I was so excited, so drawn in, so salivating when I saw this recipe for falafel from Living The Pie Life a few weeks ago. The only problem was that I didn’t have a food processor. But somewhere in the back of my mind, a little voice was telling me, “you WILL get a food processor for Christmas… just be patient, Beth.” Sure enough, my parents bought me this food processor as an early Christmas and graduation present. I’ve been using it non-stop ever since.
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What is Falafel?
If you’ve never had falafel before, they are a little patty made of mashed beans (fava or sometimes garbanzo) along with tons of fresh herbs and spices. Traditionally they are fried which gives them a wonderfully crispy exterior with a soft warm center. I have an irrational fear of deep-frying, so I shallow-fried my falafel in a skillet. My version of this tasty treat is definitely not authentic, but if you’d like to try your hand at making authentic falafel or read more about the culture and history behind them, check out these recipes:
- Lebanese Crispy Falafel from Feel Good Foodie
- How to Make Falafel from The Mediterranean Dish
- Falafel (The Crispy Traditional Way) from Chef Tariq
Can I Bake Them?
I always get questions about whether you can bake falafel and I really wouldn’t suggest it. You won’t get that nice brown crispy exterior like you do with frying and they will probably get quite dry. If anything, use just a small amount of oil in a non-stick skillet to at least brown them up some.
Are They Freezer-Friendly?
I froze most of my falafel uncooked and will probably shallow fry the rest of them. Leftover cooked falafel are also great as an addition to salads or to make sandwiches with, so cooking them all at once isn’t a terrible idea.
See this recipe used in my weekly meal prep.
Easy Homemade Falafel
Servings 7 2 falafel eachIngredients
- 2 15oz. cans chickpeas ($1.58)
- 1/4 red onion ($0.25)
- 1 handfull fresh parsley (about 1/4 bunch) ($0.25)
- 1 handfull fresh cilantro (about 1/4 bunch) ($0.25)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.05)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1 tsp baking powder ($0.03)
- 1/2 cup flour* ($0.07)
- 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil for frying ($0.16)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas in a colander. Add the chickpeas to a food processor along with the red onion, parsley, cilantro, salt, cayenne, garlic and cumin (all ingredients except baking powder and flour). Process the mixture until it forms a chunky paste. A little texture to the mixture is usually desirable. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure the mixture is an even texture.
- Place the mixture into a bowl and stir in the baking powder. Begin adding flour, 2 Tbsp at a time, until the mixture becomes cohesive enough to form into patties. Chickpea or garbanzo bean flour gives the best flavor and texture, but all-purpose can be used in it’s place. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.
- Using a small measuring cup or scoop (about 1/8th cup or 2 Tbsp), form the falafel dough into small patties. If freezing the patties for later, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet so they can freeze without sticking together. The patties can be transferred to an air-tight container or freezer bag for long-term storage once they have frozen through.
- To cook the fresh or frozen patties, heat oil in a skillet (or pot if deep frying) until very hot and shimmering, but not smoking. Cook the patties on each side until deep golden brown and crispy.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Falafel – Step By Step Photos
Rinse and drain two 15oz. cans of chickpeas (or about 3 cups if cooked from dry) in a colander. Add the chickpeas to a food processor along with a large handful of parsley, a large handful of cilantro, 1/4 of a red onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne, and 1 tsp salt.
Pulse the mixture until you have a chunky paste. Chunks add great texture but too many will keep the mixture from holding it’s shape in a patty. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Stir 1 tsp baking powder into the chickpea mixture. Then begin adding flour, 2 Tbsp at a time, until the paste is dry enough to form patties and not stick to your hands. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour to let the flavors blend.
Scoop the falafel into about 2 Tbsp portions and shape into small patties. If you’d like to freeze your falafel, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment, then place them in the freezer. Once frozen solid you can transfer them to a freezer bag for long term storage.
I got 15 falafel with a 2 Tbsp scoop. I cooked some immediately and froze the rest.
