My family’s authentic falafel recipe is made with soaked chickpeas, herbs, and spices. You can bake them in the oven, pan-sear them on the stovetop, or use an air fryer.
This homemade falafel recipe was handed down to me by my Egyptian father. He called them ta’amea and loved making them because they reminded him of his own mother, still back in a little village in Egypt. They brought him so much comfort. Today, they do the same for me—transporting me right back into my parents’ kitchen when I was young.
Food is deeply personal and becomes rooted in us at a very young age. For most of us, our comfort food is what we grew up eating – the special meals our parents made for us in celebration, but especially the simple daily meals we ate together as a family. After I moved away from home, my dad’s falafel and my mom’s tabouli were what I missed the most and looked forward to every time I came back home to visit.
What is Falafel?
You may be wondering… what is falafel? Falafel is a flavorful mixture of soaked chickpeas (or fava beans), fresh herbs, chilies, spices, onion, and garlic that are shaped into little balls or patties and typically deep-fried. We prefer pan searing, baking, or air frying for a healthier option. Falafel is typically served in a pita sandwich along with tahini sauce, tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumbers and pickled turnips. They are also often served as part of a mezze platter. *Traditional falafel is made with dried chickpeas (or dry fava beans) that have been soaked in water overnight. This is what gives falafel its unique texture.
What does falafel taste like?
Falafels taste savory, herby and nutty with a deliciously crispy exterior and tender center. Garlic, onion, and fresh chili peppers give them depth of flavor with a little bit of spicy heat.
WATCH: How to make Falafel
Falafel Ingredients
- Dry chickpeas (not canned) – Authentic falafel is made with dry chickpeas that have been soaked but not cooked. * Using cooked or canned chickpeas will result in mushy falafel- with no texture. Authentic Egyptian falafel can also be made with fava beans or a combination of both.
- Cilantro (or parsley)- Falfels have a greenish hue to them because they are loaded with herbs!
- Small onion and garlic cloves- both add great punchy flavor and depth!
- Green Chili Pepper (jalapeno peppers, serrano, or sub cayenne) add fresh “heat”. Feel free to go light or make them more spicy.
- Spices: Ground coriander, ground cumin and a teaspoon of salt.
- Baking powder – give them a lighter interior
- Extra virgin olive oil – so they don’t get overly dry and crumbly.
How to make Falafel
STEP ONE: Soak dry chickpeas overnight in a bowl of ample cold water for 8-24 hours, until they double in size. Drain them well, and pat dry. I often just spread them out on a sheet pan and let dry completely.
STEP TWO: Place the chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse repeatedly (do not blend), pulse -pulse- pulse, scrape down sides, and pulse again, until combined, but not overly smooth. Don’t over blend- you want to be granular, not smooth like hummus… and should look something like this below. You must pulse, scrape sides, and repeat a few times to achieve this.
STEP THREE: Refrigerate for 20 minutes (right in the food processor is fine) and then, using wet hands, form into tight golf ball-sized balls, compressing them tightly with your two palms. The dough will seem wet; this is okay; just compress it tightly. No need to add flour.
STEP FOUR: Cook the falafel. Heat a skillet, with high-heat oil, over medium heat. Without crowding, carefully place falafels in the warm skillet, pressing down to flatten slightly. TIP: Do not move them or fuss with them; just let them develop a crust. Letting them develop a golden crust, will allow them to naturally release themselves from the pan. This goes for almost anything you are searing or frying.
See recipe notes for BAKING the Falafels or air frying them!
When deeply golden, use a thin spatula to turn them over.
Remember, wait until they form a crust before moving, that way they will contract and release themselves from the pan.
STEP FIVE: Place the falafels that are done, uncovered in a warm oven while you cook the rest. This will warm them all the way though, activating the baking soda, giving them a little lightness.
Best Falafel Recipe Tips
- Falalfels are elevated when served with something creamy ( like tahini sauce) and something pickled (like pickled red onions). Always keep this in mind.
- My favorite way to eat falafel is to make a falafel sandwich: Warm-up pita bread, slice the very top off inch off and open it up, leaving the edges intact. Spread both sides with the Tahini yogurt Sauce , add a few warm falafels, sliced tomato and cucumber, tahini or tahini yogurt, pickled onions or pickled turnips. Add hot sauce if you like! I love adding this Lebanese Slaw to the pita sandwiches too!
- If you are on a gluten-free diet, or just want to try something different, falafel salads or falafel bowls are a good alternative. Use any greens and toss in your favorite veggies (tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, olives). Dress it with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper- then top with warm falafels and a side of Tahini Sauce. Here is our Falafel Bowl for more ideas!
- To reduce oil, feel free to air fry or bake- see recipe notes for directions.
