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Learn how to make falafel with this easy homemade falafel recipe. It’s bursting with zesty fresh fresh flavors, lightly pan-fried (instead of deep-fried), and perfect for falafel wraps, salads and other favorite dishes.
Anyone else out there obsessed with falafel?
Metoo. ♡
Well good news — if you’ve ever wondered how to make falafel, it’s surprisingly easy to whip up a batch of the crispy, herb-y, super-flavorful falafel in the comfort of your own kitchen. All you need is a can of chickpeas, two big bunches of fresh herbs, and a handful of simple seasonings. Then instead of breaking out the deep fryer (sorry, that much oil makes me nervous in my kitchen!), we’ll keep things nice and simple and just pan-fry them safely in some high-heat oil instead. The falafel will still turn out nice and crispy and flavorful on the outside. And the tender insides will be bright green and downright bursting with the best fresh flavors!
Perfect for adding to wraps, sandwiches, salads, hummus platters, or any other ways that you love to serve falafel. Or — my personal favorite — just serve them up plain with a good tahini sauce, tzatziki or hummus for dipping! This falafel recipe also freezes well, if you’d like to make a big batch and save some for later. And bonus, it’s also naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.
Basically, if you love falafel, it’s a must-try. It has been my personal favorite falafel recipe for years, and over time, thousands of our readers have made and loved these too!
The BEST Falafel Recipe | 1-Minute Video
What Is Falafel?
So exactly what is falafel? There are a million ways to make falafel, but traditionally, it is fried patties made from pureed chickpeas (or other legumes), herbs and seasonings. It can be served plain or in wraps, sandwiches, salads, or any number of other dishes. It originates from the Middle East, although it has risen to fame as one of the most popular street foods that you can find now all over the world. And it is delicious.
Falafel Ingredients:
As I said, there are endless variations out there for various ingredients that you can use to make falafel. But for this recipe, you will need:
Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas to save a step, rinsed and drained.
Fresh herbs: I love brightening up my falafel with lots and lots of fresh cilantro and parsley! The fresh taste is unbeatable, and all of those herbs also the falafel a lovely green hue.
Garlic: Feel free to add a little extra garlic to the recipe below if you’re a mega garlic lover.
Onion: White, red or yellow will work.
Flour: I typically use white whole wheat flour, but feel free to use your preferred kind of flour. (This gluten-free flour blend also works great.)
Oil: Any mild high-heat oil will work here, such as avocado, grapeseed or vegetable oil.
Baking powder: To make the falafel a bit more light and airy.
Seasonings: Fine sea salt, black pepper and ground cumin.
Lemon juice: The final ingredient to round out all of those yummy fresh flavors.
How To Make Falafel:
I’ve included alternate instructions below for if you would like to deep-fry or bake your falafel. But for this easy pan-fried version (my favorite), simply…
Roughly purée your ingredients. You can either do this in a food processor (my recommendation), a stand mixer, or a blender. Pulse until the mixture reaches a fine-grain texture (kind of like coarse sand, ideally not overly mushy).
Chill. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours until chilled. (Or you can speed this process up by spreading the mixture out in a shallow layer and popping it in the freezer for 30-45 minutes until chilled.)
Form into patties. Use a medium (2-tablespoon) cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop out 2 tablespoons of the mixture, and then use your hands to shape it into a ball. Lay the ball on a parchment-covered sheet, then gently flatten it slightly with your hand so that it is about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough mixture.
Pan-fry the falafel. Heat the oil over medium-heat. Then carefully add about 4-5 falafel to the oil and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side until browned and crispy. Transfer the falafels to a plate lined with paper-towels to soak up any extra oil. Repeat with the remaining falafels.
Serve! Then serve them up while they’re nice and warm and crispy, and enjoy!
Possible Recipe Variations:
Feel free to get creative and have fun swapping in different falafel ingredients that sound good to you. Some possible falafel recipe variations could include:
Add different spices: I didn’t want this recipe below to get too long, but I also really love adding in a pinch of ground cardamom, coriander, cinnamon and/or turmeric to my falafel mix too.
