Homemade Falafel Recipe
(crispy outside, soft and herby inside)
This homemade falafel recipe is the real deal. Made from dry chickpeas soaked overnight, blended with fresh herbs, garlic, and cumin, then deep fried until deeply crispy on the outside and soft and herby on the inside. Stuff them into a warm pita with fresh salad, tahini, and pickles. This is the homemade falafel recipe you make once and never go back to store-bought.
Homemade falafel in a warm pita with tahini, fresh salad, and pickles
What Makes This Homemade Falafel Recipe Work
The single most important rule in this homemade falafel recipe is to use dry chickpeas that you soak yourself — not canned ones. Canned chickpeas have too much moisture and will give you falafel that falls apart in the oil or comes out dense and doughy. Dry chickpeas soaked for 10 to 12 hours hold their structure perfectly and give you that distinctive grainy, herb-packed texture that real Middle Eastern falafel is known for.
The second thing is the herbs. Do not be shy with the coriander and parsley. They are not garnish — they are structural to the flavour and give this homemade falafel recipe that vibrant green interior when you bite into one.
How to Make This Homemade Falafel Recipe, Step by Step
- Cover the dry chickpeas in plenty of cold water and leave to soak for 10 to 12 hours or overnight. They will roughly double in size.
- Drain them but save about 1 to 1½ cups of the soaking water for later.
- Roughly slice the onion into 8 pieces. Add the onion, garlic, coriander, and parsley to a food processor and blend until finely chopped.
- Add the drained chickpeas along with the salt, pepper, cumin, and baking powder.
- Blend everything together while slowly adding about ½ cup of the saved chickpea water. The mixture should be moist and hold together when pressed — not wet or paste-like.
- Shape the mixture into small balls, slightly smaller than a golf ball. You can fry immediately or freeze at this point for later.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to around 180°C. Test with a small piece of mixture — it should sizzle immediately and float to the surface.
- Carefully lower the falafel balls into the oil in batches. Do not overcrowd.
- Fry until all sides are evenly dark brown and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch.
- Open a warm pita and add 3 to 4 falafel balls.
- Spoon in fresh salad, drizzle generously with tahini, and add pickles.
- Eat immediately while the falafel is still hot and the pita is soft.
- 🚫 No canned chickpeas: Non-negotiable in this homemade falafel recipe. Canned chickpeas are too wet and will give you dense, falling-apart falafel. Only dry, soaked chickpeas work.
- 🌿 Lots of herbs: The coriander and parsley are not optional. They give the falafel its flavour and that green interior. Use a generous amount.
- ❄️ Freeze the mixture: The uncooked mixture freezes really well. Shape into balls, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Fry from frozen, adding a minute or two to the cook time.
- 🌡️ Oil temperature: Keep it around 180°C. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks through. Too cool and they absorb oil and go greasy.
- 🧆 Size matters: Keep the balls roughly uniform so they all cook evenly. Slightly smaller than a golf ball is the sweet spot for this homemade falafel recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Homemade Falafel Recipe
Drop a comment below and let me know how this homemade falafel recipe turned out. First time making it from scratch? Tell me if you could taste the difference from store-bought. If you're into Middle Eastern food, the cheese and spinach bourekas are another great one to try. Tag your photos and show off that pita.