This homemade falafel recipe is packed full of chickpeas and beautiful fresh herbs. Perfect to serve as an appetizer or even as a main meal alongside hummus or make a delicious falafel wrap.
One of my favourite things to cook and eat is Homemade Falafel. They are great to serve as an appetizer, as part of a mezze platter, and also great to have as a main meal when served in a wrap or with some rice and salad.
To serve I like to make a quick tahini sauce which I also share in this recipe. It also pairs really well with a fresh quinoa tabbouleh or shirazi salad.
I love using chickpeas in many dishes, some of the regular recipes I make all the time is my Persian patties, crispy chickpeas, and hummus.
Table of Contents
What is Falafel?
Falafel is a popular middle eastern dish made with ground chickpeas, mixed with herbs and spices formed together into small balls and deep fried to provide a crunchy texture on the outside and soft in the middle.
Ingredients to make Homemade Falafel Recipe
- Chickpeas, ensure they are soaked dried chickpeas overnight rather than using canned chickpeas which will make them mushy
- Fresh Herbs in parsley, coriander, mint, and shallots
- Garlic, I've only used one large clove in this recipe
- Cumin is the only spice used in my recipe, you can also add chili
- Chickpea Flour I prefer to use but you can use any flour. This helps bind the mixture together
- Baking powder to assist with a fluffy soft texture
How to make Homemade Falafel
Making homemade falafel is easier than you think. Here's how to cook it using the traditional deep fry method or in the air fryer. Both provide a crispy, golden falafel on the outside with a soft center. Follow my instructions below (note quantities are listed in the recipe card below)
Step 1: Soak dried chickpeas in a large bowl in water overnight (min 8 hrs)
Step 2: Drain chickpeas and rinse under cold water. Pulse a few times in a food processor so they're chopped a little
Step 3: Chop herbs roughly and add to the food processor with baking powder, cumin, garlic, flour and water. Season with salt and pepper
Step 4: Pulse all ingredients until well combined and finely chopped
Step 5: Using wet hands, spoon a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and shape into balls. Depending on the size, this recipe provides 14-16 falafel balls
Step 6: Place falafel balls on a tray lined with parchment paper. Put in the fridge to set for 30-60 minutes
Step 7: Whisk all tahini sauce ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Add water to thin if needed
Step 8 (Deep Fry Method): Fry falafels in hot oil for a few minutes until golden, working in batches to avoid crowding. Then drain on paper towels to remove excess oil
Step 9 (Air Fry Method): Preheat air fryer to 350°F (180°C). Place falafels inside without them touching and spray tops with olive oil. Cook for 11–13 minutes until golden. Turn, spray again and cook 2 more minutes
Serve with tahini dressing and pickles. For a main, pair with rice and salad or in a delicious falafel wrap
Tips and Tricks
- Ensure to use dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight. Using canned chickpeas won’t have the same texture as they’re already cooked, they become mushy and soggy once blended with all the ingredients
- Pulse the food processor rather than letting it blend. This way you can control the chopping and keep some texture in the mixture
- The water is only needed if your mixture is dry and too crumbly as it will help it hold together. Ensure to only add slowly and not too much of it
- Refrigerating the falafel before frying them helps the excess moisture dry out. It’s not mandatory but it’s recommended
- Place falafels on a paper towels after they’ve been fried to remove excess oil
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Homemade Falafel:
More Chickpea Recipes
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to tag @cookingwithayeh and share a photo on Instagram so I can share the love.
Recipe
Homemade Falafel (Air Fryer or Deep Fried)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight
- 1 cup parsley
- 1 cup cilantro (coriander)
- 10 mint leaves
- 4 green onions
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons flour - I've used chickpea flour
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
Tahini Sauce
- 1 heaped tablespoon tahini
- ½ lemon squeezed
- 1-2 tablespoon cold water
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Soak dry chickpeas in a bowl of water overnight or for a minimum of 8hrs. Make sure the bowl has enough room as chickpeas will expand double in size
- Drain and pulse the soaked chickpeas in a food processor a few times until they are chopped
- Roughly chop all herbs and add into the food processor along with all other ingredients
- Blitz together, until all ingredients are combined and finely diced. Don't over blitz, as you want to keep some texture
- Using wet hands and with a tablespoon, roll mixture into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Then refrigerate for 1 hour
- To make the tahini sauce, add all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until a creamy consistency is achieved. If it's too thick, add more water to thin it out
- Follow your preferred cooking method below then serve with tahini dip and a side of pickles is always a great combo. To serve as a main, serve with rice and salad or works well in a wrap
Deep Fried
- Deep fry falafels into heated oil for a few minutes until golden on each side. Fry in batches and don't overcrowd the pot so falafels aren't touching
- Remove and place on paper towels to remove excess oil
Air Fryer
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F/180°C. Place falafel balls gently inside ensuring they're not touching and spray the tops with olive oil
- Cook for 11-13 minutes, they should be golden. Turn them around and spray the tops again and cook for another 2 minutes
Notes
- The information on the nutritional table is the falafel being “uncooked”, so the frying oil is not included. This will vary on the type of oil that’s being used along with the cooking method
Senafe says
I have had a problem with my Falafel mixture being too wet despite adding flour. I found that after soaking the chickpeas, they need to be thoroughly dried before processing. This has changed the texture and taste to be more like the Falafel I enjoyed while living in the middle east.