Add different herbs: I’m partial to also subbing in some fresh mint as part of the parsley/cilantro mixture. But feel free to get creative and add in whatever other fresh herbs might sound good too.
Add veggies: Really just about any fresh veggies could be added to falafel as well in place of (or in addition to) the chickpeas. Just be sure that they are not too juicy, or you will need to add in more dry ingredients to balance the veggie moisture out.
Use different legumes: If chickpeas aren’t your thing, falafel can also be made with different legumes such as fava beans, lentils, white beans, black beans, etc. (Or if you do not eat legumes, I’ve successfully subbed in raw cauliflower for the chickpeas before.)
There are countless delicious ways to serve falafel! Some classics include:
Falafel sandwiches/wraps: Typically made with pita or a large wrap tortilla, then filled with lettuce, tomatoes, veggies, maybe feta cheese and some sort of sauce (tzatziki, tahini sauce, baba ganoush or hummus)
Falafel salads: Crispy falafel make a great addition to salads! I’m especially partial to adding mine to my Everyday Mediterranean Salad (or even to a good Caesar!).
Falafel bowls: Any bowls made with a base of salad, rice or orzo, veggies…you name it.
Dippers: My favorite way to serve falafel…on its own with your favorite sauce! I’m especially partial to serving falafel with hummus or tzatziki sauce for dipping. Or to make a quick tahini sauce, just stir together equal parts tahini and water, plus a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of ground cumin.
Falafel FAQ:
How to bake falafel: Bake for 30 minutes at 375°F on a greased baking sheet, flipping once halfway through.
How to deep-fry falafel: Either using a deep fryer — or just filling a stockpot with a few inches of oil — heat oil to 375°F. Carefully lower the falafels into the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until deep golden and crunchy on the outside. Transfer falafel to a tray lined with paper towels to drain.
How to freeze falafel: You can freeze cooked falafel in a sealed container for up to 3 months. But I recommend dough before baking, if you can. Form the dough into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then freeze for up to 3 months. Then once you’re ready to make the falafel, let the dough thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then shape into patties and pan-fry as directed.
Learn how to make falafel with this easy homemade falafel recipe. It’s bursting with zesty fresh fresh flavors, lightly pan-fried (instead of deep-fried), and perfect for falafel wraps, salads and other favorite dishes.
Ingredients
Scale
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, tightly-packed
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, tightly-packed
1/2 cup diced red or yellow onion
1/3 cup flour (such as all-purpose, white whole wheat, chickpea, or a 1:1 gluten-free flour)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 small garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
4–6 tablespoons high-heat oil (such as avocado oil, grapeseed oil or vegetable oil)
for serving: pita bread, chopped lettuce, sliced red onions, sliced tomatoes, tzatziki sauce, tahini sauce and/or hummus
Instructions
Add chickpeas, cilantro, parsley, onion, flour, lemon juice, baking powder, cumin, salt, black pepper and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture reaches a coarse crumb texture, stopping partway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Transfer mixture to a sealed container and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until chilled.
Lay a large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Using a spoon or a medium cookie scoop, measure out 2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball with your hands. Place the ball on the parchment paper, and gently flatten it slightly with your hand so that it is about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough until all of the falafel disks are prepared.
Heat oil in a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Carefully transfer 4 or 5 falafel disks to the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side, or until both sides of the disk are browned. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining falafel disks, adding extra oil to the pan if need be.
Serve the falafels immediately while they are warm and crispy. Or freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
Notes
This recipe requires 10 minutes prep time, plus 1-2 hours time to chill the falafel before cooking.
I’ve made this several times in the last month and the recipe is pretty forgiving. I prefer soaked chickpeas over the canned and I mix the herbs up every time. I also prefer baking them to sauteeing. My husband likes them but is a meat and potatoes guy. Still a great versatile recipe and the last 2 times I’ve made them I have doubled the recipe! Thanks!
