falafel recipes

Though falafel takes a little planning ahead to soak the chickpeas, it still couldn't be simpler. The fritters come out of the fryer super crisp and perfectly seasoned. Stuffed in a warm pita with lots of veggies, a drizzle of tahini and a dash of hot sauce, they make for a wonderful weeknight dinner.

Falafel

Vegetable oil,

chickpeas,

parsley leaves

baking powder

cumin

coriander

cayenne pepper

garlic, chopped

onion,

Kosher salt

Serving suggestions: pita bread, lettuce, tomato, tahini, hot sauce and lemon wedges

Heat 3 inches oil in large heavy pot to 365 degrees F.

Add the drained chickpeas to a food processor. Pulse until the chickpeas begin to break down, about 30 seconds. Add the parsley, baking powder and water, cumin, coriander, cayenne, garlic, onion and 2 teaspoons salt. Process continuously, stopping to scrape down the bowl once halfway through, until a homogenous paste forms, about 2 minutes.   

Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons, scoop the falafel mixture into balls and carefully drop one at a time into the hot oil in batches of nine. Fry until very deep golden brown all over, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the falafel to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack-lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining mixture.  

Serve the warm falafel with pita bread, lettuce, tomato, tahini, hot sauce and lemon wedges.

Are you supposed to start with cooked chickpeas or dried that have been soaked overnight?  

Please, Food Network, put nutritional information with EVERY recipe, not just a few scattered here &amp; there. Soon! 

<div>I had tried another recipe. Didn't like it because they were too dry. This recipe looks easier and hopefully not dry. Seeing the other comments it sounds like they will be good.</div><div>One question ~ I would like the nutritional information for these <span class="originalText">falafels. I'm a diabetic and have to be careful with the carbs. I've tried checking on the internet. What I've come up with is anywhere from 3 - 15 carbs for one patty. Please HELP !  </span></div>

My parents went to Israel many years ago. I made these for them today and they said that they were pretty authentic!!! The recipe was easy to follow and the “dough” was wonderfully fluffy. I will definitely be making these again.

It’s a good recipe! Tasted great, I recommend using cherry salsa to give it a little bit more taste. Make sure to get DRIED chickpeas, if you get regular canned chickpeas the mixture will fall apart in the oil. If you do get the regular chickpeas, adding bread crumbs to the mixture will help them stay together as long as you don’t fry them and simply cook them in a pan. Enjoy!!

I air fried them on 350 for 15 minutes, also I added fresh mint and cilantro.

I use’d to make these
Often-don’t know why I
stopped 


I like this recipe. Simple and straight to the point. Just what I was looking for.

I like to taste as I go, soon course, I sampled the mix before frying. I became worried that I had wasted my time. After frying, though, these turned out great!

How to make authentic Falafel from scratch using soaked chickpeas (not canned)  with Homemade Pita, Creamy Tahini Sauce, Pickled Turnips, Cucumber Yogurt Sauce  *Chickpeas need 10-24 hours of soaking time. Makes 10 Falafels (I highly recommend making a double batch of the falafels!) 

Authentic Falafel Recipe with Tahini Sauce and Homemade Pita Bread

dry chickpeas

Cilantro (stems ok)

garlic cloves

jalapeno, seeds ok

tablespoon Coriander

Cumin

tsp baking soda

tsp kosher salt (add more to taste)

olive oil

oil oil

turnips,

½ thinly sliced onion

C red wine vinegar

water

salt

tsp sugar

coriander dill

Cup plain Greek yogurt

Cup tahini paste

garlic

tsp kosher salt

cracked pepper

lemon

Soak 3/4 cup dry chickpeas in a bowl of cold water on the counter for 10- 12 hours or up to 24 hours hours. They will swell into 2 cups. Place in a strainer, letting them drain WELL, and pat dry with a towel for extra dryness. (Wet chickpeas will be more difficult to fry.)

Measure 2 cups of the soaked, uncooked chickpeas and place in a food processor and pulse repeatedly along with the onion, garlic, cilantro, chili, salt spices, baking soda, and olive oil, scraping down sides, until it is well blended but still coarse like sand. Don&#8217;t overwork it- this should not be smooth, but rather quite coarse and granular.

