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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One of my favorite recipes! Being able to freeze it and only needing a small amount of oil makes this a really awesome, healthy meal prep option.
Can I do the mix and let it sit overnight without making the patties? I would like to do the patties tomorrow when we are ready to eat them.
Yes. :)
Can you tell me why we need to add baking powder?
The gasses produced by the baking powder when the falafel are cooked help lighten the mixture ever so slightly, preventing them from being quite so dense.
This looks amazing!
EASY HOMEMADE FALAFEL
Mine disintegrated:( I tried deep frying and pan frying. I used chickpea flour…very disappointed
I’m addicted.
Wow, this was SO GOOD! I don’t have a food processor so I mashed the chickpeas by hand (by rolling a can over the peas in a large ziplock haha) and then minced everything else and mixed it by hand, and it turned out totally fine.
This looks amazing! Do you think air frying would work?
We haven’t tested in an air fryer. However a previous commenter noted, “Great recipe! I cooked them in an air fryer; use an oil mister and spray both sides of the patties. You’ll hardly use any oil, yet they still come out nice and crispy on the outside.”
I love falafel and this recipe is SO GOOD!! I’ve never made them before, and wasn’t sure about how they’d turn out. Sometimes random recipes found on the internet aren’t so good, ya know? But this was delicious. Ate them all within a day.
i ALSO have an irrational fear of deep frying!! but i love falafel very much, so you see my struggle. thank you for this recipe, & shallow frying option; i can’t wait to try it asap! now i just gotta get me one of them fancy food processors…
Just made these last night and they were great! Ended up using about 6 TBSP of flour and it was enough. Wet my hands a little while making the patties and that helped not to coat my hands in chickpea gunk and kept the patties moist for frying. No crumbs here! I also don’t have a food processor, so I dumped everything into a gallon zip bag and pounded it with a hammer!
Thinking about going ahead and cooking the reserve in the freezer. :)
Made these last night for dinner and even the sceptics LOVED them! Really quick and easy to make, and they made great leftovers to pack in my lunch today.
Amazing recipe. One of the best falafels we never had. I will make it again for sure.
Was I supposed to use the entire 1/2 cup of flour (I used ap flour)? Because my ended up tasting like garlicky Play-Doh.
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that Jacy. Per the recipe, you want to add 2 Tablespoons at a time until it reaches a consistency just enough to form the patties. Sometimes it can vary and not need the full 1/2 cup of flour.
These taste amazing! What should I do if they break apart while frying?
I’m not sure there is a way to fix it once they’re broken up, but maybe you can use the pieces as a salad topper?