My recipe turns out that it was too blended and not enough doughy enough to roll in balls. I’m going to add a little bit of bread flour and see if I can work things out.
I used 3/4 tsp table salt and regular canned chickpeas.. it’s was too salty for me. I also felt the herbs were too much. Modifications. I used drained chickpeas and toasted them for about 10 mins in the oven to get rid of extra moisture since many recipes require dried soaked chickpeas. I used about 1/4 cup of parsley and cilantro, and used 2 large garlic cloves. I used about 1/4 cup of 1 to 1 gluten free flour. The taste was much better and less herby. It was a good base recipe. I also viewed videos that share how the consistency should look. I used the processor to process the herb/onion mixture first but not all the way then added the chickpeas. Thank you for sharing.
Made this for Christmas as a vegetarian dish for my meat eating family (one of 2 vegetarians in my very large family) and they loved them! I’m making them again for the second time and I kept searching for this recipe! I appreciate that you’re ok with us using canned chickpeas because a lot of other recipes required dried ones. Overall, if you’re looking for an easy yet great recipe look no further! Thank you!
Used your recipe to make falafels for the first time and they turned out excellent. The recipe was really easy. Husband said they were the best falafels he’s ever eaten!
Not sure if I should have added the baking powder when pan frying them. They completely disintegrated when I put them in the hot oil. Did I miss something? I ended up baking the rest and they turned out ok, but fried would have been better!
Natalie —
I’ve learned that the batter has to be very cold when frying, otherwise they will disintegrate. I put the batter in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to freezing.
These are sooooo good! My first time making falafel and they are going into my regular rotation. I was tight on time so instead of the fridge for 1-2 hours I put on the freezer for 45 minutes. Worked great. Made into pitas with your tzitiki sauce recipe, tomatoes, shredded kale and feta. Absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to make again. Best falafel I’ve ever had.
I almost followed the recipe exactly. I used frozen chickpeas I had cooked myself. And, I didn’t let the mixture cook before cooking. Next time I will let the batter cool and see how that works. I really like this recipe because 80% of recipes tell you to use uncooked chickpeas and while those probably taste great, the idea of using uncooked beans just doesn’t sound good health-wise. So, I think this recipe is likely healthier for the gut.
But, overall, while I’ve had better falafel at a restaurant these are the best I’ve ever made at home and were quite edible. I am buying the scooper you recommended and followed that link to Amazon – thanks for that rec and the recipe.
Our new favorite quarantine dinner! A great way to sort of use up greens you’ve got on hand, and great as leftovers too (if you’re lucky enough to have them make it that far!!!) I’ll happily be adding this back in to my lunch meal prep rotation once I’m released back in to the wild, too :)
Just made these (in the oven, btw). They’re delicious, but I definitely overmixed the dough. So, I do have a couple of comments that, IMO, would make the instructions clearer.
You give the option to jump to the recipe directly, so quite a bit of information may be lost for people like me who are in a rush to cook (rather than read). Like others mentioned, I think it would be nice to have all potentially helpful info in the recipe directly. e.g. that pulsing the herbs, onions and garlic FIRST will make you less likely to overmix. I had the hardest time to get everything even just processed enough because everything sat layered above the beans which turned to mush before I could get everything to mix crumbly.
A quick note in or below the recipe on how to make the falafel in the oven would also be super (I decided to go that route for mine and was annoyed that there was no information- only to find that information above once it was all done).
And lastly, I feel that the cooling time needs to be part of the prep-time. I didn’t have hours to cool the mix and so just went ahead.
Those are technical details, though. Flavour-wise this recipe ROCKS!
The amount of salt overwhelmed the fresh taste. Stuck together well which has been a problem for me in t he past. I used chickpea flour which I think was beneficial to the taste. Will make again with less salt and a little less cumin. Thank you for the recipe which was very easy and straightforward.
