and pan-fry. In step 3, it asks to make 1 1/2 inch patties (from pressing down the ball shaped dough). I put (parenthesis) around the yield. The spacing made it look funny. You should get 12-15 falafels that are 1 1/2 inches (+/-) big. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  6. Gina

    August 21, 2015 at 1:18 am

    5 stars
    Hello! I love reading your recipes and blog! I’ve been a Momables stalker, I mean follower, for a few years now. I’m looking forward to trying these falafels, I think the sauce will encourage dipping and I’ve always loved falafel but thought it a daunting task to make it at home. Thanks for the creativity and variety!

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      August 22, 2015 at 6:43 am

      I’m happy to have you along for the (stalking) ride Gina! 😉 The sauce…

      Reply
  7. Aj

    August 20, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    I have never tried it but I will! Sounds delish!

    Reply
  8. Lisa Tulak

    August 20, 2015 at 10:55 am

    So does this mean we may look forward to a third book? 🙂 For the recipes you are remembering from back in the day. Lol Can’t wait <3

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      August 20, 2015 at 12:51 pm

      yes… you can look forward to another (final) book. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Faith

    August 19, 2015 at 2:47 pm

    I’ve never heard of a falafel let alone eaten one, but I must try, it looks wonderful. I do use flatbreads on occasion for sandwhichs.

    Reply
    • puRpLepuFfiN823

      December 06, 2020 at 4:37 pm

      5 stars
      Falafels are delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe.

      Reply
  10. Susan

    August 19, 2015 at 6:32 am

    5 stars
    It’s been a while since I’ve made falafel, but your post is making me think I need to try again with your recipe. We often stuff flatbreads with tabbouleh, gyro meat, hummus. Thanks for posting the recipes!

    Reply
  11. Virginia N

    August 18, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    5 stars
    we have never tried farfels, i love flatbread and using them to make wraps with lunchmeat and cheese or chicken salad inside

    Reply
  12. Heidi

    August 18, 2015 at 10:02 am

    5 stars
    My mom used to make homemade falafels. I have yet to try it, but will do so now! Pita bread is a mainstay in our house. We often stuff them with sardines or tuna fish and cheese/tomato.

    Reply
  13. Monica Farahnakian

    August 18, 2015 at 10:01 am

    5 stars
    My family and I have never tired falafels. I am going to have to give this recipe a try. We do use flatbreads for wraps usually stuffed with grill chicken and veggies.

    Reply
  14. Talia B.

    August 18, 2015 at 8:28 am

    5 stars
    I love falafel. Yummy! We do use flatbreads from time to time, but haven’t found any decent ones around with decent ingredient list.

    Reply
  15. Charlene A.

    August 17, 2015 at 9:42 pm

    5 stars
    Yes, I’ve made homemade falafel a few times. I stuff them with the usual – tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers. Love that you included a garlic sauce here. Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  16. Amy Osburn

    August 17, 2015 at 3:31 pm

    5 stars
    I just tried Falafels two weeks ago in Boston and have been talking about them ever since. You must be reading my mind. Thank you for sharing this.

    Reply
  17. Michelle

    August 17, 2015 at 3:11 pm

    5 stars
    I adore falafel and tzatziki. I have never made falafel from scratch, but have often made tzatziki. I especially like to stuff the falafel in an pita with tabouli have and then top with the tzatziki. Oh yum. Makes me want to go to the Mediterranean restaurant!

    Reply
  18. Kristina

    August 17, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    5 stars
    My friend made me amazing falafels once. I was definitely skeptical before that. I enjoy making flatbread and often just use it as a side for indian or greek food (great for scooping up dips or curries). Most recently though I have been making shortcut versions of gyros. Not authentic but often taste pretty close!

    Reply
  19. Laura B

    August 17, 2015 at 10:26 am

    5 stars
    I’ve never tried falafels, and I don’t use flatbreads at home, reading this makes me think I should try though! I have a tendency to buy the same things each week, this would be a good ‘outside of the box’ idea!

    Reply
  20. Lisa Fisher

    August 17, 2015 at 8:41 am

    5 stars
    I’v eaten falafel several times but never made it at home. It would be a fun thing to make on a theme night to encourage my 5 year old to try new foods. I’ve used flatbreads at home before, but for quick pizzas, not a wrap.