Ayeh says
Yes they must be dried before adding to your food processor 🙂 Great to hear that you like my recipe x
Melissa says
It's delicious and so easy to make, my 3 years old, 6 years old and husband loved it. I will make it again ! I have made so many of Ayeh's recipes and never been disappointed. ❤
Ayeh says
Aww what a beautiful compliment! So happy to hear lovely 🙂
Farzaneh says
Thanks Ayeh Jun the best homemade falafel I ever made
Ayeh says
Awww what a beautiful compliment lovely xxx
Tulsi says
These are so delicious and ridiculously easy to make. Thanks for another amazing recipe.
Ayeh says
So happy you love them too Tulsi! x
Célyne says
Can you bake them instead?
Ayeh says
Yes lovely you can, they wont be as crispy as the airfryer however will still taste as good 🙂
Arzoo says
Thanks for this recipe Ayeh! Can you bake them? I don't have an air fryer and trying to avoid deep frying.
Ayeh says
Yes Arzoo you can, they wont be as crispy as the airfryer however will still taste as good 🙂
Kate says
These were the perfect consistency and texture, not mushy and they held together! Love the mint with the parsley and cilantro, super fresh flavour. I used an air fryer and it worked perfectly. I’ll be making these again and again!
Ayeh says
So great to hear this Kate! the herbs make it dont they 🙂 xx
Kate says
This is the best falafel recipe I’ve tried. Perfect texture and consistency, not mushy and they held together! I love the mint with the parsley and cilantro, super fresh flavours. I’ll be making these again and again!
Ayeh says
So great to hear this Kate! the herbs make it dont they 🙂 xx
eloise says
can you used canned chickpeas instead of dried chickpeas that you soak?
Ayeh says
No dear, they wont have the right texture and will be mushy once blended as they're already cooked xxx
Lele says
AMAZING Ayeh!! I am obsessed with your recipes...and this is one of the yummiest and EASIEST!!
Ayeh says
Awww thank you lovely, this is one of my favs too! x
Rohan Grant-Dawes says
Super delicious and easy to make. Full of flavour and crunchy and delightful.
Be careful not to make them too big! As they become difficult to cook in the Centre without burning the outside, worked it out the hard way
But we’ll worth the effort.
Ayeh says
Yours still looked so good Rohan, next time they will be even more perfect 🙂 x
Francesca says
Delicious!
Ayeh this recipe is amazing, i gave up with making falafels until your delicious recipe!
I have found my love for falafels again!
Thankyou lovely
Ayeh says
Awww so happy to hear Francesca! Its one of my favourites x
Sarah Ruslan says
This was such an easy recipe to follow! I didn't have chickpea flour so I substituted it with AP flour and that worked out well. I played around with the proportion of the herbs a little bit (more parsley and less mint because I didn't have enough of the latter) and it still turned out super balanced flavour wise. I didn't have cumin powder and substituted it for ras el hanout too.
I normally don't fry anything at home, but frying these up was easy enough! Not to mention your kitchen smells so delicious during. The falafels turned out super crispy and not oily at all.
I doubled the recipe so I had a big batch of falafels to keep in the freezer 🙂
Ayeh says
So happy you loved these as much as I do lovely 🙂
Taryn says
Absolutely divine! Adored them in the pita wrap with pickled onion, hummus, lettuce and cucumber!
Ayeh says
Oh yummy! Its the best in a wrap yum 🙂
Lilianne Constantinou says
Hi Ayeh, I would love to make your falafels! But what is the quantify all ingredients.
Ayeh says
Hi dear, there's a recipe card if scroll to the bottom of the page xxxx
Lily says
My first successful falafels. Yay! Had them in pita bread with Persian cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley and tahini sauce.
Ayeh says
Yay so lovely to hear this!! Falafel is one of my fav recipes! Send me a picture on instagram if you took one 🙂
Geetha says
This is yet another winner from Ayeh’s recipe. I’m not kidding, the falafels that result from this recipe is off the charts. I’m so fussy with food and this recipe produced falafels that are crunchy, light and packed with flavours. So easy to make too. I usually have it with a pita, tabouli and mint yogurt. So yummy!!!!
Ayeh says
Hehe yay! So happy you love these as much as I do 🙂