Did you know that you can make perfect, crispy falafel at home? Characterized by their deep golden brown exterior and bright green, unbelievably fluffy interior, falafel are loaded with fresh herbal flavor and warming spices.
The secret to the best falafel is to use dried, uncooked chickpeas, which turn into a coarse mixture once whizzed in the food processor. And prepping chickpeas to make falafel is so simple! I’ve got lots of tips and tricks so your falafel turns out delicious every time. For more Middle Eastern recipes, try my shakshuka, rice pilaf, and chicken shawarma.
What Is Falafel?
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish made of chickpeas or fava beans, plenty of fresh herbs, warm spices, onion, and garlic. The flavorful mixture is shaped into balls or patties and deep-fried until crispy on the outside and super fluffy on the inside.
Falafel is naturally vegan and delicious in pita sandwiches, salad bowls, and as part of a spread of small bites.
Falafel Ingredients
Chickpeas — dry chickpeas are a must for the best falafel. Look for the expiration date on the dried beans package. While dry beans have a very long shelf life, ones that are farther from this date will be less hard, absorbing water better and cooking up more tender when fried.
Aromatics — onion and garlic add robust flavor to the falafel. I use yellow onion, but white or red onion would work too. Remember to use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
Herbs — an abundance of parsley and cilantro add a delicious fresh element and give falafel their signature green color.
Spices — salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, and ground black pepper infuse them with warm flavor.
Baking powder — even though they are fried, not baked, this leavener is essential for fluffy, airy falafel.
Flour — all-purpose flour helps to bind the mixture so the fritters hold their shape when scooped and during frying. Use gluten-free flour or chickpea flour for gluten-free falafel.
How To Make Falafel
1. Soak the dried chickpeas in a large bowl by covering them with 3 inches of cold water. They need to sit for 12 to 18 hours or at least overnight.
2. Drain the soaked chickpeas and add them to the bowl of a food processor with the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, salt, cumin, coriander, and black pepper.
3. Cover and process for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the food processor. Continue to process for 20 to 30 more seconds until a coarse meal forms. It should not be too smooth or paste-like. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour and baking powder over the falafel mixture. Stir gently.
5. Form the mixture into golf ball-sized pieces, about 2 tablespoons each. Pack them gently with slightly wet hands and set them aside on a sheet tray.
6. Meanwhile, in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 inch of oil to 350°F. Work in batches of 5 to 6 falafel at a time. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown all over. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil. Repeat with the remaining falafel. Serve and enjoy.
What To Serve With Falafel
- Drizzle with tahini sauce: To make a zesty, creamy tahini sauce, combine ½ cup of tahini, ⅓ cup each of lemon juice and water, 1 grated garlic clove, and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Whisk it vigorously until it’s lightened in color and smooth. Add additional water 1 teaspoon at a time until it’s the right consistency to drizzle.
- Serve with salad: Greek salad and cucumber tomato salad are delicious options.
- Dip them into smooth and creamy homemade hummus. Or, serve them with other dips, olives, and small bits for the perfect mezze platter.
- Make pita pockets: Stuff fried falafel into store-bought or homemade pita bread with sliced cucumber, chopped tomato, assorted fresh herbs (like mint, dill, parsley, and cilantro), and a generous drizzle of tahini sauce or hummus.
How To Store And Reheat Falafel
Store leftover falafel in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They will lose some of their crispness in the fridge, but you can revive them in the oven at 400°F for about 7 minutes, or in the air fryer at 350°F for about 3 minutes.
Can I Use Canned Chickpeas?
Traditional falafel start with dried, uncooked chickpeas for the correct texture, rather than cooked or canned chickpeas. When placed in the food processor, cooked or canned chickpeas will turn mushy, and will not have the correct coarse texture that can bind together.
Can I Make Falafel Without A Food Processor?
The easiest way to make falafel is by using a food processor. You could use a mortar and pestle or finely chop everything by hand, but that would take a significant amount of time. Blenders are not a good option as they tend to turn the falafel mixture into a paste rather than a coarse mixture.