What to serve with Falafel
Serve Falafel as a sandwich stuffed into warm pita bread with pickled onions, yogurt tahini sauce, tomatoes, cucumber, and zhoug. You can also create a falafel bowl like the one shown here, or serve it as part of a mezze platter with any of the Middle Eastern sides below!
Falafel Sauce
My favorite falafel sauce is our tahini yogurt sauce- it is so good and vegan-adaptable!
Storage
Cooked falafels will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container and can be reheated in a warm oven or toaster oven. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Meal Prep
The falafel “dough” can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days (in a sealed container) and you can cook falafels as needed throughout the week.
One thing I encourage you to do is to learn how to cook the dishes that comfort you, from the people who made them for you (if possible). It is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. Truly.
When I feel homesick or lonely for my parents, I make these falafels and feel comforted. ✨
xoxo
More favorite Middle Eastern Recipes!
Falafel Recipe (Best Homemade Falafels)
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 12 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10-12
- Category: vegan, main, gluten-free
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
How to make the best authentic Falafel from scratch using soaked chickpeas (not canned) with Homemade Pita, Creamy Tahini Sauce, Pickled Turnips, and Cucumber Yogurt Sauce *Chickpeas need 10-24 hours of soaking time. I recommend making a double batch. See notes for an air-fryer or baked falafels.
Ingredients
Falafel Recipe
- 1 cup dry chickpeas (yields roughly 2 cups soaked), soaked 10-24 hours
- 1 1/2 cups cilantro, packed (stems ok) or sub-Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup white or yellow onion, rough chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1/2 of a jalapeno, seeds ok (add the entire thing if you want a little kick)
- 1 tablespoon ground Coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Oil for cooking- olive oil, spray olive oil, avocado oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 375 F.
- Soak: Cover the dry chickpeas in a bowl of ample cold water on the counter for 10-12 hours or up to 24 hours in the fridge. They will swell into 2 cups. Place in a strainer, drain well, pat dry with a towel for extra dryness. (Wet chickpeas will be more difficult to fry.)
- Blend: Place onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno in the food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the 2 cups of the soaked, raw chickpeas, salt, spices, and baking soda, pulse again 10 times, scrape down sides, then add the olive oil, and process 10 seconds, until it is well blended but still coarse like sand. Don’t overwork it- this should not be smooth but coarse and granular for the best texture.
- Form: Using damp hands, carefully form 12 round ping pong-sized balls in your hands, compressing them into a tidy ball. Place on a sheet-pan. The dough will feel wet and delicate, and this is completely OK.
- Pan sear: In a non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on med-high heat until it sizzles when a pea-sized falafel is dropped. Turn heat to medium. Place them carefully in the hot oil, (they are fragile but should hold together just fine) slightly press down, and do not move them until they develop a deeply golden crust (this crust will ensure they naturally release themselves from the pan). Using a thin metal spatula, carefully turn them over. Lower heat if necessary. Sear the other side. Each side will take about 3-4 minutes. Cook in batches, not overcrowding. Place falafels in the oven while you cook the remaining falafels to cook them through. Keep them in a warm oven until ready to serve.
- Falafels can be cooked ahead, frigerated, and reheated in the oven. Alternatively, the falafel “dough” can be made ahead, refrigerated, and used throughout the week.
- Serve with pita bread, tahini sauce, or tahini yogurt sauce (my favorite), sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh cilantro and pickled onions.
Notes
Do not use canned or cooked chickpeas- not the same.
Try Fava Beans: Feel free to use soaked fava beans- or a combo of both- also delicious!
Baking instructions: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place the falafels on a greased parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush or spray the tops with olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then flip and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until golden. These can be cooled and frozen.
Air Fryer Insturctions: Preheat the air fryer to 375 F. Place falafels on a greased grate and spray with spray olive oil. Air fry 5 minutes, turn over, then air fry until golden, another 2-3 minutes.
Meal Prep: The falafel mixture can be kept in the refrigerator and pan-seared “to order”. For example, I’ll often make a double batch and just store the bowl of falafel mix (covered) in the fridge for the week, pan-searing as needed.
Pickled Turnips: Peel and thinly cut turnips and use the pickled veggies recipe. Add a tiny sliver of beetroot to get a lovely pink color!
Tahini Sauce: To make your tahini sauce even creamier- stir in a couple of tablespoons of yogurt.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 falafels
- Calories: 246
- Sugar: 4.7 g
- Sodium: 510.1 mg
- Fat: 2.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.9 g
- Fiber: 5.9 g
- Protein: 11.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
The best falafel ever. Reminded me of the tasty falafel I have only found at street vendors in larger cities. Thrilled to be able to make these at home. I used fava beans too. Family of omnivores gave it a thumbs up!
Yay Susan!!! I think so too! thanks for the rating, appreciate it!
Yes! Glad you enjoyed it!
What would the baking directions for the falafel be?
I just added, thanks, see notes!
