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This Middle Eastern-inspired green falafel is moist and fluffy on the inside, super crispy on the outside, and packs a ton of fresh herbs! This vegan falafel is the most delicious I have ever tasted!
⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
- They are magical. Why magical? Because that’s how they taste, seriously. Very fluffy, soft on the inside, and crunchy on the outside. They also pack a ton of fresh herbs, giving them a vibrant green color!
- They are simple to prepare and require just 6 ingredients and a few spices. You will only need dry chickpeas, onion, some fresh herbs, and spices.
- They are versatile. You can serve these as an appetizer with a dipping sauce or with pita bread, salads, hummus, or tabbouleh.
- Belinda, a reader, said: “★★★★★ Best falafel recipe ever! After trying several other recipes using tinned chickpeas with horrible results, I was about to give up on the whole thing. Then I found this recipe, and the results are amazing, even better than the falafels in our local Lebanese restaurant. Thank you so much!”
🧆 What is a Falafel
Falafel is a classic Middle Eastern dish that consists of chickpeas and/or broad beans ground with fresh herbs and spices before being shaped into balls and deep-fried. Falafel is usually served with tahini sauce or hummus, or used as a filling in pita bread sandwiches.
This recipe is not your traditional falafel recipe. It contains three different types of aromatic herbs as well as several spices. Mint and dill are not classic ingredients in traditional falafels, but they really take the flavor to another level. Let’s do it!
🌿 Ingredient Notes
Falafel is easy to make and doesn’t require any hard-to-find ingredients. Here is what you will need:
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) – Use dry chickpeas, not the cooked ones sold in cans. You can also use a combination of chickpeas and fava beans. Check the Tips to learn more about that.
- Fresh herbs – I went with a combination of fresh mint, cilantro (or parsley), and dill.
- Onion – If you don’t have onion on hand, you can replace it with shallots.
- Spices – Cumin, cinnamon, anise, cardamom, and ginger create a more complex flavor.
- Baking soda – Adding baking soda does two things: 1) It makes fluffier and extra tender falafels. 2) It creates a darker crust that contrasts perfectly with the bright green inside.
- Salt – For flavor.
- Rice flour – Or chickpea flour. It prevents the batter from being too crumbly.
🥣 How To Make Falafel
Preparing falafel at home couldn’t be easier! The process consists of 3 steps: soaking the beans, processing the mixture, and frying.
Here is the process of making falafel:
- Soak the chickpeas. Start by soaking the dried chickpeas overnight or for at least 8 hours. Once the chickpeas have doubled in size, rinse and drain them.
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Add the drained chickpeas, onion, fresh herbs, spices, and flour to a food processor.
- Process. Process for 10-15 seconds or until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (a bit like couscous). Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let the mixture chill. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Shape into balls. Shape the mixture into 2-3 tablespoon balls using a cookie scoop.
- Fry. Finally, deep-fry the balls for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown, and serve immediately!
🥙 What To Serve With Green Falafel
These falafels are delicious served with hummus or with a garlic tahini sauce. You can also use them as a filling for pita bread or serve them with a simple green salad!
If you plan on serving this falafel with a tahini sauce: whisk together 1/2 cup of vegan yogurt, 2 tablespoons of tahini, 1-2 tablespoons of lime juice (adjust to taste), 1 minced clove of garlic, salt, and pepper.
📔 Tips
- Fry at the last minute. I recommend frying the green falafel before serving as they tend to dry a bit as they cool down.
- For moister falafel: I have discovered that using a combination of half fava beans (also called broad beans) and half chickpeas creates moister and softer falafel compared to using only chickpeas. If you want to use fava beans, I recommend using split and shelled ones.
- Shape: You can shape the falafels into balls if planning to serve them with a dipping sauce or into patties if you want to use them in pita or sandwiches.
❄️ Freezing
While I don’t recommend freezing cooked falafels (they won’t be crispy after reheating), you can freeze the uncooked falafel mixture for up to 2 months. Before using, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You can then shape it into balls and fry them.
💬 FAQ
No, this recipe only works with soaked dry chickpeas.
You can prepare the falafel batter mixture up to 2 days ahead of time and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Fry right before serving.
I do not recommend it. Frying produces a superior texture, crispy outside and moist/soft inside. Something you can’t get with baking.
While these falafels are better served right after frying, you can keep them for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
I’m sure you will love these falafels! They are moist, tender, and taste even BETTER than the ones you get at restaurants. Plus, they are naturally vegan and gluten-free!
🥗 More Middle Eastern Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Magical Green Falafels
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup fresh mint
- 1/4 cup fresh dill
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic
- 1/8 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp of each: cinnamon, anise, cardamom, ginger
- a pinch nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup rice flour or chickpea flour
- 4 cups oil for frying
For serving
Instructions
- Soak: Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl with the baking soda. Cover with water and let soak overnight.
