Falafel Recipes

My family’s secret recipe for the Best Authentic Falafel, made with chickpeas, fresh herb, and the right spices! And, Im sharing my complete step-by-step tutorial and important tips for baking or frying falafel. Be sure to also watch the video to see how I make it!

What’s your favorite way to enjoy falafel? I love them in warm pita sandwiches with tahini sauce or hummus, along with my lazy Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad. But you can enjoy it alongside other plates or as part of a mezze spread (lots of ideas below!)

My father’s friend owned a small falafel shop that was located in the heart of the souq (market). Our weekends often involved a trip to see Mr. Bishay and partake of his fragrant falafels. You could smell them from miles away!

Over the years I have learned how to make my own authentic falafel and I am super excited to share my recipe with you! It’s as authentic and delicious as you’d find on the streets of the middle east. And easier to make than you think!

How to Make Falafel

Ready to learn how to make authentic falafel from scratch? My family’s secret recipe for the Best Authentic Falafel, made with chickpeas, fresh herb, and spices is all you need! Be sure to check out the complete step-by-step tutorial, important tips for baking or frying falafel. And watch the video just above. What’s your favorite way to enjoy falafel? I love them in warm pita sandwiches with tahini sauce or hummus, along with my lazy Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad. But you can enjoy it alongside other plates or as part of a mezze spread (lots of ideas below!)

Prep: 30min

Total: 50min

Yield: 24

Nutrition Facts: servingSize None, calories 93 calories, Sugar 0.1 g, Sodium 131.1 mg, Fat 3.8 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 1.4 g, Fiber 2.4 g, Protein 3.9 g, Cholesterol 0 mg

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried chickpeas (Do NOT use canned or cooked chickpeas)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, stems removed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 7-8 garlic cloves, peeled
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Oil for frying
• Tahini Sauce
• Pita pockets
• English cucumbers, chopped or diced
• Tomatoes, chopped or diced
• Baby Arugula
• Pickles

Instruction:

1. (One day in advance) Place the dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl filled with water to cover the chickpeas by at least 2 inches. Soak overnight for 18 hours (longer if the chickpeas are still too hard). When ready, drain the chickpeas completely and pat them dry.
2. Add the chickpeas, herbs, onions, garlic and spices to the large bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Run the food processor 40 seconds at a time until all is well combined forming a the falafel mixture.
3. Transfer the falafel mixture to a container and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or (up to one whole night) until ready to cook.
4. Just before frying, add the baking powder and sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and stir with a spoon.
5. Scoop tablespoonfuls of the falafel mixture and form into patties (1/2 inch in thickness each). It helps to have wet hands as you form the patties.
6. Fill a medium saucepan 3 inches up with oil. Heat the oil on medium-high until it bubbles softly. Carefully drop the falafel patties in the oil, let them fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or so until crispy and medium brown on the outside. Avoid crowding the falafel in the saucepan, fry them in batches if necessary.
7. Place the fried falafel patties in a colander or plate lined with paper towels to drain.
8. Serve falafel hot next to other small plates; or assemble the falafel patties in pita bread with tahini or hummus, arugula, tomato and cucumbers. Enjoy!

Most Delicious Falafel Recipe (Fried or Baked)

The best authentic falafel recipe you can make at home! A simple combination of chickpeas, herbs and spices that’s blended together and fried (or baked). They’re crispy, soft and delicious! Watch the video above to see how I make them!

Prep: 45min

Total: 55min

Yield: 18

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 48 kcal, Carbohydrate 8 g, Protein 3 g, Fat 1 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Sodium 166 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 2 g, unSaturated Fat 2 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight (don’t use canned chickpeas))
• 1/2 cup onion (roughly chopped)
• 1 cup parsley (roughly chopped (about a one large bunch))
• 1 cup cilantro (roughly chopped (about a one large bunch))
• 1 small green chile pepper (serrano or jalapeno pepper)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp chickpea flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• avocado oil for frying

Instruction:

1. The night before, soak the dried chickpeas in water. Make sure the water covers the chickpeas by 2-3 inches, as they’ll triple in size.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to your food processor, along with the onion, parsley, cilantro, pepper, garlic, cumin, salt, cardamom and black pepper.
3. Pulse the food processor several times until the mixture resembles the texture of coarse sand.
4. Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl and add the chickpea flour and baking soda. Stir together, then cover or add a lid and refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to one hour.
5. Use your hands, an ice cream scoop or falafel scoop to form the falafel into balls or patties. If you find the mixture is too wet, you can add another tablespoon of chickpea flour. If it’s too dry and crumbly, you can add a teaspoon or two of water or lemon juice.
6. Once the falafel are formed, you can cook them by your preferred method mentioned above. To deep fry the falafel, add about 3 inches of oil to a pot on medium heat. Heat the oil to 350F. Cook the falafel in batches (about 6-8 at a time) for 1-2 minutes or until golden.
7. Use a skimmer to check the color of the falafel and make sure they don’t over cook. Then remove them to a paper towel-lined plate.
8. Serve the falafel immediately, while warm and crispy on the outside. They’re delicious served with tahini sauce as well.

Falafel

Learn how to make crispy, delicious Middle Eastern falafel the authentic way with multiple variations. Includes video tutorial.

Prep: 15min

Total: 775min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 409 kcal, Carbohydrate 50 g, Protein 15 g, Fat 17 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Sodium 700 mg, Fiber 13 g, Sugar 8 g, servingSize 1 serving

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

Instruction:

1. 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 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).
2. They will double in size as they soak – you will have between 4 and 5 cups of beans after soaking.
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. HERB FALAFEL VARIATION (GREEN FALAFEL): Add ½ cup additional chopped green parsley, or cilantro, or a mixture of the two prior to blending.
11. TURMERIC FALAFEL (YELLOW FALAFEL): Add ¾ tsp turmeric to the food processor prior to blending.
12. 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.

Homemade Falafel

You won’t get fresher falafel than what you make at home with this recipe from Delish.com

Prep: 30min

Total: 30min

Yield: 10 – 12

Ingredients:

• 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1/2 c. Greek yogurt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. freshly chopped dill
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c. tahini
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. warm water (plus more as needed)
• Kosher salt
• Pitas
• Chopped lettuce
• Halved cherry tomatoes
• Thinly sliced cucumbers

Instruction:

1. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine chickpeas, garlic, shallot, parsley, cumin, coriander, and flour and season with salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture is coarse and mealy—do not over blend!
2. Form mixture into falafel balls about 2″ in diameter, squeezing to compact. Transfer to chill in the refrigerator while oil heats.
3. In a pot, heat 1” vegetable oil until a drop of water added to the oil sizzles and pops.
4. Fry falafels until golden, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with salt.
5. To make yogurt sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, oil, and dill. Season with salt and pepper.
6. To make tahini sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and warm water. Season with salt. (If you prefer a thinner sauce, whisk in more warm water 1 tablespoon at a time.)
7. Serve falafels in pita with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber and drizzle with either sauce.

What’s the BEST Falafel Recipe?

FAQ

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