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Falafel

Crispy fried balls of herby, mashed chickpeas that are really tasty and naturally vegan. There’s plenty of ways to serve falafel–great dips and salad options abound.

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a platter of homemade falafel drizzled with tahini sauce and served with parsley

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Falafel–The Perfect Food

Falafel are loaded with fresh herbs, chickpeas, and spiced with various Middle Eastern spices (cumin is usually in the mix). The herbs—parsley and cilantro, and sometimes mint—make the falafel balls speckled with a brilliant green on the inside, and a deep-fry makes them crispy and golden on the outside. To accompany, consider making Lemon Rice, Cucumber Salad, or Perfect Couscous. For dipping, we’ve got plenty of recipes like Tahini sauce, Tzatziki sauce, Hummus, and Whipped Feta Dip.

chickpeas, onions, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cayenne, cumin, salt, baking powder and flour in small bowls to make falafel

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TMP Falafel Ingredients

  • Chickpeas

  • Onion

  • Garlic

  • Parsley

  • Cilantro

  • Cayenne

  • Cumin

  • Salt

  • Baking powder

  • Flour

chickpeas, grated onion, cilantro, parsley and garlic in a food processor
chickpeas, onion, garlic and parsley blended in a food processor
Chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cayenne, cumin, salt, baking powder and flour in a large bowl
a bowl of falafel mixture made with Chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cayenne, cumin, salt, baking powder & flour

How to Make Falafel

  1. Make the falafel dough. In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas, onion, garlic and herbs until the mixture looks kind of like super chopped nuts (you don’t want a paste).

  2. Grab a bowl! Turn the chickpea mixture into a bowl, and stir in the baking powder, flour and spices.

  3. Make the falafel patties. You want them to be about two tablespoons each.

  4. Fry the falafel! Put that deep-frying thermometer to work! Carefully fry the patties in batches in 3” of oil, heated to 350°F on a thermometer.

falafel on a white plate drizzled with tahini sauce
a platter of homemade falafel drizzled with tahini sauce and served with parsley

How to Store Leftovers + Tips

  • Falafel can be cooked immediately, but if the falafel falls apart in the fryer, try popping it in the fridge for 15 minutes.

  • Falafel leftovers should be eaten within four days.

  • Falafel can be frozen before you fry them, or after. If you freeze them before frying, partially thaw them before cooking.

a platter of homemade falafel drizzled with tahini sauce and served with parsley

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Falafel

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  30 min
  • Calories: 227

Ingredients

  • 1 medium white onion, grated
  • 2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons minced, flat leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Vegetable oil for frying

For Serving (optional)

Method

  1. Place the grated onion on a thin kitchen towel or in a nut milk bag, and squeeze as much liquid out as possible.

  2. To a food processor, add the grated onion, chickpeas, garlic, parsley and cilantro. Pulse until well combined, but not pureed. Transfer the chickpea mixture to a large bowl and stir in the cayenne, cumin, salt, baking powder and, flour until combined.

  3. Using your hands, form patties, about 2 tablespoons each. Falafel patties should be about 1-inch in thickness.

  4. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of a large, heavy bottomed pot. Heat 3-inches of oil over medium-high heat until the thermometer registers 350°F. Fry the falafel patties in small batches until golden brown and cooked through, but still soft, about 4 minutes on each side.

  5. Serve warm with tahini sauce, tzatziki sauce or hummus, if using.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories227
  • Protein7 g
  • Carbohydrates24 g
  • Total Fat12 g
  • Dietary Fiber5 g
  • Cholesterol0 mg
  • sodium533 mg
  • Total Sugars2 g

Falafel

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Elizabeth

    Could these be air fried?

    We haven't tested these in the air fryer.

  • Lou

    How many falafel does the recipe make?

    We don't' currently have yield for this recipe.

  • Sonia

    Hi! Can the "dough" be made ahead, refrigerated, and then fried the next day?

    Yes, that will be just fine. Be sure to put it in an air tight container. Hope you enjoy, Sonia!

  • Jackie

    Can I use dried chickpeas instead? If so, do I cook them first?

    Hi Jackie, yes and yes!

  • Dan

    This just says “2 cans of chickpeas”. What size cans are intended to be used?

    Thanks for catching! I'll edit now. the cans are 15 oz each.

  • Sonia

    These turned out great! I served these as part of a Mediterranean dinner party I hosted, and they were a vegetarian favorite. I preferred frying after air frying one (I couldn't get that nice brownness on them on the air fryer). I had a couple falafels fall apart while I was frying, but I think I might have kept the mixture too course...next time I'll probably blend a little more. Regardless, such a hit and add this to my regular dinner rotation!

    Thanks Sonia, we are so happy they were a hit! Glad you tried them out!

  • Jenn

    YUM! I made these to go with the shawarma sheet pan on your site and it was all so good together!

    That's great, so glad you liked them!