{How to Make} Homemade Falafel Recipe - Self Proclaimed Foodie (2024)

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Falafel is one of my favorite Middle Eastern inspired street food recipes. Dried chickpeas are softened by soaking in water over night, combined with other savory ingredients, processed to a gritty-smooth consistency, and deep fried to perfection!

Serve with homemade Tzatziki sauce for the best snack or appetizer!

Why you will love this recipe:

• Chickpeas are delicious and nutritious: I’ve made many recipes where chickpeas are the main ingredient includingChickpea Salad,Roasted Chickpeas,Three Bean Salad, andHomemade Hummus. If you love them as much as I do, you’ll love making falafel, and it will surely satisfy any vegan comfort food craving.
• They’re filling: Because chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are high in protein and fiber, they keep you feeling full, making them a great snack. Serve them with a protein packed Greek yogurt tzatziki sauce and your snack just turned into a meal!
• Time consuming, but worth it: Falafel is actually quick to cook, however the process requires planning because of the time it takes to soak the chickpeas and also to refrigerate the mixture prior to frying. With a little planning, however, they are very easy to make!

Ingredients needed to make this recipe:

Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

Dried chickpeas, red onion, parsley, garlic, salt, cumin, pepper, and a little bit of flour to hold everything together. Then, they are fried in oil.

How to make this falafel recipe:

Detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

Step 1: Soak chickpeas

Cover dried chickpeas with water and soak overnight.

Step 2: Mix and process

Once you’ve soaked and softened your chickpeas, you’ll process them with the other ingredients in the food processor.

The goal is to not get the mixture so smooth that it turns into a paste, but you will need it processed fine enough so that they hold their shape when being fried.

Step 3: Shape and fry

Form balls that are a couple of tablespoons in size and gently flatten.

To cook the falafel, you’ll heat a generous amount of oil in a pan and cook a few at a time, flipping once. The result will be a delicious, flavorful, golden brown, crispy snack!

Recipe tips for best results:

• Consistency of mixture: It is important that you use the food processor to grind the mixture to a consistent consistency of sand. If the chickpea pieces are too big, it will be difficult to eat, however you still want some grainy texture.
• Deep frying: The trick to deep frying is to maintain a constant temperature of the oil. If you’re not experienced, I recommend using a thermometer. Also, be aware that adding the cold falafel balls to the hot oil will drop the temperature.
• Storage: Falafel is best if eaten fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
• Reheating and leftovers: I’ve actually crumbled cold leftover falafel onto a salad and it was delicious! If you’d like to enjoy them warm, you can wrap them in a damp paper towel and reheat the center of the falafel in the microwave at 50% power for a minute or two and then fry them up in hot oil to make them crispy again.

This recipe was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!