How To Bake Falafel
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Brush ¼ cup of olive oil all over a small, rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the falafel in a single layer. Brush the tops gently with another 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each falafel. Bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
If you plan to bake the falafel, when shaping it, gently press the balls to create two slightly flat sides rather than a perfectly round shape. This keeps them sitting flat in the oil on the sheet tray and gives more surface area to crisp up in the oil. It also keeps them from rolling around!
Recipe Tips for Crispy Falafel
- Falafel mixture texture: When forming the falafel, if the mixture is too dry and falling apart, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time and mix it together. If it’s too wet, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of flour.
- Don’t pack the falafel balls too tightly. You want to gently pack them into balls so they hold their shape and won’t fall apart while frying, but if you over-pack or squeeze them tightly, they will turn out dense instead of airy and fluffy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot when frying: Depending on the size of your pot, you should be able to fry 5 to 6 falafel at a time. If you overcrowd the pot, they will not crisp up as nicely.
- Flavor variations: Add ¼ teaspoon of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, or cayenne to the falafel mix, for added warmth and spice. Add up to 1 teaspoon of lemon zest for brightness.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can freeze cooked or uncooked falafel. To freeze uncooked falafel, shape the mixture into balls. Flash-freeze them on a lined baking sheet until solid. Then, transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen.
To freeze cooked falafel, let them cool completely to room temperature before flash freezing on a baking sheet until solid. Store them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat them from frozen in the oven at 400°F for about 10 minutes or in the air fryer at 350°F for about 5 to 8 minutes.
You can store the falafel mixture for up to 2 days in the refrigerator before forming it into balls and cooking. The mixture should be refrigerated for at least 45 minutes before shaping it into balls so that they hold together.
If the mixture is too wet, the falafel balls will break apart in the hot oil. If needed, add additional flour to the mixture. If you don’t refrigerate the falafel mixture before shaping it, the balls will likely disintegrate. Chilling the mixture helps bind it together.
If you love this recipe try these out!
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Falafel Recipe
Equipment
- Heavy bottomed saucepan
- Spider or slotted spoon
Ingredients
For the Falafel:
- 1½ cups dried chickpeas (300g)
- ½ onion chopped (120g)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1½ cup parsley leaves (35g)
- 1½ cup cilantro leaves (32g)
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For Serving:
- Pita bread
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Fresh herbs such as mint dill, parsley and cilantro
- Tahini sauce (see notes)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cover the dried, uncooked chickpeas with at least 3 inches of cold water. Let them sit overnight or for 12 to 18 hours.
- Drain the chickpeas well. Add them to the bowl of a food processor with the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, salt, cumin, coriander, and pepper. Cover and process for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the food processor to combine the mixture evenly. Continue to process for 20 to 30 more seconds until a coarse meal forms. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour and baking powder over top of the falafel mixture. Stir gently until well combined.
- Form the mixture into golf-ball sized pieces, about 2 tablespoons each (38g). Pack them gently with slightly wet hands and set them aside on a sheet tray.
- Meanwhile, in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 inch of oil to 350°F. Working in batches of 5 to 6 at a time, carefully lower the falafel one-by-one into the oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown all over. Transfer the falafel to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining falafel.
- Serve the falafel with pita bread, chopped tomato, sliced cucumber, assorted fresh herbs and tahini sauce.
Notes
- Falafel mixture texture: When forming the falafel, if the mixture is too dry and falling apart, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time and mix it together. If it’s too wet, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of flour.
- Don’t pack the falafel balls too tightly. You want to gently pack them into balls so they hold their shape and won’t fall apart while frying, but if you over-pack or squeeze them tightly, they will turn out dense instead of airy and fluffy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot when frying: Depending on the size of your pot, you should be able to fry 5 to 6 falafel at a time. If you overcrowd the pot, they will not crisp up as nicely.
- Flavor variations: Add ¼ teaspoon of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, or cayenne to the falafel mix, for added warmth and spice. Add up to 1 teaspoon of lemon zest for brightness.
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