A flavorful and authentic Homemade Falafel Recipe with Tahini Sauce that will blow your mind! Use dry chickpeas and a muffin tin to create one of the most popular dishes in the Middle East.
One of the most popular vegetarian dishes is falafel. It’s loved by all, filled with protein from the chickpeas, and bursting with delicious flavor thanks to some really tasty herbs and spices. This homemade version can be either baked or fried, and we love it in a pita with hummus, on a salad, or by itself dipped in lemony tahini sauce. The crispy outside of a properly-cooked falafel is so delicious and satisfying we could eat it every day! Today we are showing you two cooking options, one fried one baked
What is Falafel?
Falafel is a deep-fried ball or patty made of mostly chickpeas ( garbanzo beans), sometimes fava beans (or even both!). They’re soaked and then ground up with delicious spices before being cooked fried or baked. It’s a Middle Eastern food traditionally served in a pita pocket and drizzled with tahini sauce. Falafel is a naturally vegan food that’s also filled with protein, so it’s super popular!
Can I Bake Falafel?
Yes! While it’s usually fried, and that is how you will find it as street food, you can make homemade falafel that is baked. We’ve included instructions to make it both ways!
Can I Make Falafel With Canned Chickpeas?
It's better if you don't. Falafel is more authentic and tastes better when made with dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight. The soaked chickpeas give falafel its chunky, crunchy satisfying texture. If you use canned chickpeas the falafel will be too mushy.
Falafel Ingredients
- Dried chickpeas, soaked overnight. If you are short on time you
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- A whole bunch of falafel spices ( see recipe)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Lemon Zest
- Salt
- Baking Powder
Tips on How to Make Falafel at Home
It is surprisingly easy to make your own falafel right in your own kitchen. Here are our best tips for making restaurant-quality falafel at home!
- Use soaked dry chickpeas. Canned beans will not yield the same results. You just need a little planning to remember to soak the chickpeas the night before.
- Don’t skimp on the spices! they add a ton of flavor to the falafel.
- Add a lot of herbs. This is for flavor and to achieve that beautiful green color. If you don’t like cilantro add more parsley and some fresh mint. Make sure any fresh herb you are using is dry. Dry your herbs really well after washing.
- Do not cook the soaked chickpeas. This will yield a true falafel texture.
- Use a food processor. Pulse the ingredients to combine into a coarse mixture.
- Rest. Refrigerate the falafel. Let it rest for 20 minutes in the fridge before cooking.
- The falafel mixture may be a little sticky. Just slightly wet your hands and roll the falafel balls by transferring them from hand to hand or use a small ice cream scoop.
- Use mini muffin tins, if baking the falafel balls. Coat them with a generous amount of oil spray before putting the formed patties in. Bake for a crispier texture.
- Deep fry in oil. If you don't own a deep fryer, use a small saucepan and add only a few falafel at a time, make sure the balls are completely covered in oil. It only takes 5-6 minutes.
- Freeze. If you want to freeze falafel, do it after cooking it.
How to Make Falafel
Hey there! Ready to make some delicious falafel? Let's get started!
- First things first, if you are baking your falafel preheat your oven to 400F. Then, grab a mini muffin tin and give it a good spray with some cooking spray.
- Now, it's time to get chopping! In a food processor, combine some parsley and cilantro and pulse until it's finely chopped. Then, add in the rest of the ingredients until it forms a slightly coarse dough.
- Pop the mixture in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to let it rest. After that, it's time to form your falafel balls or patties. You can use your hands or a small ice cream scoop to make them. If you're using the muffin tin, just squeeze the mixture in your hands and transfer it to the tin. Use about 2 teaspoons of falafel mixture per ball.
- Give your falafel a quick spray with some oil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- If you prefer to fry your falafel, fill a small saucepan or deep fryer with oil and fry for 5-6 minutes until crispy.
