My family’s secret recipe for the Best Authentic Falafel, made with chickpeas, fresh herb, and the right spices! And, I’m sharing my complete step-by-step tutorial and important tips for baking or frying falafel. Be sure to also watch the video to see how I make it!
What’s your favorite way to enjoy falafel? I love them in warm pita sandwiches with tahini sauce or hummus, along with my lazy Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad. But you can enjoy it alongside other plates or as part of a mezze spread (lots of ideas below!)
Growing up in Port Said, Egypt, one of my favorite foods ever was falafel!
My father’s friend owned a small falafel shop that was located in the heart of the souq (market). Our weekends often involved a trip to see Mr. Bishay and partake of his fragrant falafels. You could smell them from miles away!
Over the years I have learned how to make my own authentic falafel and I am super excited to share my recipe with you! It’s as authentic and delicious as you’d find on the streets of the middle east. And easier to make than you think!
What is Falafel?
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern “fast food” made of a mixture of chickpeas (or fava beans), fresh herbs, and spices that are formed into a small patties or balls. It’s thought that falafel originated in Egypt as Coptic Christians looked for a hearty replacement for meat during long seasons of fasting or lent. It has also become a popular vegan food in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.
Falafel continues to be the people’s daily grub in Egypt and you can find it from street vendors in almost every neighborhood. It’s often served in sandwich form with a generous drizzle of tahini and loads of Mediterranean salad, along with slices of roasted or fried eggplant.
This vegan dish is made with simple, everyday ingredients and you won’t believe how easy it is. Great ingredients are key to great falafel so be sure to purchase high quality spices like cumin and coriander for your falafel mixture. I’ve got a few more tips for you below…
What I love about this recipe
– No canned chickpeas (very important!) If you’re after the best texture and flavor, you need to start with dry chickpeas. Many falafel recipes use canned chickpeas which is not authentic and will cause the falafel patties disintegrate in the hot cooking oil.
– Hearty and flavorful. Falafel patties are packed with plant-power and protein from the chickpeas that will leave you feeling full and satisfied. My recipe also uses the perfect blend of spices —cumin, coriander, and a hit of cayenne–and fresh herbs to give them bold authentic flavor.
– Make ahead and freezer friendly. I love that this recipe can be prepped ahead of time, and you can freeze uncooked falafel patties for later use.
Ingredients
– Dried chickpeas: AVOID using canned chickpeas! Dried chickpeas (that have been soaked in water for 24 hours) are an important ingredient that will give your falafel the right consistency and taste. (Tip: I usually add about 1/2 tsp of baking soda to the soaking water to help soften the dry chickpeas.)
– Fresh herbs: fresh parsley, cilantro, and dill are key to this authentic recipe.
– Onion: I typically use yellow onions, but white or red onions would work.
– Garlic: for best flavor, use fresh garlic cloves.
– Kosher salt and pepper: to taste.
– Spices: cumin, coriander, and a little cayenne pepper. Along with the fresh herbs, this trio of spices is what gives falafel it’s bold authentic taste.
– Baking powder: this is what gives falafel an airy, fluffy texture (many recipes skip this, causing the falafel to come out too dense.)
– Sesame seeds: these are optional here, but I do like the added nuttiness.
How to Make Falafel: Step-by-Step
1. Soak chickpeas for 24 hours. Cover them in plenty of water and add baking soda to help soften them as they soak. The chickpeas will at least double in size as they soak. Drain very well.
2. Make mixture. Add chickpeas, fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, and dill), garlic, onion, and spices to food processor and pulse a little bit at a time until the mixture is finely ground. You’ll know it’s ready when the texture is more like coarse meal.
& Refrigerate (important.) Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. The chilled mixture will hold together better, making it easier to form the falafel patties.
3. Form patties or balls. Once the falafel mixture has been plenty chilled, stir in baking powder and toasted sesame seeds, then scoop golf ball-sized balls and form into balls or patties (if you go the patties route, do not flatten them too much, you want them to still be nice and fluffy when they’re cooked.)
