Southwestern Falafel

A spicy, Southwestern take on this Middle Eastern favorite. Serve with sour cream, guacamole or salsa.

Original recipe makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 quart vegetable oil for frying, or as needed
1 onion, quartered
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 egg
3 cloves garlic
1 (1.25 ounce) package dry taco seasoning mix
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 (16 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 dash hot sauce, or to taste
1 cup dry bread crumbs, or more as needed

  • PREP

    20 mins

  • COOK

    15 mins

  • READY IN

    35 mins

Directions

  1. Heat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Place onion, green bell pepper, egg, garlic, taco seasoning, baking powder, peanut oil, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper in a food processor. Puree until smooth.
  3. Pour pinto beans into mixture and pulse until pinto beans are chopped and integrated, but not smooth.
  4. Transfer bean mixture to a large bowl; stir hot sauce into mixture.
  5. Stir enough bread crumbs into mixture to form a dough that holds together, but isn’t sticky.
  6. Form dough into quarter-sized balls.
  7. Deep-fry in hot oil until falafel are deep brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 326 kcal
Carbohydrates: 32 g
Cholesterol: 35 mg
Fat: 18.8 g
Fiber: 4.9 g
Protein: 7.6 g
Sodium: 1354 mg

Related Recipes:

Pinto Bean Dip Spicy and Tangy Hot Wings Di’s Buffalo Wings Habichuelas Guisadas Mexican Bean Stew Southwestern Egg Rolls Vegan-Friendly Falafel Baked Sweet Potato Falafel Southwestern Corn and Walnut Dip Southwestern Vegetarian Pasta