It is great recipe. It came out delicious. But the dough was very moist so I had to squeeze out the excess water to make falafel. I Followed exact measurements expect I left the dough for additional hours 12 hours in refrigerator.
I’ve been missing falafel since we moved away from our favorite Mediterranean restaurant. I’ve tried to make them in the past, but they’ve always turned out bland. However, the flavor on these is spot on! I need to make a few batches of these to freeze so I can treat myself to amazing lunches. Thanks for a great recipe.
The flavours are good, but under no circumstances should you just toss everything into the food processor and pulse. The chickpeas will be pureed long before the mixture is blended. Pulse the chickpeas separately to crumble into bits, sep mix the herbs, spices, onion, garlic. Then I’d mix both together and add flour as you go.
The best falafel recipe I’ve tried! The difference is the amount of herbs in the chickpea mixture. I expanded my herb garden for this recipe, and I’m so unhappy after that first frost when everything but the parsley is gone! I end up picking the herb leaves off stems for most of the prep time, but it’s well worth it. Even my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant’s aren’t nearly as flavorful as Ali’s. If you skimp on the herbs, the falafel become oily and starchy tasting. I dislike the smell of canned chickpeas, so I use dried 1# bag, soak for 24 hours, then cook in the instant pot for 13 minutes (fill pot with water to 1/2 mark.) 1 1/2 cups finished chickpeas =. 1 15-oz can, but guaranteed you’ll want to double the recipe! If you over process the falafel mix, it’ll be too soft and sticky when it comes time to fry. Use the entire recommended refrigeration or freezer time, too – the mixture needs to be good and cold or they are hard to handle. Adding flour at that stage ruins the delicate taste and texture. My favorite herb to add is ground cardamom but any addition (or not) is excellent. Bravo, Ali!
Perfect potatoes! I soaked my potatoes for 20 mins. Other then that I followed recipe exactly! My boyfriend loved them! He said they were best roasted potatoes he’s ever had! They were so crispy and flavorful!
Made this tonight – first time making falafel from scratch. Followed recipe as written and we had a great result. Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and great flavor. Wrapped up in a warm pita with a white bean hummus, cucumber, tomato and feta. We will definitely add to our go-to dinners.
Delicious; one suggestion squish balls down to the width as if you were to reach half of the oil point in each flip. Would do again for sure. Would even make for company as a dinner. Served with tabouleh salad.
I added 2 tsp coriander plus an extra tsp of cumin. Refrigerated the mixture. Just before cooking I added 1.5 tsp baking powder and give the mixture a few more spins. I air fried the falafels at 380 F for 15 minutes, turning the half way through. I should mention I sprayed oil on the pan and on top of the balls. It was terrific! I held my breath while my husband tried them and he loved them! Thanks for the great recipe. I can’t wait to try the pita…my items are on order!
I followed the recipe exactly, and the flavor was amazing, but all of them fell apart and crumbled in the oil. =(
They looked so pretty right up until I fried them! Not sure what happened.
I love the idea of something new so I will have to try this as your recipe looking tastie , I just noticed falafel in our high Street restaurant .
I’ve made this several times in the last month and the recipe is pretty forgiving. I prefer soaked chickpeas over the canned and I mix the herbs up every time. I also prefer baking them to sauteeing. My husband likes them but is a meat and potatoes guy. Still a great versatile recipe and the last 2 times I’ve made them I have doubled the recipe! Thanks!
I’ve been looking for an easy to make falafel recipe and this one ticks all the boxes.
Easy & delicious :) Thank you so much for sharing!
So delicious! I pan-fried them and they turned out perfectly!
This is the best falafel I’ve ever had!! Made it last night for dinner and turned it into a Gyro. I think I’ll be adding this dish to my repertoire!
Tried this and it was great! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!
My recipe turns out that it was too blended and not enough doughy enough to roll in balls. I’m going to add a little bit of bread flour and see if I can work things out.
This was amazing! I followed the recipe exactly then added in mint, coriander, and cinnamon. My only regret is not making it a double batch!
