Falafel! It’s one of my all-time favorite snacks. This homemade falafel recipe has hundreds and hundreds of positive reviews. Why? Because it’s just that delicious!
Making authentic, traditional falafel is an interesting process, and it may be brand new to you. Never fear! I am here to walk you through each step, so you can achieve crispy, tender, tasty falafel every single time.
What is Falafel?
Falafel are crisp and delicious deep-fried legume fritters made with beans, spices, onions, and herbs. Legumes are well-soaked, then ground up and mixed with other ingredients. Next, the mixture is formed into small balls or patties, then fried in hot oil. The pre-soaked legumes are cooked during the frying process.
Most falafel today is made with chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans). However, in Egypt and other areas of the Middle East, fava beans are the legume of choice. It is often served alongside other popular regional Mediterranean recipes like hummus, as well as shawarma made from lamb or chicken.
The History of Falafel
This Middle Eastern food has a very long history. The word falafel may descend from the Arabic word falāfil, a plural of the word filfil, meaning “pepper.” Legume fritters, including versions made with fava beans and lentils, have existed in the Middle East for thousands of years.
According to The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, written by my friend Gil Marks: “The first known appearance of legume fritters (aka falafel) in the Middle East appears to be in Egypt, where they were made from dried white fava beans (ful nabed) and called tamiya/ta-amia (from the Arabic for ‘nourishment’); these fritters were a light green color inside. Many attribute tamiya to the Copts of Egypt, who practiced one of the earliest forms of Christianity. They believed that the original state of humankind was vegetarian and, therefore, mandated numerous days of eating only vegan food, including tamiya.”
Likewise, the Torah, the Song of Songs, the Mishnah, and the Talmud all mention deep-fried lentil fritters, known as “ashishim.” This means early forms of falafel were enjoyed in this region since biblical times, at least. That’s some pretty ancient falafel!
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Chickpeas – I use chickpeas because they’re easy to find, and they’re tasty! Follow my tips to cook and soak dried chickpeas. Do not use canned chickpeas; they will not give you the proper result – you need to start with uncooked chickpeas. If all you have on hand are canned chickpeas, try this very delicious and falafel-like spicy panko chickpea patties recipe instead!
- Onion and Garlic – These ingredients add a pungent, sweet, savory taste. I like white onion, but yellow onion will also work. Then, I use roasted garlic cloves for extra depth.
- Herbs and Spices – Fresh parsley, salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and ground cardamom create the warm, savory flavor found in falafel recipes all over the world.
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour or chickpea flour to keep this recipe gluten-free. This absorbs any excess moisture and helps the falafel balls hold their shape.
- Leaveners – I use baking soda in the soaking water for the chickpeas to help soften them. You can also add baking powder in the falafel balls. This helps to create super tender, fluffy falafel.
- Oil – Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying. I prefer avocado oil, but grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and peanut oil all work.
How to Make Authentic Fried Falafel Balls
Homemade falafel can be a little time-consuming. So, make sure to read through the entire recipe and plan ahead accordingly!
- Soak the chickpeas. Submerge the chickpeas in cold water, and add baking soda. Cover the bowl, and chill in the fridge for at least 12 hours or ideally up to 24 hours. This helps soften them, making them easy to blend.
- Combine and blend. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Then, add them to a food processor along with the other ingredients. Pulse until a rough, coarse meal forms. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Be careful not to overprocess! The mixture should have a paste-like consistency, but shouldn’t be so smooth that it turns into hummus.
- Chill. Transfer the chickpea mixture to a bowl, and stir with a fork to remove any remaining chunks. Then, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Fry. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. In the meantime, portion the falafel mixture into equal-sized balls or slider-shaped patties. Then, fry on each side until golden brown, working in batches as needed. Drain them on a paper towel-lined plate, and enjoy!
Tori’s Tips for the Best Crispy Falafel Recipe
- Divide the mixture. If you have a small food processor, divide the falafel ingredients in half before pulsing.
- Use a deep fry or candy thermometer. The ideal temperature to fry falafel is between 360 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The best way to monitor the temperature is to use a deep fry or candy thermometer to check the oil before frying.
- Portion evenly. I like to use a tablespoon or a falafel scoop to portion the falafel balls into equal-sized pieces and roll them between wet hands.
- Test a single falafel before frying the rest. I like to fry a test one in the center of the pan. If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2-3 minutes per side to brown (5-6 minutes total). If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot, and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center. Cool the oil down slightly and try again.
- Add flavor. I like to dip my falafel balls in sesame seeds before frying for a little extra crisp and nutty taste. However, I’ve also tested different flavor variations, adding chopped parsley or fresh cilantro or turmeric, and they all taste great. (See the recipe card below for details!)
Serving Ideas
My favorite way to serve homemade falafel is as a falafel sandwich. To do so, I use flatbread or slice warm pita bread in half to form two “pockets.” Then, I stuff them with the falafel balls and add-ons such as tahini sauce, Israeli salad, hummus, baba ganoush, or tabouli, and vegetables like shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and dill pickles.