Using damp hands, form round, slightly smaller than golf ball sized balls in your hands. If it feels very wet, feel free to lightly dredge in flour if you like. (I usually don&#8217;t, even when wet!). Refrigerate 20 minutes. 

In a non-stick pan or cast iron skillet, heat a ¼ inch of &#8220;high-heat&#8221; oil on med-high heat until it sizzles when a pea-sized portion of falafel is dropped in.

Turn heat to medium.  Place them carefully in the hot oil, do not move or mess with them until a deeply golden crust forms (this crust will ensure they naturally releases from the pan). Using a thin metal spatula, carefully turn over. Lower heat if necessary. Sear the other side. Each side will take about 3-4 minutes. Cook in batches, not crowding. Place falafels in the oven while you cook the remaining falafels to cook them through.  Keep them in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium-sized pot, remove from heat, and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips 

Blend all in the food processor, until smooth. This may seem slightly salty, but trust me it works in the big picture when all the components are combined.

Creamy Tahini Sauce: 

I could not fry them without them falling apart.

We made the tahini sauce and it was amazing. We will be trying the falafels next week but buying the bread from our local shop.

Flavor great.... I tried to use canned garbanzos...let them dry but the falafels just fell apart in the pan no matter how long they cooked...very sad.  

Pita and tzaziki sauce are great

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/D4rlELna.mp4

How to make the most delicious, authentic Falafels – made with soaked, dry chickpeas and hands-down has the BEST texture and flavor! You’ll never want to use canned chickpeas again! Vegan and Gluten-free! Video. 

Authentic Falafel Recipe 

Falafel-Crusted Chicken With Hummus Slaw

Cooking spray

chicken breasts

falafel mix

whole-wheat pitas, halved

hummus

harissa or other hot chile paste

coleslaw mix

radishes,

parsley

Food stylist: Cyd McDowell
Prop Stylist: Marina Malchin ,Food stylist: Cyd McDowell
Prop Stylist: Marina Malchin 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set a rack on a rimmed baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Toss the chicken with the olive oil in a large bowl, then add the falafel mix and toss to coat. Arrange the chicken on the rack and bake until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. While the chicken is baking, stack the pita halves and wrap them in foil; warm in the oven, about 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, mix the hummus, lemon zest and juice, harissa and 3 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the hummus sauce and reserve. Add the coleslaw mix, radishes and parsley to the remaining hummus sauce and toss. Season with salt. 

Divide the chicken among plates and drizzle with the reserved hummus sauce. Stuff the slaw in the pitas and serve with the chicken. 

After reading some of the reviews, I ended up adding a 1/4 cup of panko to the falafel mix and browning it in a skillet before tossing the chicken. I used a half of lemon for the slaw. Turned out great. It was fast, delicious and healthy. Will make again. 

This was really good, and sure will make it again<div><br /></div>

This was great, and made for lunch the next day. Really easy to make, and the slaw is just amazing.

Only made the chicken part of this recipe.  I think it may have been better to mix the falafel mix with some bread crumbs and used that as a coating.  Going to try that next time.

My husband loves Greek foods, especially falafel so I thought I'd give this a try since it was "quick".  It was pretty good, nothing fabulous.  The chicken doesn't really brown so I put it under the broiler for a couple mins.  I followed advice of other reviewers and used less lemon in the hummus slaw, but I thought it was just a little blah tasting to me so I added some feta and made some tzatziki.  Served with baked seasoned french fries.  I don't know if I'd make it again though.

Great idea with the falafel mix and the chicken but try tzatziki instead of hummus, I find hummus (which I love to be a bit heavy with the falafel mix. Then stuff the pita with the chicken, coleslaw, sliced cucumber and some fresh mint. So tasty!

Made this about 3 weeks ago.  First time ever having Hummus.  It is really good, and my kids liked it too (which is saying a lot.... have a 4 yr old and a 2yr old!

