Made with soaked dried chickpeas, fresh herbs, and warm spices, homemade falafel is surprisingly easy and far better than store-bought or takeout. These golden bites are naturally vegan, budget-friendly, and perfect for wraps, bowls, salads, or meal prep.
Once you learn the simple technique and a few key tips, you’ll have perfectly crispy falafel every time.
⭐️ Falafel: recipe at a glance
- Authentic texture and flavor
- Crispy exterior, soft and fluffy inside
- Made from simple, whole ingredients
- Budget-friendly plant-based protein
- Dietary: Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, egg-free, dairy free.
🔎 What is Falafel?
Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern street food made from ground chickpeas or fava beans mixed with fresh herbs, garlic, onion, and spices. The mixture is shaped into balls or patties and fried until golden and crisp.
Although variations exist across the region, authentic falafel is always made with soaked, uncooked dried chickpeas, which gives it its signature light, tender interior.
✔️ Ingredients, Substitutions & Swaps
For the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities, check the printable recipe card below.
- Dried Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans): Soaked overnight. Do not use canned (they’re too soft and wet).
- Onion and Garlic: Essential for flavor. Brown or yellow onions or shallots can be used also. Don’t substitute with onion powder. Fresh garlic is best. Use garlic paste in a pinch.
- Fresh Herbs: Parsley and cilantro add color and brightness.
- Chickpea Flour: Used as a binder, chickpea flour ensures the falafel hold their shape while frying. Other flour types such as regular all-purpose flour can be used
- Baking Soda: Helps create a lighter textureNeutral oi. Baking soda gives the mixture a light and fluffy texture.
- Spices and Seasonings: Ground cumin, cardamom, salt and ground black pepper. For heat, ground cayenne can be added.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice enhances the flavor, adding a bright and fresh taste.
- Oil: For pan-frying, I recommend using olive oil or avocado oil for their flavor and versatility. For deep-frying, vegetable oil is my go-to, but any mild, high-smoke-point oil like canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil works just as well.
- Jalapeño (Optional): I got the idea of adding jalapeño to the falafel mixture from Lisa at Downshiftology. This one ingredient adds so much depth of flavor so I decided to incorporate it into my recipe. Since we are removing the seeds and veins of the jalapeño, don’t expect this ingredient to add much heat. If you want to make spicy falafels, you can add a spicier chile such as serrano peper and keep the veins or you can add dried cayenne pepper to the batter.
🔎 For the Tahini Sauce
- Tahini Paste: Made with one single ingredient, mechanically hulled sesame seeds, tahini is a versatile ingredient used in Middle Eastern cuisine. A bit nutty and somewhat bitter, purchasing good-quality tahini is a must.
- Lemon Juice: Using juice from fresh lemons is a must!
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, followed by garlic paste.
- Other: Room temp or cold water, ground cumin, salt.
🔎 How to Make Falafel (Step-by-Step)?
- Soak the chickpeas overnight then, drain and rinse them. Add the soaked dry chickpeas into a food processor along with the chopped onion, parsley, cilantro, chili pepper, garlic, cumin, salt, cardamom, black pepper, and lemon juice. Pulse the mixture, scraping down the sides as needed, until it reaches a coarse, sand-like texture.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the chickpea flour and baking soda until well combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Using your hands or an ice cream scoop, form the mixture into 2-inch balls or patties (patties work best for baking). If the mixture feels too dry, mix in a bit more water. If it’s too wet, add extra chickpea flour until reaching the right consistency.
🔎 How to Cook Falafel (3 Different Ways)
We are providing three simple methods for cooking falafel at home. Deep fried, pan fried or oven baked. As you can see from the image below, the three methods produce light, fluffy and crispy falafel.
🔎 How to Deep Fry Falafel?
Deep frying falafel is easy. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat about 3 inches of oil over medium heat, until the frying oil reaches 350°F (175°C). Working in batches, gently add 6-9 falafel balls into the hot oil. Fry them for 1-2 minutes, or until the falafel turn a rich golden brown. Using a skimmer, remove the falafel from the oil and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
🔎 How to Cook Falafel on the Stovetop (Pan-fried)?
Pan fried falafel uses less oil and produces crispy falafel although the patties are shaped more like disks (for even frying) and may not look perfectly round as when making deep fried falafel. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet (cast iron works well) over medium heat. Add the falafel patties and pan fry for about 2 minutes. Flip and pan fry the other side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess grease.
🔎 How to Bake Falafel in the Oven?
Preheat the oven to 375º Fahrenheit (190ºC). Coat a large rimed baking sheet with 3-4 tablespoons of oil (alternatively, you can line the sheet pan with parchment paper and grease the paper). Place the uncooked falafel patties on the oiled sheet pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, carefully flipping the falafel halfway through the baking process. Bake until golden brown on both sides, about 18-20 minutes.
🔪 Recipe Tips: Prep & Adjustments
- Dry Chickpeas is Key: Soaked but uncooked chickpeas hold their shape and create a fluffy interior. Canned chickpeas contain too much moisture and lead to dense or crumbly falafel.
- Right Texture: Just like when making any type of fritters, reaching the right batter consistency is key. The falafel mixture should feel like wet sand and should hold together before is cooked.
- Resting the mixture: Hydration and starch development improve structure and prevent breaking.
- Mixture is Too Wet or Too Dry: If after the falafel dough rest, the mixture is too loose, add more flour or add more liquid if it’s too dry.
