My family’s authentic falafel recipe is packed with flavor! Made with dry, soaked chickpeas, fresh herbs, and spices, we make them healthier by pan-searing them on the stovetop or using an air fryer. Vegan. Video.
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. I’m excited to show you how to make authentic falafel!
Food is deeply personal, and for many 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 recipe and my mom’s tabouli were what I missed the most and looked forward to every time I went back home to visit.
What is Falafel?
Falafel is a crispy green chickpea ball, made with soaked chickpeas (or fava beans), fresh herbs, chilies, spices, onion, and garlic, shaped into little balls or patties and typically deep-fried. (We prefer pan searing, baking, or air frying for a healthier option.) They are typically tucked into pita bread along with tahini sauce, tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled turnips to make a falafel pita sandich.
What does falafel taste like?
A good falafel is vibrant green in the center because of all of the herbs! Falafels taste savory, herby and nutty with a deliciously crispy exterior and tender center. Garlic, onion, and fresh chili peppers add depth of flavor with a hint of spicy heat.
WATCH: How to make Falafel
Why you’ll love this Falafel Recipe
- They are Authentic. Authentic falafels are made with dried, soaked chickpeas, never canned! If you see canned chickpeas in a falafel recipe, you’ll know they aren’t “real” falafels.
- They are healthier. While you could opt to deep-fry these, we chose to pan-sear them in olive oil for a lighter take. They still get deliciously crispy, without all the oil. Airfrying and baking them are also great options- see recipe notes.
- Green all the way through. Packed with herbs and spices, you’ll know a “good falafel” by the color!
- Great for meal prep. Make large batches of falafel and freeze them for later use. A good source of plant protein.
- Fast and easy. Once you’ve soaked the chickpeas (for at least 8 hours), falafels only take a few minutes to make!
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 spicier.
- Spices: Ground coriander, ground cumin and a teaspoon of salt.
- Baking soda – give them a lighter interior
- Extra virgin olive oil – so they don’t get overly dry and crumbly.
How to make The Falafel: step-by-step Guide
STEP ONE: Soak. 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 them dry completely.
STEP TWO: Blend. Place the chickpeas and the remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse repeatedly (do not blend). Pulse-pulse-pulse, scrape down the sides, and pulse again until combined but not overly smooth.
TIP: Don’t overblend- you want to be granular- not smooth like hummus. It should resemble the example below. You must pulse, scrape sides, and repeat a few times to achieve this.
STEP THREE: Form. 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; 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. To bake or Air fry, see recipe notes!
PRO 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. 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 through, activating the baking soda, giving them a little lightness.
Falafel Tips and Troubleshooting
- Use a food processor. This makes falafels super easy!
- Prevent watery falafel. Pat your chickpeas dry, or simply let them air-dry on a sheet pan before using.
- Reduce oil by pan-searing, air-frying, or baking – 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 add it to our Crispy Mediterranean Chickpea Bowls!), or serve it as part of a mezze platter with any of the Middle Eastern sides below!
The Best Falafel Sauce!
My favorite falafel sauce is our tahini yogurt sauce- it is so good and vegan-adaptable!
StorAge and Freezing
- Cooked falafels will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container and are best reheated in a warm oven or toaster oven to keep them crisp.
- They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze them on a sheet pan in a single layer, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Tip: 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 Sylvia
More favorite Middle Eastern Recipes!
⭐️ After you try this falafel recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter!
Print
Falafel Recipe (Best Homemade Falafels)
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 12 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 1x
- 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
- 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
One of my favorite meals I have ever made. These falafel were relatively easy and quick to make (soaking time aside) and were soooo delicious. We baked them and will like pan frying next time. Thanks again for another amazing recipe!
thanks and happy you liked this one Alyssa!
Great recipe with wonderful flavour. Next time I am going to cook the falafel in a non stick frying pan instead of my cast iron as I felt they were cooking too quickly. Would make less pitas so they could be a bit larger and slightly thicker as some did not puff up as well as others.
Would like to try making Marqooq bread (wrap) instead to make with the falaffel – just wondering if you might have a recipe.?
Thanks Linda! I dont have a recipe for it but love the idea of using it here!
Can I use something in place of the cilantro?
Aggs- how about flat-leaf parsley!
As always, these were delicious!! They were juicy, but held together fine. I love that you don’t have to cook the chickpeas!
All the sauces are wonderful, and my family feels spoiled thanks to your delicious recipes Sylvia!
Awww 🥰 thanks Laura! Appreciate this so much and hope you and your family are well. Big hugs ❤️
CAN I USE COOKED, BUT FIRM TO THE BITE CHICKPEAS?
Feel free to try Roseann- but I will say,the traditional way is with raw, soaked – and it truly is the BEST!
THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING. I DON’T CARRY MOST OF THE INGREDIENTS YOU MENTIONED, BUT WHAT I’LL USE I’M SURE THEY WILL BE GOOD. I JUST HOPE THEY DON’T DISINTEGRATE LIKE YOU SAID COULD HAPPEN.
another winner! I didn’t think they were going to hold when I was at the part of making the balls but with a lot of compressing they totally held up. I did try to make the pita recipe too but I didn’t read it thoroughly and pregnancy brain didn’t help so I used all whole wheat and they were very dry but was still good. I’m going to have another go at it with half and half like you recommend and I believe they will be perfect! Everything else was delicious as usual, the tahini sauce and the pickled turnips paired perfectly! I just threw on some thin sliced cucumbers and it was perfect, and plated so beautiful as I used red onion with the turnip and it turned a beautiful pink! Thank you for another amazing recipe.
Glad you enjoyed Nicole and love that you made the turnips!
I followed the recipe as instructed, however I was afraid I over blended. I chose to bake mine and was on pins and needles praying they’d come out right…and they did!
Glad to hear it Shaneka~!
Why don’t the chickpeas need to be cooked?
This is the traditional way to make falafels. Raw, soaked chickpeas (or fava beans). It improves the texture 100 percent.
Easier than expected and so delicious!
Absolutely great!! This is the falafel recipe that I’ve been wanting. Thank you!!
This came out delicious even though my falafel turned into mush in the cast iron pan (followed recipe exactly, too). We just sprinkled the cooked falafel bits over everything and it tasted just fine. 🙂
Oh shoot Sarah- I’m sorry. Did you refrigerate first? Did you pack them tight in your hands? Any changes or other things you can think of? Just curious, they always work for me…and I want them to you work for you too!
This was much easier than I had feared it might be. The mixture was wet enough to hold together but not too wet to fall apart, though I did sort of pack the balls tightly with my hands. I was surprised how dark they got when fried, but they were not burned and wow, the flavor is spectacular!!! I will never use a mix again, ever. I made them for my birthday dinner and we all loved them!
Thanks for sharing you family recipe! You are so right about learning to cook what you love from those who originally made it for you. Then you have the food, the memories and the ability to recreate it yourself when they are gone. A treasure!!!
Thanks Mert- I’m so glad you enjoyed these. They can be tricky but I think you nailed it with packing tight. I will note the recipe.
Flavor great…. I tried to use canned garbanzos…let them dry but the falafels just fell apart in the pan no matter how long they cooked…very sad.
Pita and tzaziki sauce are great
Canned garbanzos will just not work here. Sorry.
Kid approved! Great recipe.
We made the tahini sauce and it was amazing. We will be trying the falafels next week but buying the bread from our local shop.
I could not fry them without them falling apart.
Yes, they can be a bit delicate, but should hold. It is important to dry off the chickpeas well and also to refrigerate the dough.
I did both but still did not hold well.
Sorry about that. They can be finicky. Perhaps it was the consistency (not blended enough), the type of pan, the length of time the chickpeas were soaked. A lot of variables here! I make these pretty often so will see if I can fine turn the recipe further.
This recipe is the best! The falafel is great, the tahini sauce is great, and the pickled beets are seriously the best! I grew up eating falafel as a kid and wasn’t a huge fan but decided to give it a try as an adult and WOW! Do not skip the pickled beets – they might be the best part of this recipe!
I cooked the falafel in my air fryer at 350 degrees for about 22 minutes, rotating halfway, and they came out perfect!
Love it Brittany!
Love this is turned out great made it several times. What do i need to do once i freeze them? Do you let the thaw then warm them or put frozen in the oven?
Great Megan! I’ve done it both ways- baked from frozen or thawed, both work! You can freeze on a pan, till firm, then place in a zip lock.
While I wasn’t brave enough to attempt the bread and pickled turnips (yet!), the falafel and tahini sauce were DIVINE. I used store bought pita bread and added cucumber and Campari tomatoes to add a nice veggie crunch. Always love the recipes from this blog!
Perfect!
Love this falafel recipe! It was both delicious and simple to prepare. Definitely putting it in my recipe rotation.
Followed the recipe to a T and it was perfect. Thank you! I baked them because I was feeling lazy and they turned out great!
This looks amazing! Do you have to use dried chickpeas?
YES!!! 😉
I love this recipe and it’s so easy with uncooked chickpeas! Easy week day meal that lasts for several days.
Absolutely delicious! Tried making the pitas as well, but my oven didn’t go high enough and didn’t have a pizza stone, so ended up eating store bought… Still absolutely delicious though 😋
How long does these need to be in the oven for after pan frying?
I just keep in there while the others are frying- 10-15 minutes, just until warmed all the way through.
Delicious! I absolutely love the pickled turnips. They are amazing.
thanks so much! I like them too!