Every chickpea dreams of being transformed into a falafel! Ultra crispy on the outside, moist and fluffy on the inside, everybody loves them but few know how easy they are to make. This is an easy to follow falafel recipe with step photos AND a recipe video!
The best part is breaking open the golden brown balls to reveal the dazzling green insides. Dip them in tahini sauce and pop them straight in your mouth, or make wraps!
Falafel recipe
There are many things I do not know, but I do know this: Falafels are the highest and best use of chickpeas.
Perhaps not the most common use – hard to beat a batch of creamy hummus whipped up in mere minutes using a can of chickpeas. But if you’re after the best use of chickpeas, falafels win every time.
And if you’re a falafel fiend like me, you’re going to be blown away how easy it is to make falafels at home!
This falafel recipe takes me back to my travels through the Middle East, where I enjoyed freshly made falafels almost every day!
Canned chickpeas don’t work!
In the falafel world, canned chickpeas are not only illegal, they flat out don’t work. Reason: falafels are made with dried chickpeas that are soaked but not cooked before forming the falafel balls.
Other than the dried chickpeas rule, there’s nothing unusual that goes into falafels. Baking powder is the only point of contention – you won’t see it in all recipes and it’s not endorsed by Kenji over at Serious Eats, one of our references for this recipe.
But it’s a trade secret we managed to extract from Hijazi’s Falafel in Earlwood, one the best falafel joints in Sydney. So we tried it with and without, side by side, and the baking powder version was noticeably more fluffy – and moist.
So it’s in. Fluffy insides to the max!!!
Falafels MUST be made with soaked dried chickpeas that are NOT cooked. Canned chickpeas don’t work!
Frying is not optional!
It’s rare that I say frying is mandatory, but for falafels, it is. It’s the only way to get the signature super crispy dark crust and keep the inside moist.
For this falafel recipe, I deep-deep fry them in the video, using enough oil so they’re mostly submerged. But you don’t need to – you can use far less oil than I did and they can be shaped like discs rather than balls which will mean even less oil required for frying.
Speaking of discs – you can unleash your wild side when it comes to shaping falafels. I chose balls because for me, that’s the shape that first comes to mind. But other common shapes include: disc shape (slightly flattened ball), dome (ball with underside flattened) and torpedoes (evil looking shape, like a football).
How to make falafels
I promise you this falafel recipe is straightforward, and I did not exaggerate! Here’s how to make falafels:
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Soak dried chickpeas overnight (seriously, remembering to do this is the hardest part!)
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Blitz with herbs, spices, garlic, flour and a touch of water
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Form balls, refrigerate to firm up
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Fry until deep golden brown and super crispy
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Devour as fast as humanly possible. Falafels are at their absolute peak straight out of the fryer!
How to serve Falafels
The thought of having a whole bowl of freshly cooked falafels to dunk into sauce and pop straight into my mouth is certainly appealing – though not the most nutritious meal option!!
So to serve Falafels as a meal, I like to either make falafel plates or wraps using pita bread, or falafel rolls using Lebanese or other large flatbreads (like the Falafel rolls sold at Kebab shops in Australia).
In all 3 of these options, I use: tabbouleh and/or shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato and onion slices and drizzle the Falafels with Tahini Sauce. Hummus also makes an appearance 99% of the time – a very big dollop of it!
Falafels also make a terrific gluten free meal by making falafel plates using a flavoured rice instead of bread – such as Mejadra (Middle Eastern Lentil Rice).
Falafel sauce options
A sauce is a must for falafels – you need the wetness. Tahini Sauce is the standard, but it’s also terrific with a simple yoghurt-lemon sauce or even a thinned down hummus. Recipes for all these options are in the recipe below.
Making ahead
Falafels are one of those foods that are truly at their best fresh out of the fryer, when they’re super crispy on the outside and the inside is piping hot and moist.
Once refrigerated, the crust softens and the inside loses moisture. But! The good news is that they can be resurrected to a near freshly-cooked state using a combination of a microwave (gets the insides moist again) and a hot oven to recrisp the surface.