Sometimes I also like to add sprouts, cucumber slices, roasted peppers, roasted eggplant slices, sunflower seeds, French fries, feta cheese, and yogurt or tzatziki for extra taste and texture.
Or, start with a large bowl and a base of lemony saffron couscous, cauliflower couscous, quinoa, or saffron rice, then add fresh veggies and all your favorite toppings.
Falafel balls are also great to serve as an appetizer or side dish with dips and main courses. Or, add them to a mezze platter for a party spread.
Falafel
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) – you must start with dry, do NOT substitute canned, they will not work!
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3-5 cloves garlic (I prefer roasted garlic cloves)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon flour or chickpea flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pinch of ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional – makes the falafel more fluffy)
- Vegetable oil for frying – avocado oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and peanut oil all work well (I prefer avocado oil)
Instructions
- One day ahead: Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl and cover them by about 3 inches of cold water. Add 1/2 tsp of baking soda to the water and stir; this will help soften the chickpeas. Cover the bowl and let them soak overnight in a cool, dark place or chill in the refrigerator. The chickpeas should soak at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours, until tender (change soaking water for fresh water after 12 hours).
- They will double in size as they soak – you will have between 4 and 5 cups of beans after soaking.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas well. Pour them into your food processor along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour or chickpea flour (use chickpea flour to make gluten free), salt, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom. Note: if you have a smaller food processor, you will want to divide the ingredients in half and process the mixture one batch at a time.
- Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides. Process until the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste. You want the mixture to hold together, and a more paste-like consistency will help with that… but don't over-process, you don't want it turning into hummus!
- Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl and use a fork to stir; this will make the texture more even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks that the processor missed.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.Fill a skillet with oil to a depth of 1 ½ inches. Use cooking oil with a high smoke point (oil suggestions can be found in the ingredient list). Heat the oil slowly over medium heat. The ideal temperature to fry falafel is between 360 and 375 degrees F; the best way to monitor the temperature is to use a deep fry or candy thermometer. After making these a few times, you will start to get a feel for when the oil temperature is "right."Meanwhile, form falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties using wet hands or a falafel scoop. I usually use about 2 tbsp of mixture per falafel. You can make them smaller or larger depending on your personal preference. The balls will stick together loosely at first, but will bind nicely once they begin to fry.
- If the balls won't hold together, place the mixture back in the processor again and continue processing to make it more paste-like. Keep in mind that the balls will be delicate at first; if you can get them into the hot oil, they should bind together and stick. If they still won't hold together, you can try adding 2-3 tbsp of flour or chickpea flour to the mixture. If they still won't hold, add 1-2 eggs to the mix. This should fix any issues you are having.Before frying my first batch of falafel, I like to fry a test one in the center of the pan. If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2-3 minutes per side to brown (5-6 minutes total). If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center. Cool the oil down slightly and try again.
- When the oil is at the right temperature, fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time until golden brown on both sides. Once the falafels are fried, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon. Let them drain on paper towels.
- Serve the falafels fresh and hot; they go best with a plate of hummus and topped with creamy tahini sauce. You can also stuff them into a pita.
- SESAME FALAFEL VARIATION: After forming the balls or patties, dip them in sesame seeds prior to frying. This will make the falafel coating crunchier and give it a slightly nutty flavor.
- HERB FALAFEL VARIATION (GREEN FALAFEL): Add ½ cup additional chopped green parsley, or cilantro, or a mixture of the two prior to blending.
- TURMERIC FALAFEL (YELLOW FALAFEL): Add ¾ tsp turmeric to the food processor prior to blending.
- HOW TO MAKE A FALAFEL PITA: Making a falafel pita is actually really simple. The two main ingredients are pita bread and falafel. Cut the pita bread in half to form two “pockets.” Each pocket is a serving size. Stuff the pocket with falafel, as well as any add-ons you fancy.Here are some traditional add-ons that can be added to your pita: tahini sauce, shredded lettuce, diced or sliced tomatoes, Israeli salad, onions, dill pickles, hummus, tabouli.Here are some less traditional add-ons that are also tasty: sprouts, cucumber slices, roasted peppers, roasted eggplant slices, sunflower seeds, french fries, feta cheese, yogurt, tzatziki.
NOTES
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
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FAQs
This recipe is best served right away. However, you can store cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
I’ve never tried freezing this recipe, but some readers have had good luck with freezing both the uncooked chickpea mixture and the cooked falafels.
Personally, I don’t like baking this recipe, finding that it tends to dry out. However, if you want to give it a try, prepare and shape the falafel dough into patties as usual.
Then, arrange them on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush the top of each falafel patty with extra virgin olive oil. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden. If you read through the comments, you’ll see tips from some readers who have tried this method with some success.
I made them with fresh broad beans,as I had huge crop. Added about 50 ml olive oil to get the mixture sticky. Turned out fine,delicious and cooked them in e v olive oil,as all I had.
Just made these and Holy Snakes they’ve come out great! I left out the garlic as I’m allergic & put in a small teaspoon of onion powder to substitute. I baked them 15mins a side on 356 in my fan oven and they’re crispy, golden and DELISH! They’re surprisingly easy to make as well.
