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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Mine came up a bit too wet. 🤔 Wondering why… Used dry/cooked chickpeas (cheaper, personal preference, etc.).
Just wondering how long these stay in the freezer (raw or cooked) and how long you thaw them before frying them. Thanks!! Can’t wait to try it!
I always try to use up my frozen foods within a few months. There’s not really a clear cut off line of when they’re no longer good, it’s more like a slow degradation of quality, and it can depend on several factors. They thaw quickly, though, because they’re so small. You could probably leave them at room temp for a half hour or so until they’re no longer solid, then fry ’em up.
Made this last night, it was delicious!!! Had it with a cucumber sauce…. plain yogurt, diced cucumber, dill weed, salt& pepper….. froze the extras for quick meals!
I have tried to make falafel several times before but they never turned out (I have no idea why!)
These are soooo good!! I used an all purpose gluten free flour and I did have to add a bit of water to mine but that’s because I cooked my chickpeas from dry and they always end up less moist than canned.
Definitely will add this to my lunch rounds for sure!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I always try to make your vegan recipes and this one was so good. I have been looking for a good falafel recipe for years and now I finally have one. I made a double batch and froze some but they were gone in less than a week. My family loved them. I am making a double batch again this weekend and will also keep these as a freezer staple for a quick go to meal. They are so good and easy to make :) Thank you!!
I can’t wait to make these! Must plan a Mediterranean themed meal for my family to show them off! Thank you! Look delish! Thank you for the simple recipe!
I HATE cilantro. What can I use as a substitute?
I would just double the parsley.
Hi Beth!
Have you baked these with any success or have you always fried them?
The only reason they are cooked, really, is to heat them through, firm them up a bit, and create that nice crispy crust. Baking will heat them through, but it will not give them a crispy exterior like frying. They do get a little dry when baked, as well.
Would it be possible to make this in a blender, or mix by hand? I don’t have a good processor but I want to makes these!
It’s definitely too dry to work in a blender, but if there’s some way you can mince the ingredients together by hand, that would work.
A Mezzaluna might be good for mincing this together by hand! I consider it my manual food processor. I will try it this week and update.
Wow! These are amazing! I made this recipe twice in 2 weeks because I couldn’t get enough. I was lazy, so I bought Sabra brand Tzatziki dip to pair with the falafels and it was perfect. I did fry mine in a small amount of oil and in my opinion, that made it even better. If I can figure out how to get them crispy in the oven, I might bake them. Instead of freezing them (they don’t last long enough!) we refrigerate them and to reheat, we put them under the broiler for a few minutes on each side so they don’t lose their crunch. I will continue to make this recipe!
Hey, your link to the original recipe now leads to a spam page that tries to trick you into calling some random phone number, just fyi.
Yikes! Thanks for letting me know! (Edit: Looks like that blog changed their name and moved, but I found the recipe and linked up!)
Okay, I’m pretty sure this recipe has changed my life. Since I discovered it (3 days ago) I’ve made it three times and have joined the gym! I think, just as soon as I finish the sausage tomato soup simmering for dinner (yeah, my husband is getting sick of falafel), that I maybe become a vegetarian because of this recipe. So yummy! I’d like to try and deep fry them at some point (once I’ve abandoned the gym.) So great for lunches. My only thought is that maybe the recipe needs a little less salt (or maybe I’m not rinsing my chick-peas enough?) Make this! Today! Make it often. I’m going to have to blog about this!
Added a little more water+lemon juice and then added more flour after, made a really good thin pizza crust when spread out and baked for about 20-25 mins!
I added some lemon juice too. Brighten up the flavor. Very good!
I can’t wait to try this! How many patties does this make?
It made about 18 small patties. :)
Beth i enjoy your blog so many great recipes i made these and they were amazing best falafel ever and i can’t believe they were so easy to make thank you