- While your falafel is cooking, whip up some lemony tahini sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together tahini, lemon, and salt until it becomes a thick paste. Then, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- For a tasty tomato and cucumber salad, mix together some chopped tomatoes and cucumbers with olive oil, lemon, and salt.
- Finally, stuff your delicious falafel in pita bread and top with pickles, tahini sauce, and tomato and cucumber salad. For an extra kick, add some Schug and for extra creaminess spread Hummus into the pita bread when assembling your falafel sandwich.
What to Serve with Falafel
This is the best part: eating your homemade falafel! Serve falafel with tahini sauce, Israeli salad or tomato cucumber salad, pickles, hummus, and hot sauce (optional). Use a pita that can be opened as a pocket, to assemble the falafel sandwich, spread hummus on the pita, stuff the pita pocket with a few falafel balls, then add your toppings of choice, tomato cumber salad and tahini sauce are a must! Here are some other toppings for your falafel sandwich:
- Schug
- Matbucha
- Moroccan Carrot Salad
- Roasted eggplant
- Pickled Onions
- Pickles
- Shredded lettuce
More Falafel Recipes!
- Falafel-flavored Gluten-free Crackers
- Falafel Veggie Burger with Avocado Tahini Cream
- Falafel Bowl with Avocado and Tahini Sriracha
Did you like this falafel recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
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Homemade Falafel Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 falafel balls 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A flavorful and authentic Homemade Falafel Recipe with Tahini Sauce that will blow your mind! Use dried chickpeas, not canned, and a muffin tin to create one of the most popular street food dishes in the Middle East.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight. See Note 1
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp sweet paprika or hot paprika if you want your falafel spicy
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1/16 tsp ground cardamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Cooking spray or vegetable oil, if frying
For the Lemony Tahini Sauce
- ½ cup tahini (sesame paste)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup of cold water
For the Tomato Cucumber Salad
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes, multicolor, if available
- 1 cup chopped cucumbers, preferably Persian or Seedles
- 1 tbsp plus 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼-½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- If you are planning on banking your falafel, re-heat oven at 400F, if not go to step #3
- Generously spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray
- Combine parsley and cilantro in the food processor, and pulse until very finely chopped.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor until it forms a slightly coarse dough.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and place it in the fridge and let it rest for 20-30 minutes for firm up
- Using your hands, or a small ice cream scoop form small balls or patties.
- If baking, place each one in the cavities of the mini muffin tin. The mixture will be a little loose, just squeeze it in your hands and transfer it from hand to hand until you form a falafel ball. You should use approximately 2 teaspoons of falafel mixture per falafel ball. To make it easier to form the falafel balls, use a small ice cream scoop, press the mixture tightly, and then release it into the mini muffin tin cavities. See Note 3.
- Generously spray falafel with oil spray
- Bake at 400F for 15 minutes.
- If frying, use a small saucepan or deep fryer, fill with oil, and deep fry for 5-6 minutes, until crispy.
- Another option is to pan-fry falafel
- We have not tried cooking the falafel on an air fryer yet, we will updated you when we do.
To make the lemony tahini sauce:
- In a medium bowl add tahini, lemon and salt and mix well with a fork. The tahini will thicken and will become like a thick paste. At this point, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Mixing well after adding each tablespoon. Add water until you reach the desired consistency. If making the tahini sauce ahead, note that it will thicken in the fridge and you may have to add a little more water to loosen it.
For the tomato and cucumber salad
- Place tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl and add olive oil, lemon and salt. Mix well.
Notes
- IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS RECIPE YOU WILL NEED TO SOAK THE CHICKPEAS OVERNIGHT IN TWICE THEIR VOLUME OF WATER.
- IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FREEZE THE FALAFEL FREEZE ALREADY BAKED.
- The falafel mixture may be a little sticky or loose just slightly wet your hands and roll the falafel balls by transferring them from hand to hand or using a small ice cream scoop. If you are having a hard time forming the balls, return the mixture to the food processor and pulse a few more times until it the balls hold their shape better.