4. Fry. Frying is the traditional way to cook falafel and yields the most authentic and best result. Heat the oil on medium-high until it bubbles softly (your oil should be hot enough around 375 degrees F, but not too hot that it causes the falafel to fall apart.)
Carefully drop the falafel in the oil, using a slotted spoon, and fry for 3-5 minutes until medium brown on the outside. Avoid over-crowding the falafel; fry them in batches if necessary.
Tip: it’s always a good idea to fry one falafel first to make sure the oil temperature does not need to be adjusted.
You can serve falafel for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Most Egyptians, and others throughout the Middle East actually start their day with falafel, much like many here in the States start with a bowl of cereal.
Important Tips
I shared some of these earlier in the post, but just in case you missed them:
1. Always use dry chickpeas. Dry chickpeas, that have been soaked in water for 24 hours, will give you the best texture and flavor. Dry chickpeas are naturally starchy and will help your falafels to stay well formed. If you use canned chickpeas, your falafel will disintegrate in the frying oil.
2. Chill the falafel mixture. Chilling for at least 1 hour helps with the shaping. And good news is, you can make the falafel mixture one night in advance and chill overnight.
3. Add baking powder to the falafel mixture before forming into balls/patties. As a raising agent, baking powder here helps make the falafel on the fluffy side.
4. Fry in bubbling oil, and do not crowd the saucepan. For perfectly crispy falafel, sadly, the best option is deep frying. The cooking oil should be hot and gently bubbling, but not too hot that the falafel disintegrate. If you need to, use a deep fry-safe thermometer (affiliate link); it should read around 375 degrees F (for my stove, that is medium-high heat.)
5- Once cooked, falafel should be crispy and medium brown on the outside, fluffy and light green on the inside.
For baked falafel
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil a baking sheet. Give each patty a quick brush of extra virgin olive oil before baking; bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning the falafel patties over halfway through baking.
Make ahead and freezing
To make ahead: Prepared falafel mixture will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days ahead of time. Form it into patties when ready to fry.
To freeze: Place uncooked falafel patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 1 hour. Once hardened, transfer the patties into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Falafel can be cooked from frozen by frying or baking.
Choose how to serve falafel
Middle Eastern Style: On the streets of the Middle East, falafel are typically served hot with a generous amount of tahini sauce.
As a Sandwich: To make a mean falafel sandwich, garb some warm pita pockets, load them with falafel, drizzle with tahini and add fresh greens (like arugula), fresh diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickles.
On a brunch board: Serve your flalafel with an array of fresh veggies, cheese, and dips like I have don’t on my brunch board.
As a side: serve falafel next to small plates like Turkish-inspired fried eggplant, tabouli salad, or Balela Salad.
Dip it: If you’re looking to dip your falafel, definitely try my Classic Creamy Hummus or Baba Ganoush!
Watch video for this authentic falafel recipe
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How to Make Falafel
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 24 Patties 1x
Description
Ready to learn how to make authentic falafel from scratch? My family’s secret recipe for the Best Authentic Falafel, made with chickpeas, fresh herb, and spices is all you need!
Be sure to check out the complete step-by-step tutorial, important tips for baking or frying falafel. And watch the video just above.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy falafel? I love them in warm pita sandwiches with tahini sauce or hummus, along with my lazy Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad. But you can enjoy it alongside other plates or as part of a mezze spread (lots of ideas below!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas (Do NOT use canned or cooked chickpeas)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, stems removed
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 7–8 garlic cloves, peeled
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- Oil for frying
Falafel Sauce
Fixings for falafel sandwich (optional)
- Pita pockets
- English cucumbers, chopped or diced
- Tomatoes, chopped or diced
- Baby Arugula
- Pickles
Instructions
- (One day in advance) Place the dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl filled with water to cover the chickpeas by at least 2 inches. Soak overnight for 18 hours (longer if the chickpeas are still too hard). When ready, drain the chickpeas completely and pat them dry.
- Add the chickpeas, herbs, onions, garlic and spices to the large bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Run the food processor 40 seconds at a time until all is well combined forming a the falafel mixture.
- Transfer the falafel mixture to a container and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or (up to one whole night) until ready to cook.
