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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Equipment
- Food Processor
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
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’ve been eating vegan for a week now and needed something that tasted “splurge worthy”. I used this recipe and fried them to make more of a fritter consistency. Oh my they are delicious!
Vegetarian, cheap, filling and delicious, I’ve been looking for a recipe like this :)
omg.. i have only ever had falafels from the boxed mix before and was never really a huge fan. I decided to try these because the pictures looked so good. These were amazing! I officially love falafels! mine were a little soft but i don’t think i used enough flour. Regardless, they were so good..
I made these over the weekend, and because I’m gluten free anyway, I used Bob’s Red Mill all purpose GF flour. It has chickpea and fava bean flour in it. I also used dried chickpeas that I cooked in my slow cooker for about 6 hours until they were cooked but still slightly firm. Once my mixture was done, I froze 9 patties. To cook, I defrosted a patty and fried it in about 1/4 inch oil. They are soooo yummy and I’m so glad to have an easy option for my lunches when I get home from work!
I want to use dried chickpeas. How many cups of chickpeas do the two 15 oz cans yield?
It’s probably about 3.5 cups. You can be a little flexible with the amount on this one and it will still work out good. :)
Made these for Christmas dinner. First attempt was to fry them in about 1/2 – 3/4 inch of oil. They dissolved in the oil. Sadness!
Luckily, I made way more than I needed (was going to freeze them) so I pan fried the rest as the recipe indicates. They were still kind of mushy so I finished them afterward for 20 minutes in the oven at 375 (on a cookie sheet on top of a pizza stone).
I used all purpose wheat flour — probably just not quite enough, though I am fairly sure it was close to a 1/2 cup. Also perhaps my other ingredients were just too wet or too abundant.
It’s been so long since had falafel that I’m not sure how firm they’re supposed to be; the oven time may have been too much. Next time I will use more flour for sure, though!
Thanks for replying so fast :D I think I’ll play it safe and go get a bag of flour. I can’t wait to try these!
Thinking of making these for lunch and dinner tomorrow…they remind me of Indian kebabs, which aren’t skewered, but baked/shallow fried and served as appetizers.
I was wondering; would corn starch and one egg be an appropriate substitute for the flour and baking powder? It’s all I have on hand right now.
Hmm, I think cornstarch and egg will make the texture quite different, although without trying it out I don’t think I could give an accurate description.
I made these. In an ancient blender that I was convinced was going to give up the ghost any moment. (Because I killed my food processor trying to make bread in it like a crazy person). It took forever, and I added in idk how much liquid to keep the thing chopping. End result, though, was that they’re delicious, but I haven’t made any since because it was such a pain. Food processor is back on my list of needed kitchen appliances.
One of my BB favorites!
I love your blog, also I love this recipe. I just wanted to let you know that I mentioned you in my recent blog post here. Go check it out: http://dontboilmybooks.weebly.com/1/post/2012/10/oven-baked-falafal.html
This was awesome! Fried them in a little coconut oil. We made miniature sized falafal patties just because it was easier to scoop the mixture out and into the skillet with a spoon and then flatten with a spatula. My husband said these were better than what he gets at his favorite Mediterranean restaurant. This will become a regular in our house. THANK YOU!
I know it’s not authentic, but I bind mine with egg and I LOVE the flavor and texture it adds (just one small egg for the whole batch). That probably turns it into another dish altogether, but I don’t care = ]
The BEST falafel I have ever eaten was baked! I have cooked falafel on a griddle before too. The taste is still the same–fabulous!!
You could use some coconut oil the next time you cook them. One of the healthiest oils I know of. So you’d get that crispy texture without the guilt or the hate mail. I’m not sure how great the tropical taste will be, but it’s worth a shot. Just don’t heat the oil over 350 degrees or all nutritional value is lost. Good luck though. Super cheap and sound delicious.(:
Aha, I assumed they were $1.58 per can, man those are cheap!! Love your blog, it combines two things I love: food and saving money! -Anna