I used 3/4 tsp table salt and regular canned chickpeas.. it’s was too salty for me. I also felt the herbs were too much. Modifications. I used drained chickpeas and toasted them for about 10 mins in the oven to get rid of extra moisture since many recipes require dried soaked chickpeas. I used about 1/4 cup of parsley and cilantro, and used 2 large garlic cloves. I used about 1/4 cup of 1 to 1 gluten free flour. The taste was much better and less herby. It was a good base recipe. I also viewed videos that share how the consistency should look. I used the processor to process the herb/onion mixture first but not all the way then added the chickpeas. Thank you for sharing.
I love it ! Thank you so much for sharing!
Made this for Christmas as a vegetarian dish for my meat eating family (one of 2 vegetarians in my very large family) and they loved them! I’m making them again for the second time and I kept searching for this recipe! I appreciate that you’re ok with us using canned chickpeas because a lot of other recipes required dried ones. Overall, if you’re looking for an easy yet great recipe look no further! Thank you!
Used your recipe to make falafels for the first time and they turned out excellent. The recipe was really easy. Husband said they were the best falafels he’s ever eaten!
Not sure if I should have added the baking powder when pan frying them. They completely disintegrated when I put them in the hot oil. Did I miss something? I ended up baking the rest and they turned out ok, but fried would have been better!
I’ve learned that the batter has to be very cold when frying, otherwise they will disintegrate. I put the batter in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to freezing.
These are sooooo good! My first time making falafel and they are going into my regular rotation. I was tight on time so instead of the fridge for 1-2 hours I put on the freezer for 45 minutes. Worked great. Made into pitas with your tzitiki sauce recipe, tomatoes, shredded kale and feta. Absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to make again. Best falafel I’ve ever had.
I almost followed the recipe exactly. I used frozen chickpeas I had cooked myself. And, I didn’t let the mixture cook before cooking. Next time I will let the batter cool and see how that works. I really like this recipe because 80% of recipes tell you to use uncooked chickpeas and while those probably taste great, the idea of using uncooked beans just doesn’t sound good health-wise. So, I think this recipe is likely healthier for the gut.
But, overall, while I’ve had better falafel at a restaurant these are the best I’ve ever made at home and were quite edible. I am buying the scooper you recommended and followed that link to Amazon – thanks for that rec and the recipe.
Our new favorite quarantine dinner! A great way to sort of use up greens you’ve got on hand, and great as leftovers too (if you’re lucky enough to have them make it that far!!!) I’ll happily be adding this back in to my lunch meal prep rotation once I’m released back in to the wild, too :)
Just made these (in the oven, btw). They’re delicious, but I definitely overmixed the dough. So, I do have a couple of comments that, IMO, would make the instructions clearer.
You give the option to jump to the recipe directly, so quite a bit of information may be lost for people like me who are in a rush to cook (rather than read). Like others mentioned, I think it would be nice to have all potentially helpful info in the recipe directly. e.g. that pulsing the herbs, onions and garlic FIRST will make you less likely to overmix. I had the hardest time to get everything even just processed enough because everything sat layered above the beans which turned to mush before I could get everything to mix crumbly.
A quick note in or below the recipe on how to make the falafel in the oven would also be super (I decided to go that route for mine and was annoyed that there was no information- only to find that information above once it was all done).
And lastly, I feel that the cooling time needs to be part of the prep-time. I didn’t have hours to cool the mix and so just went ahead.
Those are technical details, though. Flavour-wise this recipe ROCKS!
The amount of salt overwhelmed the fresh taste. Stuck together well which has been a problem for me in t he past. I used chickpea flour which I think was beneficial to the taste. Will make again with less salt and a little less cumin. Thank you for the recipe which was very easy and straightforward.
I made this yesterday and it turned out great! I also put some fresh mint in it, delicious!! Thank you!
I have made these a few time. They are so good!