They’re good for 5 days in the fridge – probably longer.
Imagine that! Getting your falafel fix day after day after day….. – Nagi x
PS Couple more things homemade falafels has going for them: they’re super economical compared to store bought (dried chickpeas are the main ingredient and they’re super cheap!) and you can control the saltiness – I find that even the best falafel stores are often too salty.
Falafel recipe
Watch how to make it
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Falafel
Ingredients
Falafels:
- 225 g / 8 oz dried chick peas (Note 1)
- 1 cup parsley leaves , roughly chopped
- 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped
- 6 scallions/shallots , white and light green part only finely chopped (Note 2)
- 2 cloves of garlic , minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (Note 3)
- 4 tsp flour (plain/all purpose) OR chickpea flour
- 5 tbsp water
For frying:
- 500 ml / 2 cups+ vegetable oil (Note 4)
Tahini Sauce (Other Sauces Note 5):
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
Serving (Note 6):
- Pita bread or other flatbreads
- Tabbouleh (recipe below)
- Hummus (optional extra)
- Shredded lettuce, tomato slices, sliced red or white onion
Instructions
Falafel:
- Place chickpeas in a large bowl and pour over plenty of cold water. Leave to soak 12 + hours (even 2 days is fine).
- Drain chickpeas well. Place in food processor, add remaining Falafel ingredients.
- Blitz for 2 to 3 minutes on high, scraping down sides as necessary, until the chickpeas are very small grains. Mixture should look like smooth guacamole from the outside (see video).
- Scoop up heaped tablespoons and shape into balls (or dome, disc or torpedo), place on a tray. Should make around 20, about 2.5cm / 1" wide.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Pour oil in a skillet or large pot - at least 1.7 cm / 2/3" depth (Note 4). Heat on medium high to 180 - 190C / 355F (or drop a bit in, should sizzle energetically).
- Place a ball in a large spoon (or tongs) and slide ball in. Cook in batches for around 4 minutes, using 2 forks to roll, until deep golden and super crusty on the outside.
- Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining falafel.
- Serve fresh out of the fryer with Sauce of choice! Make falafel wraps or plates with tabbouleh, tomato, onion, and Sauces of choice. See Notes 5 and 6.
Tahini Sauce:
- Combine tahini and lemon juice, and mix well. The mixture will stiffen.
- Stir in the water 1 tbsp at a time and it will loosen again. The final consistency should be like a thick drizzle sauce (see video). Season to taste with salt.
Recipe Notes:
* Falafel wraps / rolls - Use large or small flatbreads. Smear a good dollop of hummus or yoghurt (or Yoghurt Lemon Sauce, below) down the middle. Top with tabbouleh and/or lettuce, tomato, onion and falafels broken in half. Drizzle with Tahini Sauce or other sauce of choice (I love adding hot sauce). Either roll or fold and devour!
* Falafel plates - with tabbouleh and/or shredded iceberg lettuce with tomato slices, onion (red or white), Tahini Sauce with optional hummus with pita breads on the side. I love hot sauce too! A spiced pilaf like Mejadra (Middle Eastern Lentil Rice) is a terrific addition as well (and GF option). Tabbouleh: 2 tbsp Bulgur soaked in 3 tbsp boiling water then fluffed. 2 cups roughly chopped parsley, 1/2 cup roughly chopped mint, 1/2 red onion finely chopped, 2 large red tomatoes, deseeded & chopped. Dress with lemon juice and sprinkle of salt - adjust to taste depending on what you're serving it with. For falafel, I use very little salt and lots of lemon juice. Serving size: 2 - 3 halved falafels in pita pockets, 3 - 4 halved for a large roll, 4 to 5 for a plate. 7. Reheating: Falafel is one of those foods that's truly best served fresh out of the fryer. But the best way to store / reheat cooked falafel is in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (really!). Microwave to reheat (really!) THEN spray with plenty of oil and bake at 200C/390F for 5 minutes just until the surface is crispy again. Make Ahead: Balls can be rolled then kept uncooked in the fridge for 24 hours OR frozen. If frozen, fry from frozen - just add another 1 or 2 minutes to the frying time. 8. Nutrition per falafel:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
He really thought there was something tasty buried in that prickly bush – he was snuffling around in there for ages!!
A lot of falafel recipes include flour. This is wrong. There is no need for flour whatsoever.
Hi Nagi, wondering if you can freeze the cooked falafel? I realize they wouldn’t be as crunchy on the outside after thawing but that doesn’t bother me
I don’t see why not Gabs! Cooked falafel stores well in the fridge too and still tastes good even if it’s not as crispy! If you spray with the oil and rebake as per my notes, it will come pretty close! N x
Hey Nagi, do you think you could cook these in an air-fryer?
I haven’t tested that yet Lisa but I think it should work – let me know how you go! N x
A staple recipe in our house. My husband reckons these are the best felafel he’s ever eaten (a crown previously held by Jasmin at Punchbowl). Everything I have made from you Nagi is the best. I can’t wait for your recipe book!
Thanks Laura – I totally get that though! The Jasmin ones are the BOMB!! N x
Any other gluten free flour substitute suggestions?
You’ve done it yet again Nagi – thank you! I’ve never found any recipe book/website to be so consistently great. Was going to cheat with tinned chickpeas but didn’t because you were so adamant. Absolutely delicious. I’m already soaking for my next batch!
You can use any GF flour, Josie. It’s a tiny quantity and you won’t even taste it.
I didn’t want to use oil, so I followed the instructions, but at the end, covered the balls with panko breadcrumbs and generously sprayed it with olive oil. I baked at 200c till they went golden brown and they were great!
Sounds delicious Grace!! N x
Killer recipe yet again! Thank you, Nagi! I’m such a fan girl of yours. Every recipe of yours I try is a hit! I always check your site first when searching for any new recipe.
These falafels were so delicious and turned out so awesome even though it was my 1st time trying to make them. Only change I made was sub the cilantro for a little fresh dill. The flavors and consistency were amazing.
I’m also a massive fan girl! I cook
So much more since I found Nagi and she hasn’t let me down for a deliciousness!
LOVE YOUR WORK!
Do you think these would work as a vegan option for Italian night, swap out the cilantro for basil, served with a tomato sauce
I have tried a lot of falafel recipes but this beats them all hands-down. They looked and tasted beautiful! Thanks, Nagi!
Has anyone tried freezing these?
Made and loved these and to be honest I didn’t think they’d work (my fault entirely not the recipe) I made the mix too wet but just added a bit more gram flour and they came together beautifully, refrigeration before frying definitely helped too, they were light and fluffy and so flavorful 😍😍😍 and that Tabbouleh with some flatbreads, lettuce, toms, red onion, Tzatziki and siracha and I am in heaven. Thanks for another winner Nagi.
Hey Nagi,
I can’t find a tabbouleh recipe on RTE other than the white bean one (https://www.recipetineats.com/white-bean-tabbouleh-salad/) is there a plain tabbouleh recipe you’ve published?
Thanks! Love RTE btw, hanging out for your book 🙂
Nagi added a tabbouleh recipe in her notes at the end, just scroll through.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, its my go to for falafel after trying boxed a mix. Every time I pull up this recipe I smile so much. Crispy yet moist and delicious every time. Thank you 💜
These are the best falafels I’ve had. I was so happy with the results. I made roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce, zhoug and tomato/cucumber salad to go with them. Yummy!
These went down a treat on Christmas Eve. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and full of flavour. Everyone loved them! Will definitely make again.
Gotta say this is just the best. Every time we make the hubby keeps asking me if I have saved this recipe.
Can you bake the Falafels instead?
I did the same recipe, but covered in panko breadcrumbs sprayed it with olive oil and baked it at 200c till they went brown.