After having the ingredients ready to go, can you leaving the fridge overnight and dry the next day??
Thanks so much!!!
Switched to this falafel recipe after using another one that had me put eggs in it. I was a little worried since the mixture seemed a little crumbly with no “binding agent” but they held up just fine while frying. This is my new go-to falafel recipe.,
Hey could I use canned chickpeas instead? 🙂
Nope. Please read the recipe which specifically states NOT to do this. If you want to use canned, try this recipe instead– it will not taste exactly like falafel, but still very tasty. https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/spicy-panko-chickpea-patties-recipe/
Flavor was good but I found them to be too hard. Recipe states to buy fresher chickpeas. How do I go about doing that? I find with beans in general that it’s a total crapshoot even when I follow the usual advice of buying from a store with good product turnaround.
Also, some people are saying to cook the chickpeas first if you’re going to bake them and others say not to. Cooked chickpeas or no for the baked version?
Hi Annelise – freshness seems to be the luck of the draw, I don’t have any tips for you here. Sorry! I don’t recommend baking falafel personally, but if you read through the comments a lot of people like doing it. I can’t give you a recommendation on this but maybe others can. If you are using cooked chickpeas I recommend this recipe instead: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/spicy-panko-chickpea-patties-recipe/
Question for you all. I️ had falafel for the first time in Prague…omg…
They put it on a pita with shred caggabe and a mildly spicy red sauce…anyone know what red sauce that was? It was a Turkish restaurant….
Thank you,,
The sauce was probably Harissa
After freezing from cooking, or even chilling. Can you microwave for later?
Hi Harry, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. You can microwave the falafel to reheat them if you’d like, but they won’t be crispy like they are when made fresh.
I have tried many falafel recipes..This is the best yet. I did put more cumin in, changed cayenne pepper for dried jalapeno powder and fresh coriander instead of parsley but thats just my preference. adding the cardamon is the magical ingredient Thank you
Can you make the raw balls and freeze them or is it better to fry the balls and then freeze them to be used at a later time?
Ive had success doing it both ways. I prefer to cook them first. That way they are ready to go
These are hands down the best falafels ever!
I didn’t have time to refrigerate them for the 1 to 2 hours. However the chickpeas were very cold from being in the fridge and I was able to pop the mixture into the freezer for a few minutes. They held together and fried up beautifully.
I will be making these again.
I don’t have a food processor and was wondering if a blender would work.
Chickpeas will get stuck on the top leaving the bottom granules very fine grinned while the upper later bigger (using a spoon won’t help)
My processor broke down. I used the blender. However, my blender is not very powerful. I Pulse the chick peas in small batches, throwing the parsley in there as well. Then I used a wooden pestle I own, and mashed them a little bit more inside a thick plastic bowl I have. I grated the onion, and mashed the garlic with a garlic press, and added the rest of the ingredients, and combined it by hand. The falafels turned out great, and fried beautifully. If your blender is more powerful, you may not have to mash it any further. Just make sure you pulse it in small batches (Like a handful at time), and don’t turn it into a paste. You don’t want to end up with hummus.
Love this recipe!!!! So good. Best falafel recipe ever!!
Love this recipe! It’s very simple and so detailed that it’s hard to go wrong. Thank you so much.
Dear Tori,
Wow, I love this detailed tutorial of yours! I haven’t eaten falafel in a long time, and I will try this 🙂
I grew up with my mom making falafel, and I remember that she would use baking soda to make it rise. I like that this recipe doesn’t require the baking soda.
Also, thank you for giving a balanced history of falafel, and helping bring the world together through our common love for good food <3
You’re welcome Lama! I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Would and immersion blender work for this recipe?….
Hi, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. I would not recommend using an immersion blender for this recipe.
These falafels are absolutely ridiculously great !!! They are better than any restaurant’s. You must make these if you like falafels. I have always been hesitant to try making falafels from scratch, but this recipe looked so good I had to try. I am so so happy I did !!!! I made a batch yesterday, left them in the fridge and fried them tonight. I never fry food, but I followed the directions in this recipe exactly, even used grapeseed oil and it was very easy. The falafels are so good I am making more tomorrow for guests coming to our home in two days. Thank you Tori for such a delicious recipe, with easy to follow directions. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
I made it tonight for dinner, and they were excellent!!!! I was worried that they might be too wet. I made little discs and fried them. My husband even commented that they were perfect, crispy on the outside and tender inside. It halves beautifully.
Glad to see that this recipe works for so many people. I have always loved falafel and only made it using the falafel powder mix from natural food bulk bins. Here in the Philippines where I’ve retired, one is hard pressed to find Israeli or Jewish food. So I make my own pita, my own hummus, and now…I can make falafel. A local Israeli opened a restaurant specializing in these foods, and they are perfectly good and competently made…but I still like to make my own (even though my wife is not a big fan of falafel).
Thank you for the recipe. Finally I was able to get some dried chickpeas and now i am ready to do this ?. How long can I keep the uncooked falafel in the ref? Im planning to mix it this morning and cook it for dinner. I’d like to prepare it before i do my errands. TIA