- For Crispy Baked Falafel: For best results, make sure you grease the sheet pan generously with oil. As an extra step, I like to brush the top of the falafel dough with a bit of additional oil. This helps to achieve a crispy golden brown patty. Bake, flipping once.
🔎 Dried Chickpeas vs. Canned Chickpeas
Authentic falafel is made with soaked dried chickpeas. Canned chickpeas are already cooked and contain excess moisture, which can cause falafel to fall apart or become dense instead of light and fluffy.
🤔 Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my falafel falling apart?
The mixture may be too wet (needs more flour). Make sure to use dried chickpeas and chill the mixture before frying.
Do I need to cook the chickpeas first?
No. Falafel is made with soaked, uncooked dried chickpeas.
Can I make falafel ahead of time??
Yes. Shape and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze uncooked falafel for up to 3 months.
Can I use dried herbs to make falafel?
No, I don’t recommend using dried herbs to make traditional falafel. The fresh herbs not only provide the ideal volume needed for the right falafel mixture consistency but also deliver the vibrant, authentic flavor that makes falafel so delicious.
✔️ Make Ahead, Storing, Freezing and Reheating
- Make Ahead-Freezing: The falafel dough freezes well whether shaped into patties or simply stored in a resealable bag (without shaping it first). Refrigetrate mixture for 2days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Frozen falafel patties that are ready to be deep fried, do not need to be thawed out.
- Storing: To store leftover falafel, cool falafel completely and then, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: To restore their fresh, crispy texture, reheat falafel in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through and crispy on the outside. Alternatively, use an air fryer at 375°F (190ºC) for 3-5 minutes or reheat in the microwave, in small intervals until warm through.
💛 Intentional Cooking
Your priorities, your recipe. Learn about Intentional Cooking.
Environment: Falafel is naturally plant-based and built around legumes, one of the most resource-efficient protein sources. Choosing meals centered on beans and pulses is a simple way to reduce your environmental footprint while still enjoying satisfying, nourishing food.
Finances: Made from inexpensive pantry staples like dried chickpeas, herbs, and spices, homemade falafel is a budget-friendly meal that can feed a crowd and freezes beautifully for future meals.
Community, Culture and Traditon: Falafel is a beloved street food across the Middle East, rooted in generations of home cooking and community. Preparing it from scratch honors a tradition built on simple ingredients, shared meals, and everyday nourishment.
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Authentic Falafel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed, picked over and soaked overnight (don’t use canned chickpeas)
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, chopped (about one bunch)
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped (about one bunch)
- 1 small jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeds removed and devein (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Mild oil for frying, see notes
Tahini Sauce
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup water, or more for a thinner consistency
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, about 2 lemons
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- sea salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven (If baking)
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them in a food processor together with the onion, parsley, cilantro, chile pepper, garlic, cumin, salt, cardamon, black pepper and lemon juice.
- Pulse to process scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture resembles the texture of coarse sand.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the chickpea flour and baking soda. Mix to combine, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- With your hands or using an ice cream scoop form 2-inch balls or patties (I prefer patties when baking them). If the mixture is too dry, add additional lemon juice or water. If the mixture is too wet, add additional chickpea flour.
To Fry:
- Heat about 3-inches of oil in a pot over medium heat until the oil reaches about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the falafel in batches adding 6-9 pieces to the pot each time (depending on the size of your pot).Cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. With a skimmer, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Serve immediately with tahini sauce.
To Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a large rimed baking sheet with 3-4 tablespoons of oil. Place the falafel on the oiled sheet pan. Optional: Brush the falafel with additional olive oil for extra crispiness. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, carefully flipping the falafel halfway through the baking process. Bake until golden brown on both sides, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with tahini sauce.
To Pan Fry:
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet (cast iron works well) over medium heat. Add the falafel patty and pan fry for about 2 minutes. Flip and pan fry the other side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Serve immediately with tahini sauce.
For the Tahini Sauce
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Season to taste. Use immediately.Keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Notes
- Soaking Chickpeas: Soaking the chickpeas for a minimum of 12 hours to overnight is a must. This step should not be skipped!
- Do Not Use Canned Chickpeas: The recipe simply won’t work as canned chickpeas are too soft and too wet. Traditionally, the falafel mixture is always made with dried chickpeas that have been soaked for at least 12 hours or overnight. The soaked chickpeas are grind raw (uncooked). Then, the falafel mixture is cooked by frying or baking.
- Right Texture: Just like when making any type of fritters, reaching the right consistency is key. The falafel mixture should feel like wet sand and should hold together before is cooked.
- Allow Falafel Mixture to Chill: Chilling the mixture before cooking is key. If after this time the mixture is too loose, add more flour or more liquid if it’s too dry.
- For Crispy Baked Falafel: For best results, make sure you grease the sheet pan generously with oil. As an extra step, I like to brush or spray the top of the falafel dough with a bit of additional olive oil. This helps to achieve a crispy golden brown patty. Bake, flipping once througout the cooking process.
- Oil: For pan-frying, I recommend using olive oil or avocado oil for their flavor and versatility. For deep-frying, vegetable oil is my go-to, but any mild, high-smoke-point oil like canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil works just as well.
- Freezing Falafel: The falafel dough freezes well whether shaped into patties or simply stored in a resealable bag (without shaping it first). Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Storing: To store leftover falafel, cool falafel completely and then, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: To restore their fresh, crispy texture, reheat falafel in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through and crispy on the outside. Alternatively, use an air fryer at 375°F for 3-5 minutes or reheat in the microwave until warm through.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 17-18 falafel balls.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Downshiftology
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