Whenever we see falafel on the menu, our heart skips a beat. It makes us think of the herb-packed falafel pitas we feasted on in Greece, the mountains of falafel they serve up at our favorite Lebanese restaurant, and frankly, just how good it’ll taste when dunked in tzatziki. For non-meat-eating folks like us, these protein-packed bites of heaven hold their own far more than a “side of vegetables” ever could. So if you put falafel on the menu, chances are, we’re going to order it. And if it’s amazing, you might see us again tomorrow.
Restaurants and food trucks usually deep fry their falafel. It’s quick, convenient, and let’s be honest: everyone likes fried food. But back at home, we find the frying step totally unnecessary. Instead, you can use your oven to make delicious homemade baked falafel. Oven-baked falafel is not only healthier for you, but it also means you can avoid making your house smell like a greasy food truck. Getting to eat lots of guilt-free falafel, without the oily mess? Sounds like a win-win to us.
The trick to a good falafel ball is to start with dry chickpeas (not canned). You’ll want to soak the chickpeas in water, so they can plump up overnight. Then, once the dried chickpeas are rehydrated, they’ll be perfect for turning into fluffy falafel. Arguably, the hardest part of this recipe is budgeting time for an overnight soak. But we promise you, it really isn’t all that bad. The rest of the recipe comes together quite quickly. Throw the spices and fresh herbs in the food processor, and pulse until finely minced. To make scooping and shaping a breeze, we like to use our retractable ice cream scoop to divvy up the dough. But you could just as easily use a regular spoon and eyeball it.
These falafel balls are jam-packed with fresh herbs and spices to make them super flavorful, even without the oil bath. For any cilantro-haters out there, we’ve got your back. Admittedly, we love cilantro - but Anguel’s dad does not - so this version skips it altogether. Flat leaf parsley is truly all you need, as we’ve learned after much testing. And after making this recipe many times over, we appreciate how we can serve it to friends without doing the mental check of whether anyone in the crowd is not on team cilantro. When it comes to parsley, flat-leaf (Italian) wins over the curly kind. Flat-leaf has more robust flavor. In fact, nine times out of ten, we buy it over curly because flavor-wise it’s more bang for your buck.
Since falafel can be eaten hot or cold, it makes for especially convenient dinners, lunches, snacks...in other words, they’re a meal-prepper’s secret weapon. We like to serve falafel on mezze-style platters, tuck them into a fluffy pita, crumble them over top salads, or pack them in clean-out-the-fridge bowls with whatever smattering of things we can find in our fridge at the end of the week. Falafel is delicious with tzatziki sauce (vegan or yogurt-based). Bonus points if you make some Pickled Red Cabbage to serve alongside!
Oven Baked Falafel
Ingredients
- 1½ cups dried chickpeas (see note 1)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided (or extra-virgin olive oil)
Instructions
- The night before, soak chickpeas: Add dried chickpeas to a large bowl or pot filled with water. (Dried beans will triple in volume, so ensure you add plenty of water to accommodate.) Cover and let soak at room temperature for about 18 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Mix: In a food processor, combine soaked and drained chickpeas, garlic, onion, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of the grapeseed oil. Pulse until chickpeas are finely minced and well mixed, scraping down the sides as needed. (The mixture should loosely hold together when squeezed together with your fingers. If not, process a bit more. See note 2)
- Shape: Scoop walnut-sized portions of the chickpea mixture. Use your hands to gently roll each into a smooth ball (you should get about 24 total). The batter will be slightly tacky - if it's too difficult to handle, refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes, then resume scooping.
- Bake: Arrange falafel on 1 large parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each falafel all-over with the remaining 2 tablespoons (30ml) of the grapeseed oil. Bake until firm and golden on the outside, 20 to 25 minutes.
Notes
- Dried chickpeas: This recipe calls for dried chickpeas, which get soaked overnight. Unfortunately, we don't recommend using canned chickpeas as a substitute. Canned chickpeas will make for a mushier falafel because they're pre-cooked and introduce too much moisture into the mixture. Although some readers have made this substitute (with the addition of a binder), the end result is definitely better with dried chickpeas. We strongly recommend you make the recipe exactly as is, at least for the first time you try it!
- Falafel mixture: Process the mixture just into it's fine enough to hold together when squeezed together. You don't want to over-process it to a paste, because that will lead to a dense falafel. Avoid the urge to add binders (such as breadcrumbs or flour). If you followed this recipe exactly as written, binders are not needed.
- Yield: One batch of this recipe (1x) makes 24 falafel. Nutritional estimates assumes 4 falafel per serving.
- Freezing instructions: Once falafel are baked, let them fully cool. Then, transfer to a freezer bag and freeze until firm. Defrost in the fridge (overnight), in the microwave, or in the oven (at 325°F/165°C) until hot.
Ava Allen says
This is an amazing recipe!!!! 10000/10. Just made it! They turned out a bit stodgy but that probably has to do with me adding flour because the dough seemed too wet. Will definitely make again! (A side note, I wonder if I could find the recipes to the pita bread and the salad you have in the pictures? They look delicious!) thank you for this recipie!!!!
Anne says
I had to do this with canned chickpeas since I couldn't get my hands on dry ones. It still worked out fine, however, the falafel balls spread out like cookies in the oven!