- Make the falafel: Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place them in a food processor with all the other ingredients: fresh herbs, salt, spices, garlic powder, oregano, baking soda, and rice flour.
- Pulse until all the ingredients are finely chopped and a coarse meal forms. Scrape down the sides and pulse again until the texture resembles a fine meal, like couscous. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Shape and chill: Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Form small balls (about 3 tablespoons) using your hands and place them on a plate lined with parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Letting them rest overnight is best as it allows the flavors to develop.
- Fry: Fill a large skillet with vegetable oil, you want a depth of about 1 inch. Heat over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. When the oil is hot, fry the falafels for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once the falafels are ready, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with a kitchen paper towel to remove the excess oil.
- Serve immediately and enjoy with hummus, tabbouleh, or tahini sauce. You can also add them to pita bread with hummus, salad, and red onions.
Notes
- Fry at the last minute. I recommend frying the falafel before serving as they tend to dry a bit as they cool down.
- For moister falafel: I have discovered that using a combination of half fava beans (also called broad beans) and half chickpeas creates moister and softer falafel compared to using only chickpeas. If you want to use fava beans, I recommend using split and shelled ones.
- Shape: You can shape the falafels into balls if planning to serve them with a dipping sauce or into patties if you want to use them in pita or sandwiches.
- Nutrition information does not include the oil used when frying. Falafels will be slightly higher in calories.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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I disagree with the “frying is the only way to get a superior crust and soft inside. Ive baked falafel many times and it comes out literally just as good as fried. Its less oily and soft inside too. Just wanted to say because most ppl think u can only fry falafel and baked isnt as good.
Thanks for your input Liz 🙂
I have tried baked falafels a few times as well, and while it’s good I personally prefer the fried versions. There is still a difference in my opinion.
Is it possible to bake these in the oven instead of frying?
I guess you could, but I haven’t personally tried so I can’t give you any directions I’m afraid. I believe falafels are always better fried though.
Best falafel recipe ever, honestly they taste magical
Oh thank you so much Lisa! 🙂
Hello! If you have fresh (still in their pods, even!) fave beans do they need to be soaked? Should you just boil with the chickpeas the next day? I love this recipe and my family asks me to make it every year for Easter. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Thomas, I did these falafels twice and they are DELICIOUS! I bought an air fryer Ninja (can you imagine I bought it to be able to cook FALAFELS with less oil! so only thanks to this recipe), and I was wondering how to adjust the cooking instructions for it. Do you have any ideas? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Dina,
Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
I would try air-frying for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through frying.
Thank you for the answer, Thomas! That’s what I tried (I found a recipe on ninja website, but it is not a good one since they are using canned chickpeas), and I didn’t like the result, they were too dry. So I made them fried again (tant pis pour ma ligne lol).
No problem, et désolé pour ta ligne 😉
Can you air fry these?
I haven’t tried it yet, so I can’t say for sure, sorry.
Lovely recipe! Apologies if I missed it but can you share how many falafel this makes?
Thanks Laura! I would say it makes about 25-30 large falafels.
Could I oven-fry these falafels? Thanks. And thank for posting all your wonderful recipes.
I’m afraid you won’t get the best texture if oven-frying. These are really best deep-fried.
I am going to try this 🙂 recipe posted on 13/04 and 72 comments already?? How are you doing this lol
Hi Hanna, I regularly update old recipes with new photos and improved content. This is one of those, it was first published in 2017, that’s why it has that many comments 🙂
Great recipe but would prefer to bake. Any suggestions?
You could try brushing the falafels with oil and baking for about 25 minutes at 400-425°F, but to be honest, frying is really the best option.
Nice recipe. I’ll try it. Thank you for sharing.
Let me know if you do, Emy!
Hello, I am planning to make these soon and wondered whether the fave/B-road beans should also be soaked and uncooked like the chickpeas. Also, can these be cooked in an air fryer. The recipe looks easy, nice pics too. Thanks for sharing.
Mim
Hi Mim,
Yes, both types of dried beans must be soaked together. Regarding the air-frying, I haven’t personally tried but I think it should work!
These look and sound amazing. Do you have instructions for baking and or air frying in place of frying?
Thanks Linda!
I do not recommend baking, the texture is just not as good. Regarding air-frying, I have plans to try it very soon so I will update as soon as do!
Hi, Thomas
Thank you for this recipe! I followed your tip and used both chickpeas and fava beans. The result was awesome! I cooked some falafel the very same day I made them and then, I also cooked some after keeping them in the freezer and the taste was even better, I guessed that was because of the temperature contrast between the falafel and the hot oil.
Thanks again!
Hi Elisa,
I’m so glad you liked this falafel! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Just made this recipe for dinner and my wife who is vegetarian, loves Falafels is kind of a connoisseur. These did not disappoint and they were crispy on the outside whilst the inside was soft and packed with flavour. I made the half chick peas and half broad beans. I will make these again for sure! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for your feedback Chris, I’m happy to hear you both liked these falafels!