I made homemade hummus and harissa, and it was fabulous! I did add some salt and pepper like others have suggested, husband loved it, so a it's a keeper:

I love both falafel and hummus so thought I would give this recipe a try. I used sriracha for the heat (one teaspoon was perfect and lemon flavored hummus which had just the right amount of lemon flavor. Some of the reviews said the dressing wasn't flavorful, so I added a little bit of salt and pepper which helped. Chicken was juicy and flavorful. I dont think the pita was necessary, but will use it for lunch tomorrow as a pita wrap with all the left overs. I will definitely make this again!

Pistachio Falafel

chickpeas

shelled, roasted and salted pistachios

fresh mint, minced, plus whole mint leaves

fresh parsley, minced

onion

baking soda

extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Yogurt Sauce, recipe follows

Pomegranate seeds,

Greek yogurt

shelled, roasted and salted pistachios, ground

tahini

cardamom

garlic, grated

Geoffrey Zakarian makes Pistachio Falafel with  a Cardamom-Yogurt Sauce, as seen on The Kitchen, season 28.

Place the dried chickpeas in a bowl or resealable container. Fill with water to completely cover the chickpeas. Cover the container and refrigerate for 24 hours. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine the pistachios, soaked chickpeas, mint, parsley, onion, coriander, cumin, baking soda, garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse the food processor until the mixture starts to come together, scraping down the sides every few pulses, making sure not to overblend. (You want it to have a slightly coarse texture; you do not want it to become a smooth paste.)

Form the falafel mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball, then lightly press into discs. Place on a sheet tray.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with a wire rack.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick pan over a medium-high heat. Saute the falafel in batches, about 3 minutes on each side to caramelize. Transfer to the sheet pan with the rack and season with salt. Repeat as needed with more olive oil and the remaining falafel. Hold the falafel in the oven until ready to serve. Serve with the Yogurt Sauce, and sprinkle everything with the pomegranate seeds and whole mint leaves.

For the yogurt sauce: Combine the yogurt, ground pistachios, tahini, cardamom, lemon juice and zest, grated garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix with a spoon or whisk until well blended. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Besides just tasting wonderful, these easy waffled falafels are much lower in fat than their deep-fried relatives.

Waffled Falafel

vegetable oil,

cilantro

all-purpose flour

garlic,

breads,

Chopped lettuce, sliced tomato, cucumbers, onions, pickles, pickled beets

store-bought hummus, thinned with water

sauce,

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (to keep cooked waffles warm).

Combine the oil, cilantro, flour, parsley, baking powder, cumin, salt, coriander, cayenne, egg whites, garlic and chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Lightly brush the top and bottom of the waffle iron with oil. Fill the waffle iron about three-quarters of the way full (some waffle iron should still be showing). Close the lid gently and cook until the falafel is golden brown and firm in the center, 6 to 10 minutes. Keep the cooked falafels warm in the oven or covered with foil on a plate while you make the remaining falafels.

To build the sandwiches, stuff each pita half with a falafel. Add your choice of toppings, drizzle with the hummus and sprinkle with a few dashes of hot sauce.

Seriously good eats. I don’t like to fry foods and my oven felafel never turn out right. This was easy, quick and delicious. I ate these almost as fast as I made them. Great mood job Food Network. 

So first of all my waffle iron never gets oil or spray and that is why it is still non-stick after many different recipes.  Don't glue up your waffle iron with sticky oily stuff.  Second, there is no need for the pitas here.  Instead think of a chicken and waffles style presentation where you make the chickpea waffalafels (that's what we call them) and then top with all the yummy stuff like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, tzatziki, lettuce, etc.  Whatever you enjoy!  The pitas just make this seem dry and too many starches.  Enjoy! 

Delicious!  I didn't have cayenne so I substituted berbere.  Very flavorful and easy.  Will definitely make these again.

All of the falafel flavor without the fuss of frying, loved this recipe! I reduced the oil to 2tbsp as others suggested and brushed the waffle iron with oil. I also forgot the eggs in my second batch and they turned out fine, so it’s easy enough to veganize. 