They taste delicious nonetheless, and are the right mix of crunchy and soft. Now I just find their shape funny and actually hope they turn out like this the next time! 😀
Anne says
oh, I forgot to add. Since the canned chickpeas turned the mixture very soft, I added about a cup of breadcrumbs. Turned it into perfectly scoopable falafel!
Lindsay says
I can’t find the recipe for the fluffy hummus.
Lena says
Hi, so happy to find this recipe, can't wait to make it !
Can you share the recipes of the other meals on your photo, it seems so good ! I would love to invite family and serve this dinner.
The dip is houmous ?
Thank you,
Lena
C. says
Can I freeze them?
Bri says
Yes, they freeze well! We almost always keep a batch in the freezer. Makes for quick weekday meals:)
Natalie says
What a FANTASTIC recipe! This has been my new go-to meal-prep lunch staple for the past 8 weeks or so. I love making a copycat CAVA bowl with this falafel, your recipe for pickled cabbage, and a bunch of fixings. This recipe so easily comes together and has become an essential part of my daily routine. As a vegetarian, it's so nice to have a constant supply of healthy falafel in the fridge for a quick snack or meal.
I will say, as Bri clearly states in the reviews below, ONLY use dried chick peas for this recipe. They really are the game changer. I had to attempt to use canned chick peas this week when making this (due to the COVID-19 pandemic, grocery store dried bean shelves are sadly completely empty) and it did not turn out well. I even tried adding breadcrumbs and some almond meal without much success.
Do yourself a favor and soak your own dried beans, baby. You won't regret it.
Bri says
Hi Natalie!! SO thrilled to hear these falafel have been your go-to staple for the past 8 weeks!! That makes us so happy to hear:D And the pickled cabbage too...wowza, you're nailing it! We're so proud.
Sorry to hear that dried chickpeas are sold out at your grocery store. They are the right ones to use for this recipe. On a side note, it seems kinda crazy that dried beans are out but canned beans are stocked! Usually most people reach for canned first. Crossing our fingers you can get your hands on some again soon. Thanks so much for stopping by - and for cooking our recipes in your home. Wishing you well xx Bri
Eleni {The Foodie Corner} says
Been meaning to make baked falafel for a while and I think this is the perfect recipe to try! And I have all the ingredients too (isn’t that the best feeling?!)
Bri says
Sounds like a match made in heaven! We can't wait to hear how it goes!
Donna says
Does anyone know the nutrition count for these?
Colleen Kent says
Can’t wait to try these! 😋
Katherine Mesri says
Help! I’m making these for dinner tonight and the chickpeas are still quite hard - despite soaking overnight. Is this normal? I’ve whizzed them in my food processor and they’re quite gritty. I haven’t added the other ingredients yet because I don’t want to waste them. There’s no way they’ll form into any type of ball 🙁
Bri says
Hi Katherine! Dried chickpeas can take different amounts of time to soak, depending on how old they are. How many hours did you let them soak? Are they materially harder than other chickpeas you've soaked in the past? For reference, they should be firmer than the chickpeas in a can - since those have been fully cooked! Soaking the chickpeas in water overnight is simply rehydrating them. This is a good thing, because using pre-cooked chickpeas in falafel can make for a mushy falafel. So, assuming you gave your chickpeas enough time to soak, I wouldn't fret if the mixture looks gritty (not smooth). Once you add your ingredients and blend some more, it should make a sandy batter that should loosely hold together when shaped with your fingers. The goal is for the batter to be just hold together enough to be pressed/rolled into balls. A batter that's too dense / doughy won't get you nice fluffy fafel. We've tested these tons of times so as long as you're following the directions, it should work out for you! Let me know how it goes:)
Katherine Mesri says
You were so supportive in my time of need. THANKYOU! They turned out just perfectly ......all by following the recipe. Who knew?! This recipe is a keeper.
Hannah says
Oh my word-- these are AMAZING! I just pulled the tray out of the oven, and had to try one before they even cooled. I've tried numerous vegan falafel recipes before, and these are by far the simplest to make...and the tastiest! One thing for other readers, definitely don't skimp on the lemon zest/juice! I was amazed how much it came through and really elevated the flavor of these. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Bri says
Yayy, thanks for the amazing feedback Hannah!! We're thrilled to hear you think this is the simplest (and more importantly, tastiest) falafel recipe you've tried. SUCH an honour - that totally makes our day. Glad to hear you enjoyed the falafel recipe. Thanks so much for sharing your experience xx
Eleanor says
Can you substitute canned chickpeas?
Bri says
Hi Eleanor,
Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend canned chickpeas as a substitute here. Canned chickpeas have been both rehydrated and cooked, before you even open the can. This recipe calls for dried chickpeas, which get rehydrated in the overnight soak - then baked in the oven. I'd fear that if used here, canned chickpeas would make the falafel too mushy/gummy and bring in too much moisture to the batter.
If you're really set on canned chickpeas, would recommend using a different recipe that's developed specifically for them. But we do highly encourage you to give dried chickpeas a try! They really do make the best falafel balls.
Hope this helps! Bri
Gemma says
I did (the can that I used was roughly 540 grams) and I added 1 tablespoon bread crumbs and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Next time I would do 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs. I also want to try adding walnuts or flax seeds.
Unfortunately, I didn't have all of the ingredients so I used lime juice, curry powder, and chili powder instead. I found the garlic to be a lot (even when not following the recipe and doing 2 tsp's instead) so next time I would use less. Other than that it turned out super tasty!