To cook the falafel, add enough oil to a skillet to completely cover the surface (one of my favorite pans). Heat over medium until the oil is hot and shimmering. Add the falafel and cook on each side until brown and crispy. Let them drain on paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
And that’s it! If you’re a garlic lover, you’re going to LOOOVE these homemade falafel!
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I made these and the mixture was quite dry so only added a couple of tbsp of chickpea flour. They formed very well, and I chilled them for several hours. When I put them in the oil though they completely fell apart, just a big mush in the pan! I then tried dry frying in the frying pan and they came out ok, tasty but didn’t have that lovely texture falafels should have.
Below, does that mean 1/4 cup?
1 handfull fresh parsley (about 1/4 bunch)
1 handfull fresh cilantro (about 1/4 bunch)
These are delightful! I made them the first time and they came out a bit crumbly. I added an egg and they were perfect!
I followed the recipe exactly but dried the chickpeas in a hand towel after draining. I have a small food processor so I had to blend in batches and then mix with a rubber spatula. I also used a bit more than 1/2 cup flour.
Everything held together perfectly, no crumbs. I used a small deep fryer at 350 degrees instead of skillet frying. I also refrigerated the patties for awhile after making them so that might have affected how well they held together. Literally delicious.
Forgot to add, I served with Budget Byte’s naan topped with chopped red onion, cilantro, and the dill yoghurt sauce from the chicken shawarma wrap recipe. Seriously, make this.
These completely fell apart on us. They were holding together until we put them in the oil. They just fell apart in the oil. We weren’t able to eat them. I think this recipe needs a binder – some egg or aquafaba or similar.
These are amazing! I follow the recipe exactly and they turn out great every time. You definitely need to add the full 1/2 cup of flour every time. To tell you the truth, I never really cared for falafels before I made these. I do add a bit more oil to the pan when frying so the whole falafel gets fried. Both my children and my husband devour these… they often fight for the last one! This is a staple recipe in our house now :)
My first attempt was not very successful. I had some of the problems mentioned here, mushy, mostly fried crumbs. The second time I added all the flour, didn’t stir and see if it needed it, I drained my chickpeas well, I dried out the parsley and cilantro. And, it had a great texture. I love the flavor. Those who said it was too time consuming, they have a point. It took forever in my food processor. I did a double batch (processing in batches) so I’d have a bunch in the freezer. I love them.
I love the idea of something new so I will have to try this as your recipe looking tastie , I just noticed falafel in our high Street restaurant .
I’m making this for dinner tonight. I’ve already prepped some, the garlic is no joke and I under estimated it. I will definitely use less next time.
I did have an issue with the center being too mushy but perhaps I could have put in more flour. I’m going to follow the fry with some baking to see if that helps.
Very crumbling and wouldn’t bind together
Great recipe easy to follow taste was better than those I buy.
I really wanted this to work. But I ended up with a small plate of mushy patties that barely held together in the pan, and a whole bunch of fried crumbs. More crumbs than patties!!. I haven’t ever made falafel before so my inexperience here wasn’t helpful! I found the whole process entirely too time-consuming (even the food processing took forever and I struggled with my Ninja to get the chickpeas to properly turn to paste. I will most likely not be doing this again…. I will pay someone else to make me falafel when I get a craving.
You need to start with dried chickpeas, not canned, and make the falafel quite flat so they cook through. Also nix the flour and add a bit of baking soda. Check out Maureen Abood’s recipe.
I would love to try these in my new air fryer. Has anyone done these in an air fryer?
I did them in my airfryer tonight, turned out nice! I made them in a patty shape and put them in for about 20 min at 390ish, flipping them halfway through.
Can you bake these instead? How you recommend doing it, if so
Beth talks about that in the introduction. I personally don’t think they are good when baked. You don’t get that nice crust, they just kind of dry out. :(
👍
The taste was great! Full of flavor! Sadly mine cooked on the outside but stayed completely soggy on the inside, leading to a messy pile of semi-cooked falafel. Made the best of it and just drizzled on vegan tatziki and called it a day! But I’ve made other falafel recipes that have stayed together well… Not sure what went wrong on this one!
Could be too high heat? Lower heat will cook the outside slower and allow more time for the inside to cook