Dear Sylvia,
It would give me great pleasure if you would send your most wonderful recipe of the above , Falafel with Tahina and home made Pita adding the rest of the goodies!!!!
I was born in Cairo, Egypt and remember the Tagmehya(excuse spelling. The last time I ever had a great falafel was in Israel………
Much appreciate and so looking forward to your email
Au revoir,
Hi Henry, Im so sorry the recipe link wasn’t working- I fixed it and it is working now. 😉 I hope you like them as mush as the ones in your memories.
Wow, I am excited to try these beautifully pictured and detailed recipes! Thanks too for sharing your lovely memories.
Thanks so much for commenting Sue, appreciate you being here and reading. 😉
Mine fell apart in the skillet then I added flour to the mix and they were just fine. Did they do this because I used canned beans or is flour added to recipe missing? I see you dredge in flour but even doing that they fell apart before I added flour and remixed no rolled. They were delicious. My two year old LOVED them!
I’m sorry they fell apart, yes it’s most likely because you used canned beans.
Hi! I would love to try your recipe, but wanted to try your suggestion of baking them. Do you have any suggestions on temperature and time for baking? Would you still recommend refrigerating the falafel beforehand?
Thank you for your help and this awesome looking recipe 🙂
Thanks Natalie! Brush with olive oil, and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes until heated through, turning over halfway through.
I have a jar of yeast, Can you tell me how much does your package of yeast weight? Thank you.
Each package is 1/4 ounce ( or 7g)
what a wonderful and comprehensive post! I made the falafel’s- (first time I have attempted falafels) and they were wonderful but very delicate- the mix was very moist and I was squeezing liquid out as I formed the balls- is your mix like that Sylvia? The tahini sauce was also delicious and I look forward to trying the pitta bread- thank you so much for your fantastic site.
I didn’t get to try this whole recipe but the above recipe for creamy tahini sauce served me well. I had only regular yogurt so i drained it on a cheesecloth for an hour or so and was surprised it worked so well… really really great, thanks.
No idea what I did wrong, but when frying, the falafels dissolved in the oil and I could only save a few of them. Maybe too low heat?
Hummmm, I’m so sorry Anders, how frustrating. Did you refrigerate them first?
Great question…I haven’t tried making it with gf flour yet, but if you give it a whirl, please let us know. thanks!!
I would really like your recipe but for some reason I can’t see it? ?
It should be above the comments??
I originally saw your recipe on Pinterest, and knew i had to try it out.
I did a half recipe of the falafel and tahini sauce, and a full recipe of the pita bread, as it was just for me and my husband – who can be quite fussy at times. It was an outstanding success, he loved everything! Thank you for such a well detailed recipe, so easy to follow:)
Thanks for the feedback!!
Oops – I definitely did 2 cups of dried chickpeas which turned into like 4 cups of soaked ones. So now we’ll be having falafel for dayzzzz!
This might be a silly question – but is it 2 cups of the garbanzo beans before or after soaking? I soaked 2 cups which doubled in size (to more than 4 cups) and now they won’t all fit in my food processor! I’m wondering if it’s only supposed to be 2 cups of them once they’re soaked?
Not a silly question! 2 cups soaked chickpeas!
Wow! I have never had falafel, but these look and sound amazing! I’m looking to go semi-meatless (lol) and these seem like a good way to get some protein! I may have to visit the local Greek eatery and see if they have it on the menu for me to try. I was wondering if you might have the nutritional information for these?
I don’t…. I’m sorry. I do know that some people bake falafel instead of fry to cut down on the fat.
That sounds so frustrating! I use a cast Iron skillet, and have never had a problem. Do you have one? Or even try a non stick pan? Right now…my guess is you using a stainless steel pan. Sometimes those can be very “sticky”.
I just finished making the Pita Bread! I have never made anything like it but your detailed instructions were perfect. Thank you. Next time I will making the falafels 🙂
Im so glad you tried them!
OK I am making these right now! May need to brush up on my frying techniques as they seem a bit oily. Any suggestions? Also I think I should have ground the mixture a bit more. Otherwise, they taste great! 😀
Blot with paper towels after frying. Unfortunately to get them really crispy, you need to use oil. A lot of people bake them, and you could also try that for a healthier version.
Your homemade falafels look and sound so delicious! I had to share on Pinterest. I just found your blog from your green smoothie recipe and it is wonderful!
Homemade Falafels have been on my list for far too long – your recipe sounds perfect, and those pictures are just making my mouth water! I just found your blog via foodgawker (yep, I’m an addict) and I can’t get enough. Cheers!
Now i’m starving with this. 🙂
I love a good Falafel. Nice to be offered the complete package with pittas and sauce recipes too, thanks.
Isn’t it amazing what a warm fuzzy memory a comfort food can do? I have many Greek family foods my Grandma and Mom made and just the smell can send me back!
Homemade pita AND falafels?! Awesome!!