- Just before frying, add the baking powder and sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and stir with a spoon.
- Scoop tablespoonfuls of the falafel mixture and form into patties (1/2 inch in thickness each). It helps to have wet hands as you form the patties.
- Fill a medium saucepan 3 inches up with oil. Heat the oil on medium-high until it bubbles softly. Carefully drop the falafel patties in the oil, let them fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or so until crispy and medium brown on the outside. Avoid crowding the falafel in the saucepan, fry them in batches if necessary.
- Place the fried falafel patties in a colander or plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Serve falafel hot next to other small plates; or assemble the falafel patties in pita bread with tahini or hummus, arugula, tomato and cucumbers. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook’s Tip: You need to start with dry chickpeas, do not use canned chickpeas here. You will need to begin soaking the chickpeas overnight, allow up to 24 hours.
- Falafel Recipe variations: Variations of this recipe may call for flour or eggs. If you prefer, you can add 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp of flour to the falafel mix or 1 egg. I did not use either, and the falafel mixture stayed well together.
- Pro Tip for Frying: When you fry the falafel patties, you want to achieve a deep golden brown color on the outside. More importantly, the patties need to be fully done on the inside. Your frying oil needs to be at 375 degrees F, for my stove, that was at a medium-high temp. Be sure to test your first batch and adjust the frying time as needed.
- Have an air fryer? Try this air fryer falafel recipe.
- Popular falafel sauce: tahini sauce is what is traditionally used with falafel. I use organic tahini paste by Soom, and here is my tahini sauce recipe.
- Baked Falafel Option: If you prefer, you can bake the falafel patties in a 350 degree F heated oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning them over midway through. Use a lightly oiled sheet pan, and you might like to give the patties a quick brush of extra virgin olive oil before baking.
- Pro-Tip for Make-Ahead: To make ahead and freeze, prepare the falafel mixture and divide into patties (up to step #6). Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze. When they harden, you can transfer the falafel patties into a freezer bag. They will keep well in the freezer for a month or so. You can fry or bake them from frozen.
- Visit our online shop to browse all-natural and organic spices, including cumin and coriander; organic tahini paste; extra virgin olive oils and more!
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Fried or Baked
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers’ benefit.
Dinner last night was fabulous, thanks to your recipe! I agree with you–the combination of herbs and spices is perfect. Thank you!
Thanks, Mary! So glad you enjoyed it!
Loved this recipe so much. So easy to follow and a super tasty result. I have frozen a batch and I already can’t wait to have them again. I shallow fried and they turned out great. We had these with homemade pita from your recipe too, delicious! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed them, Charlotte!
BEST falafel recipe there is! Thank you so much. I love how you incorporate fresh dill in your recipes. Such an underappreciated herb.
I agree!! Thanks, Crystal!
This is the absolute best falafel I’ve ever had (compared to any restaurant) and it was only my first time making it! Your video and instructions were very clear. I also loved your tahini sauce recipe. Thank you very much for sharing. I will be using this recipe regularly!!
That is great to hear! Thanks, Lana!
Oh my gosh! At this very minute I just finished frying a few to test them. My 11 year old helped me make the mixture and I have to say WE LOVE THEM! Thank you, thank you thank you!
Awwww! My pleasure, Jen!! So glad you both enjoyed them so much!
Hello. Thank you for this great recipe. It was shared by a friend. T
This is my first time making falafel. I don’t have a food processor, so I had to use a blender (one that I haven’t taken out in years!) Needless to say it took a long time to grind the mixture as I had to do it in sections. There are still some chickpeas that haven’t been completely pulverized…is this an issue? Will they cook? I plan on baking them in the oven.
Also, Can you add an egg and a little breadcrumbs or flour? I am not sure they will hold without the egg. What do you suggest?
Hi Maria, so glad to have you here. To answer your questions, the chickpea mixture needs to be ground as you see in the picture, if you have some larger chickpea pieces, I’m afraid that won’t give you best results. The consistency of the mixture is important. You can absolutely add a raw egg to the chickpea mixture, if you like.
