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 below to see how I make them in my kitchen!
Recipe by Lisa Bryan on September 6, 2024
Prep time: PT45M
Cook time: PT10M
Total time: PT55M
Rating
4.94 stars (500 reviews)
Keywords
Falafel, Falafel Recipe, How to Make Falafel
Ingredients
1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight (don't use canned chickpeas))
½ cup roughly chopped onion
1 cup roughly chopped parsley (about a one large bunch)
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro (about a one large bunch)
1 small green chile pepper (serrano or jalapeno pepper)
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chickpea flour (or other flour)
½ teaspoon baking soda
oil for frying
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
Mediterranean
Middle Eastern
Steps
Soak your dried chickpeas overnight or for at least 8 to 12 hours. Note that the chickpeas will triple in size, so cover them with plenty of water. Then drain and rinse them.
Pulse all the ingredients to a food processor. Add the chickpeas, onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, green pepper, and spices to a food processor. I recommend roughly chopping up the onion, herbs, and pepper before adding for the best texture. Then, pulse the food processor but do not blend completely. The final mixture should resemble coarse sand.
Chill the falafel. 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.
Shape the falafel. 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.
Cook the falafel. 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 350°F (175°C). Cook the falafel in batches (about 6 to 8 at a time) for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden.
Remove the falafel. Use a skimmer to check the color of the falafel and make sure they don't overcook. Then remove them to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve the falafel immediately, while warm and crispy on the outside. They're delicious served with tahini sauce as well.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 48 kcal
Carbohydrates: 8 g
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
Sodium: 166 mg
Sugar: 2 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0.5 g
Reviews
D'Andra on 2026-03-18 (5 stars): Turned out perfectly! Great recipe.
Amanda Banerjee on 2026-03-10 (5 stars): This has become a main staple in my home. Everyone loves them. Thank you!!!! The falafels come out perfectly every time whether pan fried or baked. I've started keeping a large quantity of the raw mix in the fridge and then I just take it out and fry as needed for fresh falafels.
Kerry on 2026-02-25 (5 stars): Super easy and yummy. I used to make falafel from a box mix. This is an entirely different thing. Light and crisp. Even my teenagers love falafel night!
Tracie on 2026-02-23 (5 stars): This is my go-to recipe for falafel, and I have made it countless times, but never dared to try the baked version until tonight. My whole family and I loved it. This will be my new method! Thanks, Lisa!
Sequoia Millen-El on 2026-02-01 (5 stars): My husband I used this great recipe. I am originally from NYC and have had my share of felafel dishes! I had always wondered how and what made the center a luscious green. The herbs!!!
We made two cups of chickpeas which yielded more than 25 felafels. The first batch was oven baked and the second was pan-fried. The second was better simply because we added more seasonings and they were ready to eat sooner!
Zerina Allie on 2026-02-01 (5 stars): I super love this recipe and yes I use the dry chickpeas after overnight soaking it softens up im a pro now I use this recipe all the time im even selling it everyone loves it thanks to this recipe
mariana on 2026-01-23 (5 stars): so delicious, thank you kindly lisa!
appreciate you sharing the recipe, it’s our new fave!