These were so good!  Reduced the oil as others suggested and they were perfect.  You definitely need to spray some oil in the waffel iron.  I don't usually need to with regular waffels but these stuck and fell apart without it.  Topped with tzatziki and Israeli salad, the whole family approved.  They were a hit!!

Fabulous.  I used the batter in a small 4 inch waffle iron.  It was delicious and perfectly cooked.  I topped it with hummus and homemade tabouli.  Pretty too!<br />

My husband and I decided to give this recipe a try recently and absolutely loved it! Terrific bold flavor, crispy outer crust and delicate inside. We served them on warm pitas with lettuce, sliced onion, fresh tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce. The recipe made 6 small "waffles" on my waffle maker and we had no issues with them falling apart or sticking. Delicious, easy, budget friendly, would not change a thing! <br />

I made these last night for dinner and these were amazing! They were crisp on outside and a delicate, light inside. I have a Belgium waffle maker so it is deep and this recipe yielded 2 waffles. I had to make some changes but nothing drastic because I used what I had during quarantine days.  As per other reviews I cut back on oil to 2Tbsp EVOO, I only had dried cilantro so I used 1 Tbsp. I did cut back on cumin to 3/4 tsp and coriander 1/4 tsp and a sprinkle of cayenne. I just didn’t want them to overpower falafel since strong flavored spices. I also instead of wasting precious egg yolks, I used 1 whole egg that was a jumbo egg cause that’s what I had.  When I rinsed the chickpeas I let them air dry for about 2 hours.  I made mixture at lunchtime (along w/Tzatziki) has so flavors could develop in refrigerator and took out an hour before making waffles. I also preheated oven to start  375 and placed falafels on wire rack on sheet pan and baked for 10 mins since mine were thicker waffles.  I served with a Greek Salad, no pita necessary cause they were thick. I also made Alton Browns Tzatziki as suggested using 1/2 tsp dried mint and 1 tsp dried dill cause we like dill in our Tzatziki. I can’t wait to make again. This will become a family favorite 

We loved this recipe. Delicious waffles, and now a new favorite. Only thing is, recipe makes 5 waffles: so enough for 2 people.

Falafel in Pita with Yogurt Sauce

canola oil, plus extra for frying

yellow onion, chopped

red bell pepper, chopped

chick peas, drained

red chili flakes

black pepper

flour

cilantro leaves

Toppings: shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, and sliced cucumbers

Yogurt Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

yogurt

lemon zest

lemon juice

Kosher salt, as needed

Best Homemade Falafel Recipe with Yogurt Sauce

Falafel in Pita with Yogurt Sauce. Guy Fieri
Guy's Big Bite
GI-0515

In medium skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and sweat onion and peppers 2 to 3 minutes then garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse together chick peas, red chili flakes, ground cumin, the egg, salt and black pepper to form a coarse consistency. Then add flour, parsley, and cilantro. Pulse until mixture starts pulling from the sides of the food processor.

Remove mixture to a large bowl and mix in the onion mixture. Chill falafel until ready to cook.

Roll falafel dough into 1-inch rounds. Then form rounds into an oblong quenelle shape, like a football.

In a thick-bottomed skillet heat 1/2 inch of canola oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Cook falafel balls a few at a time, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Be sure to turn them so they do not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt while still hot.

Open the pita bread to make pockets. Place 3 to 4 falafels inside. Stuff with lettuce tomato and cucumbers and drizzle sauce generously on the inside. Serve immediately.

Mix the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley and cumin together in a small bowl. Add salt to taste. Chill until ready to use.

Oh, my gosh, this recipe! Made it exactly as written, and although I have probably cooked perhaps a hundred different recipes over the years, this is now my favorite! Fantastic!

Delicious, but keep the chick peas very dry for a more dense falafel.

I only made the yogurt sauce for some grilled chicken in pita bread. It was really good! I only saw this recipe as "salt as needed," so no problem there. But to be honest i eyeballed the ingredients anyway. Also i used parsley and dill as my herbs. And the cumin makes this sauce a little sweeter as all the other flavors are so strong. I am never buying yogurt sauce from the store again. This is better and a lot cheaper.