I love this recipe and am making it for the second time today. I don’t think I put enough salt last time, wht would be a good starting point? I
So glad, Patrick. It’s hard to say what’s a good starting point for salt because that is really all up to individual taste. Perhaps something like 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon?
We just had these in a pita for dinner and OMG I can’t believe how amazing they were! My husband was blown away as well, we’ve only had authentic falafel once and they stuff you get most places just doesn’t compare. I found them a bit too spicy for me, so next time I’d cut back on the cayenne, but that is one tiny minor thing. We used your frying instructions and they came out beautifully , not greasy at all!
That’s so great to hear! Thanks, Melissa!
The taste was just like the ones I’ve had in restaurants but the only problem I had was that it was a little too dry. I fried them for 5 minutes. Did I perhaps cook them too long? The mixture was quite dry as I left them in the fridge overnight. Like a previous note mention, I followed everything like stated with the exception being dried dill vs fresh but I’m sure that had nothing to do with the dry patties. Suggestions?
Hi Arpie, so glad you enjoyed the falafel! You may try less frying time, depending on the temperature of your oil.
I made this for dinner last night and it was amazing!!! The family said best falafel they’ve ever had 🙂
That’s so great to hear! Thank you, Kelsi!
Used 7 garlic gloves but they varied in size, maybe you mean 7 of the smallest cloves. Too much black pepper, 1 tbsp was too much for 2 cups of chick peas and I even used a bit more than 2 cups.
Next time I’ll use way less garlic and pepper.
Thanks for sharing, Geogria. You can certainly adjust to your taste
Forget sourdough starter and bread; making a Middle Eastern feast is a great quarantine cooking project. I made your hummus, tahini sauce, lazy salad, and falafel, and my son made pita. What a feast! Your family recipes are a treasure. Shukran!
Awww so glad to hear it, Sophie!
OMG these are delicious! I am an excellent home cook but have never attempted falafal. Your video was easy to follow and so instructive. Followed your recipe exactly, although I did substitute about a teaspoon of dry dill (I had no fresh) and I pan fried the patties in olive oil rather than deep fried them. They were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside….so, so tasty! While forming the patties, they felt fragile and crumbly but firmed up during the frying.
Thank you so much. This recipe is a definite keeper.
So glad to hear it! And thank you for sharing your version with frying the falafel in extra virgin olive oil in the skillet!
I plan to make these soon, but one question! Do you refrigerate the beans while they are soaking?
I personally leave the beans at room temperature while soaking, but if you prefer, you can refrigerate them.
Hi Suzy,
I love your blog, the recipes and the stories you tell around them! I have tried a lot of recipes from your blog and they have all turned out amazing!
I was super excited to try the Falafel recipe since I love them. I followed everything you said. Refrigerated the falafel mixture over night but when I tried to fry the falafel, it completely disintegrated in the oil. I think the mixture had too much water. At the end I had to bake them in the oven which was a pity because I prefer the fried one. Do you maybe know, what could cause this?
Thanks and lots of love,
Anika
Hi Anika. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m glad you’re finding the recipes helpful. We address this very issue in the post in a few places. When you refrigerate the falafel mixture, make sure the bowl or container is well sealed. But the main two reasons falafel would fall apart when frying are 1) if you used canned chickpeas instead of dry chickpeas (you need to start with dry chickpeas and soak them overnight) 2) the premature of the oil, the oil needs to be gently bubbling throughout the cooking process, if the oil is too hot, the falafel will fall apart when they get in the oil.
Excellent recipe! We made a batch of 18 patties and baked half while freezing the other half. We baked the first 9 for 30 minutes at 350 and they came out only a little crispy, but the taste was still delicious.
A week later, we took the other 9 out of the freezer, partially thawed them in the fridge for 4 hours, and deep fried them in 375 degrees oil for 4 minutes. They turned out crispier and tastier than any other falafel I’ve had in the US. Also, despite being ridiculously crispy, they were still plenty soft in the center and not grainy or dry at all.
Highly recommended, fool-proof recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback, Andrew! I’m personally partial to fried falafel,although they’re good baked too as you described. So glad you got to try both methods.