Homemade Falafel Recipe (Step-By-Step)

This homemade falafel recipe is easy to follow and makes delicious falafels that are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Learn how to make falafels at home and ditch the take out.

If you love middle eastern recipes, you’re going to love today’s recipe. Falafel is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine that complements such classic recipes as manakish zaatar, mujadara and shish tawook. This is a super easy falafel recipe that you can make at home and enjoy with some tasty sides!

What is falafel?

Falafel, also called Felafel, is a delicious middle eastern patty that’s made mainly with chickpeas. In some countries falafel is made with fava beans but the common falafel that you find in restaurants is made with chickpeas. A good falafel is crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.

Falafel most definitely originated in Egypt and was made with fava beans. These days, falafels can be found almost everywhere and are usually served as a sandwich with pita, pickles, hummus and tahini sauce.

In Iran, Falafel sandwiches are common in almost every city and are especially popular in the southern regions. You can easily find them in small stalls on the street and they’re usually served with spicy mango pickles.

What is falafel made of?

These vegan patties are made of dried chickpeas that have been soaked in water overnight. In addition to chickpeas, this homemade falafel recipe also calls for:

• Parsley and cilantro
• Onion
• Garlic
• Cumin, paprika, salt and pepper
• Chickpea flour

Falafel ingredients might vary from city to city and region to region as some might not use greens and some might use different spices. But this is a basic falafel recipe that you can count on to give you that delicious falafel that you buy from your favorite middle eastern place.

How to make falafel from scratch

Making homemade falafel is actually pretty simple and fun. Start with soaking the chickpeas. Don’t skip this step when you make falafels and don’t use canned chickpeas. Let the garbanzo beans soak for 12 to 18 hours until they can easily be chopped. Drain and wash the chickpeas and set the aside.

Place the herbs and onion and garlic in a bowl of a food processor and process until they’re finely chopped. Then add in the chickpeas and spices and process until you have a coarse paste. Add in chickpea flour and baking powder, and process again until everything is well mixed.

Now place the bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can leave the falafel mixture in the fridge overnight if you choose. Once you’re ready to cook, heat some canola or vegetable oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot enough, scoop out the falafel mixture using an ice cream scoop and form patties that are 1/2 inch thick. Carefully place the falafel patties in hot oil and cook them util they are golden brown and crispy. Place the cooked homemade falafels on a kitchen paper towel to absorb the extra oil.

To shape the falafels you can either make falafel balls of falafel patties. I personally prefer falafel patties as they have a more traditional look and a better tasting center.

Can I use canned chickpeas?

Canned or cooked chickpeas don’t work for homemade falafel recipes as they contain too much moisture and that will cause the falafels to fall apart when you try to fry them. Making homemade falafels might require a little bit of planning, but it’s worth it.

Are falafels vegan?

Falafels are vegan as they don’t contain dairy, egg or meat. They’re made with chickpeas, onion, garlic, and herbs.

What makes falafel green?

A good heap of cilantro and parsley make falafels green. You can reduce the amount of herbs if you don’t like falafels to be too green. Don’t like cilantro? You can leave it out or substitute it with more parsley. 

Can I bake falafels?

Even though falafels are traditionally fried, you can also bake them in the oven:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and like a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place falafel patties on the baking sheet and brush the top with olive oil.
• Turn the patties and brush the other side with olive oil too.
• Bake the falafels in the oven for 25 minutes and flip them half way through.

What to serve homemade falafel with 

Falafels are a full meal on their own and you can serve them with tahini sauce, fattoush, tabbouleh or fresh Mediterranean salad. You can also serve falafels with different dips and spreads such as hummus. Homemade falafel is particularly good when served fresh with some homemade pita bread. It’a a complete middle eastern feast that everyone will love and devour.

Can I freeze falafels?

You certainly can. I prefer to freeze raw falafels as they are the best when freshly fried. Scoop the falafels and make the patties. Place them on a plate or a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour until they’re hardened. Then place them in a ziploc bag and freeze.

Once ready to cook, take them out of the ziploc bag and place them on a baking sheet. Fry the falafel patties once they’re completely thawed.

Notes and tips on how to make the best falafel recipe

• I use chickpea flour to ensure a bold chickpea flavor. However, you can simply switch in all purpose flour in the this easy falafel recipe. Make sure not to add too much flour, one to two tablespoon is enough for this recipe.
• It’s important to refrigerate the falafel mixture for at least thirty minutes as it gives the mixture the time it needs to come together and get ready to be fried.
• Make sure the oil is not too hot – otherwise the falafels will cook on the outside but remain raw on the inside.
• Using canned chickpeas might seem like an easy option, but because of the amount of water they have, the falafels are not going to have the perfect texture and flavor. Classic falafel is made with dry chickpeas soaked for at least 18 hours.