    Reply
  21. Sindee Hernandez

    August 17, 2015 at 8:33 am

    5 stars
    We have never tired either, I’m curious to know if my kids would like falafels. I have read alot of Greek recipes, but I’m reluctant to try them, only because my kids tend to shy away from anything “different”.

    Reply
  22. Joyce Ward

    August 17, 2015 at 8:33 am

    4 stars
    I LOVE falafel! My brother introduced it to me when he started working at this great little greek restaurant in college. He would bring my pregnant self some home every night. I still go there for my falafel fix. Never thought about making my own I figured it would be very complicated. Definitely going to have to give this recipe a try and the tzatziki sounds amazing. I have purchased tzatziki at the store but often the portions are too big and I wind up wasting over half. Knowing how to make it will definitely allow me to control portions and reduce waste.

    Reply
  23. summer

    August 17, 2015 at 8:30 am

    5 stars
    I’ve never tried a falafel, but there is an amazing Greek Festival near our hometown that I’ve always wanted to go to- I bet they have awesome falafels and baklava! My son loves flatbread cheese sandwiches and pizza sandwiches for his school lunches. I’ve also put hummus and veggies in a flatbread sandwich.

    Reply
  24. Norma-Jean

    August 17, 2015 at 8:17 am

    5 stars
    I love falafals, but have never tried to make them at home. This recipe looks very easy –
    I’m into easy – and sounds delicious! I eat quite a few vegetarian meals during the week,
    and this would be another to add to the rotation. The tzatziki sauce sounds great too!

    Reply
  25. Michelle Spott

    August 17, 2015 at 8:01 am

    5 stars
    LOVE falafel, but never made at home. Never used flatbread at home either!! Tons of new ideas to try!!!

    Reply
  26. Morgan Morrison

    August 17, 2015 at 7:45 am

    5 stars
    I love falafels! Have always been intimidated to try cooking them myself tho!

    Reply
  27. Jillian

    August 17, 2015 at 7:41 am

    4 stars
    I’ve never tried a falafel, but I think I could manage this recipe! I have Celiac disease, but I can definitely modify this to be gluten free, especially with the Toufayan gluten free wraps. The sauce sounds delicious!

    Reply
  28. Debbie Hausher

    August 17, 2015 at 7:37 am

    5 stars
    My daughter spent the summer traveling in Europe and came home raving about Tzaztiki sauce so I’ll definitely be trying your recipe.

    Reply
  29. Ashlee R

    August 17, 2015 at 7:27 am

    5 stars
    I have never tried falafel, I thought it was complicated. I will try it now, thank. We like to eat out flat bread broken up in large pieces as part of a Mediterranean night. My kids dip it in their hummus and then eat chicken, olives, and the cucumber tomato salad as separate parts. My husband and I eat all that goodness wrapped inside out pieces of flat bread with a cucumber dill sauce. It is one of our favorite meals.

    Reply
  30. Candy

    August 17, 2015 at 6:57 am

    5 stars
    I’ve never made falafels before – I will have to try it. My oldest starts kindergarten this week and she has recently swore off all vegetables (she used to eat them all). I bet she would love the sauce, maybe that will help. 🙂

    Reply
  31. Kim

    August 17, 2015 at 5:39 am

    5 stars
    I have never even heard of falafels but I do love that sauce on gyros! This is definitely one I will be trying! We use flatbreads for all kinds of stuff – our own versions of quesadillas, tacos, sub sandwiches…and now a new adventure with falafels. Thanks for the multitude of ideas you provide. I wish my kids would appreciate the food as much as I do – it’s hard but I try to never give up

    Reply
  32. Sarah Gore

    August 17, 2015 at 5:08 am

    5 stars
    I have never tried falafel before. I do make gyros and my family loves those. I do like to make a variety of foods for them and can’t wait to try this recipe.

    Reply
  33. Alexis

    August 17, 2015 at 4:44 am

    5 stars
    I have not tried falafels and I’m not sure why. Sounds like something I’d love. Going on the menu right away. Hoping My 4 year old will love them too! I usually use flatbread for quick pizza lunches.

    Reply
  34. Julie Werner

    August 17, 2015 at 4:23 am

    5 stars
    I have discovered a new love for Mediterranean food! Why oh why haven’t I ever tried a falafel before?! I cannot WAIT to try this recipe!!! I have bought flatbread before. We either eat it warmed up with butter on it, or make a wrap with leftover rotisserie chicken, tomatoes and lettuce with ranch dressing. I am so excited to try your tzatziki sauce! It does go great on so many things. My sister makes an amazing gyro quiche… And you just can’t eat it without tzatziki sauce!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe ideas!!! 🙂

    Reply
  35. G

    August 17, 2015 at 4:20 am

    5 stars
    We love falafel and flatbreads, If we aren’t stuffing them with falafel there is always hummus, raw or roasted veggies or making them into pita chips for dipping or fattoush salad! yum!!

    Reply
  36. Julie

    August 16, 2015 at 11:48 pm

    5 stars
    I love falafel but I’ve never made it for my family. I love to order it at Mediterranean restaurants though! I’ll try this recipe and hopefully my kids will like it…I know my husband will. 🙂 We love flatbread! They make great little pizzas.

    Reply
  37. Aline Grigorian

    August 16, 2015 at 11:40 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! However, I’d be the only one in my family who would eat it. My daughter likes sunflower seed butter in her flatbread. 🙂

    Reply
  38. Dona Perkins

    August 16, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    5 stars
    LOVE LOVE LOVE anything and everything Greek! I haven’t made falafels in a while so I am definitely adding them to the meal plan this week. And the sauce looks scrumptious! 🙂

    Reply
  39. Christy Simonds

    August 16, 2015 at 9:35 pm

    5 stars
    I also love falafel and tzatziki dip. My daughter likes it too. Like I said she is pretty easy to get to eat new things. I credit food network. Lol.

    Reply
  40. Kaila Davidson

    August 16, 2015 at 9:30 pm

    5 stars
    I love falafel! I will have to try this! I have never made it myself, just ordered it at the mall at the booth that sells different ethnic foods. I also love flatbreads, and I stuff them with anything. Usually breakfast type wraps! Or salads for lunch!

    Reply
  41. Tracie M

    August 16, 2015 at 9:29 pm

    5 stars
    I have not had falafel, but your recipe looks great and I may give it a try! I have used flatbread when I make gyros and I love the tzatziki sauce.

    Reply
  42. Tracey

    August 16, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    4 stars
    I have never tried falafels, they sound delicious though 🙂 We use pita and flat breads often. Usually to wrap some type of yummy meat up with some yummy veggies. 🙂 My middle son LOVES tacos and pita and/or flat breads are a great switch up from tortillas 🙂

    Reply
  43. Rachael S

    August 16, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    5 stars
    Never tried falafels but they seem easy enough to make! We use flat breads for turkey, avacado, bacon ranch sandwiches, or toast it with pizza fillings.

    Reply
  44. Anna

    August 16, 2015 at 9:12 pm

    5 stars
    I love falafels. My daughter has a ton of allergies, and falafels are easy to fit into her diet. My kids love them.

    Reply
  45. Janette

    August 16, 2015 at 9:11 pm

    5 stars
    Love falafel, and this recipe is much more doable than my old one (many, many spices and things that made it hard to just whip up). With be trying both of these!

    Reply
  46. Krystal Watson

    August 16, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    4 stars
    We love falafel, but I have never made it from scratch like this. I’ve only used boxed mix. I have made tzaziki before and it’s so good. If we buy pita/flatbread, it’s usually for falafel with tzaziki, feta, and greens. Yum!

    Reply
  47. Theresa O

    August 16, 2015 at 8:50 pm

    5 stars
    I have never had falafel and we don’t use flatbreads, but we’ll have to start now after seeing this and reading your raving reviews! The sauce sounds amazing and just like one of my favorite dips for veggies and pretzels. My concern is just that the sandwich looks so big, and my kids are still very small.

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      August 16, 2015 at 11:37 pm

      5 stars
      Theresa, you can just make it open and send the falafels in a compartment, the flatbread on another with some sauce to dip.

      Reply
  48. Jennifer McDonald

    August 16, 2015 at 8:46 pm

    5 stars
    Yes, I’ve tried falafels in the past and they were an total disaster, from prep all the way to eating…So I’ve not tried them since…

    Reply
  49. Erica H

    August 16, 2015 at 8:39 pm

    I have never had a falafel, I must put that on my list of things to try now! Wonder if my kids would eat it……..

    Reply

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