- When frying, do not crowd the pan or fryer, be patient and only fry a few falafel at a time.
This post was originally published in June 2012
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: entree
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 falafel balls
- Calories: 182
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 420
- Fat: 7
- Unsaturated Fat: 4
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Fiber: 5.5
- Protein: 8.2
- Cholesterol: 0
Apples and Arteries
I can't wait to try this!
mayihavethatrecipe
Hope you enjoy it!! Let us know what you think!!
Linda
Love this recipe! And the post is fantastic, great pictures and easy to follow the instructions
Vicky and Ruth
Thank you Linda! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Caitlin
i need to make these, they look delicious! and i love that you baked them in muffin tins! so creative 😉
mayihavethatrecipe
Thank you!! We love using muffin tins, they make the process so much easier!! Hope you enjoy them!!! 🙂
Lisa 0.
These are soo easy to make, delicous and healthy!! how much better could you get??
M.S.
I'm making these tomorrow and I've never used dried chick peas so I have a novice question before I end up with 24 bad balls. Your recipe says raw chick peas, so I take it that means just soak, but don't boil for the hour (like the package and goggle say). Is that right?
mayihavethatrecipe
Soak the Chickpeas overnight, rinse them well and do not cook them just put them in the food processor with the other ingredients to make the falafel balls. Let us know how they come out!
M.S.
These are fantastic and crazy easy. And they are just as good 2 days later out of the fridge. Thank you for such a simple recipe with great flavours. This will be a recipe I add to my collection.
mayihavethatrecipe
Great. Who would have thought falafel was so easy to make! So glad you liked it. We love to hear feedback so please keep sharing!
Ann Mah
Ooh, BAKED falafel -- genius. I also love the addition of lemon zest. You don't, by any chance, have an idea what might be in that addictive green chili sauce, do you?
mayihavethatrecipe
Hmm... Not quite sure. We'll do some research and let you know 🙂
Dionne
So excited to try this! I loooove falafel and like you, never thought to try to make it at home. I've been dying for fresh and light recipes, and it's on my grocery list. I'm going to only cook the balls that I'm going to eat for lunch and freeze the rest and bake them off as needed. Hopefully that will work out well! 🙂
mayihavethatrecipe
That's a great idea. You might be able to bake them all and freeze them already cooked, then all you have to do is defrost them and heat them up.
Thanks for trying our recipe!
the wicked noodle (@thewickednoodle)
I absolutely love falafel! Your photos are gorgeous.
mayihavethatrecipe
Thank you very much Kristy. Have a great weekend !
berealyoga
Wow, I'm so excited about these! I've never seen a recipe where you don't have to cook the chick peas in advance! Thank you for this!
Vicky & Ruth
Raw chickpeas give the falafel its unique taste and texture. Hope you enjoy it!! 🙂
Yosef - This American Bite
Congrats! This recipe has been nominated to win my Inspired Recipe of the Year Award. The shortlist will be announced on 12/30/2013.
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you. We have been wanting a Le Creuset for a long time, may be we will win!
Yosef - This American Bite
You are a finalist for my most inspired recipe of 2013. The winner recives a 5.5qt Le Creuset dutch oven and voting is open until 1/8/2014 and you can vote here: http://www.thisamericanbite.com/2013-best-recipes/
Get your fans voting with this badge for your website http://bit.ly/198TklA or share this post http://on.fb.me/1dkqUti
Angela
This falafel recipe sounds delicious. Could I use garbanzo flour in place of the raw chickpeas?? I was just given a bag of Bob's Red Mill chickpea flour and can't wait to try it. Thanks.
Vicky & Ruth
We don't think the recipe will work with Garbanzo flour, but we have a couple of recipes with garbanzo flour that you can try:
https://mayihavethatrecipe.com/2013/10/23/savory-chickpea-flour-scallion-pancakes-with-greek-yogurt-caper-sauce/
https://mayihavethatrecipe.com/2014/09/05/gluten-free-falafel-crackers/
Sue
can you use canned chick peas? would this work as good as the raw?