Pretty dang good.  I would add some ginger, broccoli and carrots next time.  Goodness.

1st time I had or made Falafel. It was good and easy to make. Will make again.

Update:  Our culinary team has changed the amount of salt from 1 tablespoon to kosher salt, as needed.  <br /><br />Admin Customer Service

If this is your first time preparing this recipe then I would definitely suggest cutting the salt quantities-- other than that I love it. This homemade version tastes fresher than anything I've tried in an eatery. I eat mine without the pitas, topped with a lightly dressed onion and tomato garnish and accompanied by a cabbage slaw salad or tabbouleh salad. And, canned chickpeas work just fine if you don't have time to soak beans overnight.

A simple recipe, full of flavor. Well-drained canned chickpeas worked perfect. I added a little bit more of  flour to the mixture to form the balls easier. The dipping turned out perfect because I added a cup more of yougurt.  I didn't use the pita bread, I just garnished with little dices of cucumber and tomato.  Next time I will try to bake them.   So yummy!!!

Whoa! Way too much salt in the yogurt dipping sauce!

Fried foods aren't great for you, which is why this recipe for baked falafel is such a pleasure. Serve these little balls of happiness with the accompanying Smoky Tahini Dressing atop rice or whole grains or in pitas or wraps with fresh tomatoes and lettuce.

Baked Falafel with Smoky Tahini Dressing

parsley (chopped)

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp black pepper

salt (to taste)

tbsp flour (plus more, if needed)

garlic (minced (sauté first if you don't

tsp smoked paprika

tbsp fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drizzle a little of the oil onto a high-sided cookie sheet or in a baking pan and spread it evenly. Or, you can just use baking parchment.

Place remaining oil and the rest of the falafel ingredients in food processor and pulse on and off until the mixture holds together in a dough-like mass. You may need to remove the dough with your hands and work it a bit. Add enough flour so that it holds together.

Form into 2-inch balls or patties. Place in the oiled pan.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes on one side, or until golden. Flip and bake on the other side for 10 to 12 minutes longer, or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

While the falafel is baking, rinse out the food processor. Combine the ingredients for the Smoky Tahini Dressing in the work bowl and process until smooth. Pour into a spouted container. Serve as suggested in the headnote, above. Pass around the Smoky Tahini Dressing.

Pesto Falafel with Butternut Hummus

butternut

coconut milk

miso

garlic cloves, finely chopped

yellow onion, finely chopped

basil,

extra-virgin olive oil,

sesame seeds

Dan Churchill makes Pesto Falafel with Butternut Squash Hummus, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen

For the butternut hummus: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread the butternut pieces evenly on the baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until soft and golden.

Combine the roasted butternut, chickpeas, tahini, coconut milk, lemon juice and remaining olive oil in a blender, season with salt and pepper and blitz until smooth. Set aside (you may need to clean your blender at this point).

For the pesto falafel: Combine the miso, chickpeas, cumin, coriander, garlic, onion, basil, olive oil and some salt and pepper in a blender or food processor until combined. Wet your hands and roll the mix into golf ball-sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Drizzle the falafel with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Note: You can twice cook them by adding oil to a frypan for a bit of an extra golden edge for 2 minutes on medium heat.

Top 9 falafel recipes recipes from across the web

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Falafel

Authentic Falafel Recipe with Tahin...

Falafel-Crusted Chicken With Hummus...

Pistachio Falafel

Waffled Falafel

Falafel in Pita with Yogurt Sauce

Baked Falafel with Smoky Tahini Dre...

Pesto Falafel with Butternut Hummus

Falafel Burgers

Top 9 falafel recipes recipes from across the web

The most viewed falafel recipes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Falafel

Authentic Falafel Recipe with Tahin...

Falafel-Crusted Chicken With Hummus...

Pistachio Falafel

Waffled Falafel

Falafel in Pita with Yogurt Sauce

Baked Falafel with Smoky Tahini Dre...

Pesto Falafel with Butternut Hummus

Falafel Burgers

The most viewed falafel recipes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine