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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Print
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.
I’m going too soak my chickpeas tonight. Your recipe &. Video are so easy to follow. Can’t wait for the finished falafels tomorrow.. Thanks from CA!
Hope you enjoy them, Barbara!
Hi Suzy
Am right now living and working in Alexandria and stumbled across your website while searching for recipes for my favourite ME food. Thank you!
For this falafel recipe, I am a bit confused as to what to do with the dried chick peas. Should we cook them at some point before making the actual falafel, or is the frying/baking process enough to cook the chick peas?
Thanks
Hi, Rose-Marie. No need to cook prior, just soak. The frying/baking will, indeed, take care of the cooking :).
Hi Suzy: Thank you for the recipe, it was excellent, tried everything and it worked very well, will try to add less parsley which was a bit overpowering, but I enjoyed it. Can I freeze the already cooked falafels? As I have quite a lot left over. Thank you again.
You can! Just arrange them on a baking tray in a single layer, freeze until solid, then pack into food bags.
Very easy to understand and transfer to home cooking.
Thanks, Lesley!
Great recipe! But for some reason my falafels were dried from the inside after deep frying it. How can I fix that problem. Should I add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the mix before making the patties?
Hi, Nina. Without being there, it’s hard to say why your falafel is coming out dry and what the exact fix would be. Many times, it’s because they are a bit overcooked. I’d start by looking closely at cooking time and temp that before adding extra EVOO.
Hi! I was really pleased to find your recipe, I have only ever used falafel recipes that use canned chickpeas before and wondered why they were so soft! Now I know it’s better to use dried. But I used the bake method to cook them (I try to avoid frying things if I can help it), they turned out very dry, so now I have the opposite problem! Are they less dry when fried? Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, Emma. That’s a tough question. I feel like, whether baked or fried, falafel can become dry if overcooked. I personally feel I can control things better and they turn out more the way I want them to when I fry them.
I tried this recipe last night, and it was delicious. Thank you for the recipe; the texture and flavor were incredible. I’d say our kids enjoy this recipe a lot, and I’ll give it another shot.
Yay! Love to hear it!
Is there any way to bake these instead of frying?
Sure! There’s a section titled “For Baked Falafel” in the post with the details. Enjoy!
If I’m having trouble forming the falafel balls, what am I doing wrong? I threw an egg in there as a binder which actually worked really well but curious how you do it when the falafel mixture won’t stayed formed into falafel balls!
Hi, Dan. Hard to say. I’ve never had real issue forming the balls before frying. Be sure to use dried chickpeas that have been soaked (not canned). Some people find adding a little chickpea flour to the mixture also helps.
Hello Suzy,
I enjoyed your video, thank you.
My problem is that the mixture will not stay together no matter how hard I try.
I believe I followed the recipe exactly as written,
I let the mixture cool in the refrigerator 2 hours before trying to fry. I even tried added a little more baking powder.
It just falls apart, no matter what I try.
Any advice?
Thank you,
Charlie
Hi, Charlie. So sorry to hear about the falafel falling apart. 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 temperature 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. Some people have also found it helpful to add and egg and some chickpea flour in order to help the falafel bind better. Hope this info helps!
I have been soaking my chick peas for 12 hours now…I know the recipe says to soak for at least 18, but they are still very hard. 1) when does the ‘magic’ happen and 2) should they be like canned chickpeas in size and texture when they are done?
Thank you.
Hi, Lori. No, they won’t be soft like canned chickpeas. They’ll still have some crunch to them :). If you are a little worried, go ahead and soak them for a bit longer than 18 hours, but don’t exceed 24 hours.
Thank you for your quick response. I was able to make them tonight for dinner and we all LOVED them. Spot on. Thank you.
Wonderful! Thanks, Lori!
This recipe was phenomenal! I substituted cilantro for parsley, mint and dill but otherwise followed to a T! The flavors and texture were great and we’ll definitely add this into our regular rotation! Thank you for a great recipe.
I made these for New Yers’s Eve and they were a hit! The toasted sesame seeds added a nice touch! If I am making a batch to freeze, do I still add in the baking powder?
Hi, Kayla! Yes, add the baking powder, then shape, then freeze. When you’re ready, you can cook the patties right from frozen. Enjoy!
Hello Suzy,
I tried your falafel and tahini sauce recipes. The tahini sauce was excellent. However, the falafel patties fell apart. Help!
Thanks!
Hi, Muntaqima. I cover this issue in the blog post and offer tips/suggestions, so I recommend going back and reading through it again. Also, take a look through the other comments readers have made. I’ve problem-solved this with a handful of others in the past :).
Your recipe calls for baking soda. I have baking powder in my kitchen, not baking soda. Is it ok for me to use baking powder or must I get dressed and go outside into the cold winter wind just to buy baking soda? I will if I have to, but I’m knee deep and up to my elbows….
Hi, Jim. Sorry I did not see your comment until now, but hopefully my answer will still be helpful. The recipe actually calls for both baking soda and baking powder. The baking soda is what is used to aid in the soaking of the chickpeas. You’ll need the baking powder later in the recipe, when the falafel patties are formed. In my opinion the baking soda is necessary, it does help a lot in softening the chickpeas. You can omit it, but you’ll want to extend the soaking period a bit.
Egyptians don’t use chickpea in their falafel. The real Egyptian falafel is with fava beans.
Thanks for sharing, Liya. Yes, the Egyptian version uses fava beans. We love that version as well. Two reasons I use chickpeas here: 1) They are far more readily available than the particular fava beans used in Egyptian falafel 2) My husband’s family are from the Levant and chickpea falafel is what he grew up on and I’ve learned a good deal from my mother in law.