Vicky & Ruth
We don't think it will be the same if you use canned chickpeas. They may get too mushy, but if you are going to try, please let us know the results, we are curious. Enjoy!
Pete
My wife and I love this recipe - texturally the falafel is inferior vs frying but certainly much healthier - thank you for sharing!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Pete, we agree with you, but we feel that once you add tahini and the salad you can enjoy it even without frying it.
Jennifer K Considine
Just made this to add to our lunch boxes for next week. My husband and I loved them so much that we might need to make another batch for our lunches!
Vicky & Ruth
This falafel is great for lunch!
Andrea
first time ever making felafel, and oh my goodness, this is AMAZING. Time-consuming, and you won't think the balls of felafel will stick together, but so, so worth it. I will triple the recipe next time to have some in the freezer!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Andrea! So happy you liked the recipe.
marciabattles
your sauce sounds great but what is the sauce with cucumber i like that one
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you for your comment. There are 3 recipes in a row for the Baked falafel. The last one is the tomato cucumber sald
Vyk
These look incredible!
It’s morning where I am, if I soak my chick peas now could I make them tonight or do they need 24 hours to soak?
Thank you
Vicky & Ruth
Hi!
We just realized that our reply did not go through for some reason. Our apologies!!!
The chickpeas can be soaked in the morning to use at night. Once again, our apologies for the delay 🙁
Kim
This is going to be the dumbest question but do you cook the soaked chickpeas?
Vicky & Ruth
It is not a dumb question at all. No, you do not cook the soaked chickpeas. Let us know what you think about our falafel recipe
DONNA SIMEK
Mine came our very dry. Any thoughts?
Vicky & Ruth
Did you spray it generously with cooking spray? Also this falafel since it's not fried it is meant to be eaten with the salad and tahini sauce to give it some additional moisture.
Lisa T
These are very good! I forgot the 20 mins rest in the fridge & they still turned out well. Nice & easy - I will definitely make them again. Delicious with salad or dipped in tahini sauce. Thank you!
Susan Nathan
Yum yum yum!!!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Susan!
Annette Moschella
So I made this recipe on 9.2.2020. Though it tasted delicious I was not able to roll into balls. It was too wet so I added about 1/4 C of almond flour . Still would not roll so using a cookie scoop I pressed down to try to compact mixture. I managed to get into muffin tins but still did not compact into round shape that held its shape and they looked like muffins when finished baking. Wonder what went wrong - did I not process enough? I processed the parsley then let it sit a while - could that have created more liquid than needed?
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Annette, we are so sorry that the recipe didn't work out as expected. Letting the parsley sit may have caused excess moisture. We would recommend that you process the falafel mixture a little longer in the food processor until the falafel balls are able to hold together. We will add a note in the recipe based on your feedback. Let us know if processing the falafel longer makes a difference for you.
Sally
Hi! Do you think I could cook these in an air dryer? And if so, would the cooking temperature and time change?
Vicky and Ruth
We don't ow an air fryer, but we don't see why not. Please let us know how they come out!
Monica
I'm wondering how to reheat these bad boys! I have a big event Saturday that I wanna cook them up for but I would want to make them Friday!
Vicky and Ruth
I would place them in a baking pan or sheet and re-heat them in the oven at 250F until warm. I would also spray some additional oil, so they don't dry out.
Sylvia Bilyk
I am making these falafel balls as I type, what would be the best way to reheat them?
Thank you
Vicky and Ruth
You can reheat them in a 200ºF (93ºC) oven or in a mircowave.
Kath
Love this recipe as is, but can the falafel mixture be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge, then cooked the next day? I’m looking for a time-saver for a gathering. Thanks.
Vicky and Ruth
Yes! The falafel mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored covered in the fridge until ready to cook. Enjoy!