Falafel

4.91 from 20 votes

Sink your teeth into this classic Middle Eastern delicacy! This vegan Falafel is chewy and tender on the inside, with a crispy fried exterior to create the perfect bite. These meatless morsels are easy to make and pack a ton of flavor!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Chilling time1

Total Time1 45

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Keyword: falafel, falafel recipe

Servings:

Calories: 169kcal

Equipment

KitchenAid 7-cup Food Processor

Ingredients

Falafel

15 ounce chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 1 can, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
4 green onions roughly chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper ground
1 teaspoon cumin ground
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup all-purpose flour

For Frying

¼ cup olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pulse Ingredients: Add all the falafel ingredients to a food processor and process until finely chopped and mixture holds together.
Chill: Transfer mixture to a sealed container and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until chilled. To speed up this process, you can transfer it to a freezer for 30 to 45 minutes until chilled.
Shape Into Patties: Shape into patties of your preferred size. Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop out some of the mixture, roll it into a ball then flatten it a bit in between your palms to resemble a patty. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Fry: Heat the ¼ cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties, but do not over-crowd and fry 2 to 3 minutes per side or until browned. Repeat with remaining patties. Transfer the patties to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Serve: Serve with pita bread, tzatziki sauce and tabbouleh salad.

Notes

Recipe yields about 24 falafel on the smaller size. Nutritional information is for 3 falafel.
Do not over-crowd your pan when frying! We want to ensure they cook evenly and have room to breathe.
Make sure to refrigerate the falafel mixture for at least an hour or overnight, this will aid in shaping the falafel, ensuring they keep their shape.
Don’t worry about removing the skin from your chickpeas. It isn't necessary. But DO make sure to rinse and drain completely.
If you don't have any fresh herbs and dried is all you have on hand, just keep in mind that 1 teaspoon dried equals 1 tablespoon fresh.
You can definitely use dried chickpeas rather than canned, some even prefer to use dried for all that flavor it gives. For this to work, you’ll need to soak your chickpeas for at LEAST 12 hours. Place them in a large bowl and fill with water till they’re all covered and allow to soak for 12 – 24 hours. *Overnight soaking is best.
Don't skip the baking powder, this will make the falafel fluffier on the inside.
OVEN INSTRUCTIONS: Bake in a preheat oven at 375°F for 30 minutes on a greased baking sheet, flipping once halfway through.
AIR FRYER INSTRUCTIONS: Spray the falafel with non stick cooking spray and allow to bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.
You can store these treats in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days, which leaves lots of time to cook up different dishes to incorporate them into!
Falafel can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer. Just allow to thaw at room temperature before warming back up to temperature in the oven. You can also freeze uncooked falafel patties. Simply place the patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flash freeze them for 1 hour, then place them in freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 month. Cook directly from frozen.

Nutrition