It is great recipe. It came out delicious. But the dough was very moist so I had to squeeze out the excess water to make falafel. I Followed exact measurements expect I left the dough for additional hours 12 hours in refrigerator.
I’ve been missing falafel since we moved away from our favorite Mediterranean restaurant. I’ve tried to make them in the past, but they’ve always turned out bland. However, the flavor on these is spot on! I need to make a few batches of these to freeze so I can treat myself to amazing lunches. Thanks for a great recipe.
The flavours are good, but under no circumstances should you just toss everything into the food processor and pulse. The chickpeas will be pureed long before the mixture is blended. Pulse the chickpeas separately to crumble into bits, sep mix the herbs, spices, onion, garlic. Then I’d mix both together and add flour as you go.
The best falafel recipe I’ve tried! The difference is the amount of herbs in the chickpea mixture. I expanded my herb garden for this recipe, and I’m so unhappy after that first frost when everything but the parsley is gone! I end up picking the herb leaves off stems for most of the prep time, but it’s well worth it. Even my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant’s aren’t nearly as flavorful as Ali’s. If you skimp on the herbs, the falafel become oily and starchy tasting. I dislike the smell of canned chickpeas, so I use dried 1# bag, soak for 24 hours, then cook in the instant pot for 13 minutes (fill pot with water to 1/2 mark.) 1 1/2 cups finished chickpeas =. 1 15-oz can, but guaranteed you’ll want to double the recipe! If you over process the falafel mix, it’ll be too soft and sticky when it comes time to fry. Use the entire recommended refrigeration or freezer time, too – the mixture needs to be good and cold or they are hard to handle. Adding flour at that stage ruins the delicate taste and texture. My favorite herb to add is ground cardamom but any addition (or not) is excellent. Bravo, Ali!
Perfect potatoes! I soaked my potatoes for 20 mins. Other then that I followed recipe exactly! My boyfriend loved them! He said they were best roasted potatoes he’s ever had! They were so crispy and flavorful!
Made this tonight – first time making falafel from scratch. Followed recipe as written and we had a great result. Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and great flavor. Wrapped up in a warm pita with a white bean hummus, cucumber, tomato and feta. We will definitely add to our go-to dinners.
Delicious; one suggestion squish balls down to the width as if you were to reach half of the oil point in each flip. Would do again for sure. Would even make for company as a dinner. Served with tabouleh salad.
Hey ,
The real Falafel is made by Fava beans, totally different when you do it by chickpeas “heavy for the stomach”
Many thanks…..
Wow, this was a winner! Even my pickiest child ate them up. Quite insanely yummy!
Loved this! Baked rather than fried. It had a crispy top and bottom. I’ll definitely make it again.
I was searching for a quick and easy recipe and this one ticked all the boxes, wonderful and tasty!!!!
Wonderful recipe! Very simple to make and both me and my partner were happy with the results!
These are amazing!!! Can I make the mix ahead of time and freeze? or would frying then freezing work better? Thanks!!
Awesome recipe! I cooked them in my air fryer at 350 for approx. 24 min and they turned out great!
Made in the air fryer (375 for 15 min) and turned out great. Just sprayed the basket and the balls.
I added 2 tsp coriander plus an extra tsp of cumin. Refrigerated the mixture. Just before cooking I added 1.5 tsp baking powder and give the mixture a few more spins. I air fried the falafels at 380 F for 15 minutes, turning the half way through. I should mention I sprayed oil on the pan and on top of the balls. It was terrific! I held my breath while my husband tried them and he loved them! Thanks for the great recipe. I can’t wait to try the pita…my items are on order!
I followed the recipe exactly, and the flavor was amazing, but all of them fell apart and crumbled in the oil. =(
They looked so pretty right up until I fried them! Not sure what happened.
Delish!
Finally, a recipe with canned chickpeas that works!
I baked mine and they were amazing – so bright and flavourful. Thank you for sharing!
Have you tried Deep Frying these? Gonna try… hoping they don’t disintegrate!